Page 281 – Property118

Rayner’s no-nonsense warning to landlords using Section 21

15th November 2023

Angela Rayner has accused landlords of using Section 21 “as an easy get-out to turf people out of their home.” In an interview with ITV News, Ms Rayner slammed the government for delaying no-fault evictions which was first promised in 2019. The Shadow Housing Secretary also said Section 21 is having a “devastating impact on […]

Aerial view of the UK Parliament and surrounding Westminster area supporting discussion on the Renters Rights Bill

Renters Reform Bill debate heats up in Committee stage

15th November 2023

The Renters Reform Bill is taking centre stage and is beginning its next passage through the House of Commons to the Committee stage. Organisations across the private rented sector were invited to give evidence and propose amendments to a cross-party group of MPs. The NRLA and Propertymark called for more clarity regarding fixed-term tenancies in […]

Shelter warns of “terrible winter of evictions”

15th November 2023

More than 815,000 private renters are under threat of eviction this winter, according to new research by Shelter. The housing charity reveals private renters in England are fearing the worst, with 3.5 million tenants (43%) saying they are now worried about becoming homeless due to housing costs. Shelter is calling on the government to unfreeze […]

green belt london

Londoners demand green belt reforms to solve housing crisis

15th November 2023

Londoners want homes built on the green belt to improve their housing chances, according to a new survey. In a poll, by property developer Pocket Living, 63% of Londoners aged between 25-45 years old would support green-belt reforms to bolster their housing opportunities. The survey also reveals more than three-quarters (78%) of young people in […]

Tenant demand hits record high amid rising rents

15th November 2023

Tenant demand in the UK reached a record high in the third quarter of the year, with more than seven in 10 landlords reporting an increase, a survey reveals. The research from Paragon Bank found that 71% of landlords saw rising levels of tenant demand in Q3, up from the previous record of 67% in […]

Sadiq Khan in London with city skyline in the background.

Sadiq Khan criticises government over housing shortage

14th November 2023

Sadiq Khan has slammed the government for its “poor housing delivery” as new figures reveal the capital is outbuilding the rest of the country. According to new data released by the Department of Levelling Up, up to March 2022, London has increased its housing stock by eight per cent during the years in which Sadiq […]

Property expert outdoors discussing rising UK rent prices

Renters face affordability and eviction worries amid rising costs

14th November 2023

The most popular search terms among tenants in the UK are reflecting growing concerns over affordability and eviction, research reveals. The study by Zero Deposit analysed Google search term trends around renting to reveal which topics have seen the largest increase in interest from tenants. It reveals that more tenants are worried about the cost […]

Renters Reform Bill enters crucial Committee stage

14th November 2023

The committee stage of the Renters’ Reform Bill will begin today and provides the first opportunity to propose, debate and vote on suggested amendments and new clauses. Housing organisations are calling on the government to address a number of key concerns, including court reform, student lets, notice periods and pets. The Committee is scheduled to […]

Propertymark policy head highlights concerns over the Renters’ Rights Bill’s impact on landlords and tenants

Industry body calls for crackdown on unregulated letting agents

14th November 2023

An industry body is warning that action must be taken to regulate property agents. Propertymark has written to Housing Secretary Michael Gove urging comprehensive regulation for both letting and sales agents. Under current rules, there is no statutory regulation of private sector letting agents in England or the need to be part of a trade […]

Paragon Bank reduces rates on buy-to-let mortgages

14th November 2023

Paragon Bank has unveiled a major product refresh and lowered its rates on six five-year fixed-rate, buy-to-let mortgages. The rate cut applies to five-year fixed-rate buy-to-let mortgages, available at up to 75% loan-to-value. The mortgages are available in England, Scotland and Wales and are suitable for portfolio landlords – those with four or more buy-to-let […]

black mould in a rented property being cleaned property118.com

Recovering damages from live in lodger?

14th November 2023

Hello, my lodgers have an excluded licence agreement. I stupidly only charged £400 deposit which is less than half a month’s rent. They knowingly entered into my house on the 6th of August having come from a “mould-infested basement flat” that they had been living in for 8 months. They did not inform me of […]

landlords tenants 'no fault' evictions property118.com

Notice of hearing after order for possession?

14th November 2023

Hi Everyone, I have the order for Possession (Accelerated procedure) (Assured shorthold tenancy) in July which said that the tenant should leave the property on the 7th of August. However, the tenant did not leave the property on that day so I had to apply N325(For a Warrant of Possession of Land) in August. Finally, […]

Blue smoky question mark symbolizing confusion over gas boilers versus heat pumps

Did I issue an invalid s21 notice?

13th November 2023

I lived in my property for a number of years before deciding to rent it out. I had my friend who was previously a registered gas engineer fit in my new boiler and service it for me (while I was still living there) Just before my tenant moved in 2018 I got him to do […]

Compliance – what happens if you get it wrong?

13th November 2023

Did you know that fines can be over £30,000 now for non-compliance? And that there are 168 new regulations that have been introduced in recent years? Watch this live debate at the Property Investor Show in London a few weeks ago, which was hosted by Richard Jackson from Alphaletz, with Sean Hooker from the PRS, […]

Liberal Democrats demand tax perks for EPC upgrades

13th November 2023

Liberal Democrats are pushing the government for more EPC reforms in the PRS. The party proposes that all landlords should be allowed to offset their spending on insulation and energy-saving improvements against their income tax. The party has previously criticised the government for scrapping EPC C targets by 2025 calling it “unforgivable”. Incentives for landlords […]

UK house prices drop by 1.7% – Rightmove

13th November 2023

The average asking price of newly marketed properties in the UK has fallen by 1.7% (-£6,088) this month, according to the latest Rightmove house price index. The report suggests that sellers are adopting more realistic pricing strategies to attract buyers as the market transitions from the pandemic-induced frenzy to more normal activity levels. Despite the […]

Landlords slash borrowing amid rising interest rates

13th November 2023

Buy to let landlords have cut down their mortgage debt by almost 20% in a year of economic turmoil, according to a new report. Octane Capital has compared the total amount of borrowing among BTL landlords between Q3 2022 and Q2 2023 and the same period the year before. It found that landlords reduced their […]

Business professional in blue suit representing NRLA leadership on housing crisis.

Landlords in limbo as court chaos continues

13th November 2023

The courts are taking more than half a year to process possession claims, according to new research. New data released by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), reveals it takes an average of almost 29 weeks between a private landlord making a legitimate possession claim to the courts and actually getting the property back. The figures […]

Woman in red dress smiling while seated in an office chair.

Landlord sell-off slows down as rents continue rising

13th November 2023

Landlords in Great Britain are holding on to their properties as rents soar to new heights, according to the latest Hamptons lettings index. The index, which tracks the activity and trends of the private rented sector, shows that the share of homes sold by a landlord fell from 15.7% in 2022 to 14% so far […]

Illustration of houses with the word eviction, symbolising Section 21 rental evictions

S21 expiry date?

13th November 2023

Hello, Can Property118 readers please help. The rules seem to have changed for what date to put for a S21 expiry date. The tenancy is a rolling contractual periodic tenancy which originally started in 2021. Do I have to give the 2 months’ notice to the end of the monthly rental period date or can […]