First, it was a claim by Generation Rent that families are being evicted every 15 minutes – but now Shelter has gone one better by saying a family is evicted every EIGHT minutes in England. The charity says it has calculated the figure by using the number of families living in the private rented sector […]

Energy efficiency improvement costs for some private rented sector homes could cost nearly £15,000. The English Housing Survey for 2021-2022 reveals 19% of PRS homes could cost between £10,000 and £15,000 to improve to at least an EPC rating of C. A further 5% of homes could require £15,000 or more to improve their energy […]

Landlords in the private rented sector and local councils are being urged by the government to help house Afghan refugees who are living in hotels and costing taxpayers £1m every day. Speaking in Parliament, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer called on local authorities to make use of the Government’s £285 million package of […]

Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) across the South West have united to lobby landlords and letting agents to identify and report suspected cannabis farms. The PCCs from Wiltshire, Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset and Gloucestershire have also contacted national bodies for landlords and agents in a bid to raise awareness. They say they […]

Worried landlords should consider inventories as a defence should the Renters (Reform) Bill become law and tenants get a legal right to keep a pet in their home, one expert says. Daniel Evans, the chair of the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC), says that tenants will only need written permission from a landlord – […]

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Hello, solicitors forgot to add the statement of truth to my witness statement for a possession claim. This has led to a 10 week delay in gaining possession. Can I litigate the firm due to their negligence and duress under the circumstances? I couldn’t move to another firm due to the extra costs of transferring […]

Renters attempting to challenge rent increases are discovering that tribunals often grant landlords even higher rents, one newspaper reveals. One newspaper investigated tenants in England who received a section 13 notice to increase their rent and then contested the proposed hike at a First-tier Tribunal. However, one issue looked at by a tribunal is whether […]

Rising interest rates threaten to slash the value of homes by up to 25% in the biggest drop in wealth seen since WW2, one think tank warns. A new report by the Resolution Foundation and the abrdn Financial Fairness Trust found that higher borrowing costs have already wiped out £2.1 trillion of household wealth in […]

A tenant activist group is making a wild claim that renters face being unfairly evicted from their homes this summer because of Government inaction. The claim is being made by Generation Rent which says that the delayed Renters (Reform) Bill will lead to ‘unfair evictions’ despite a government pledge to outlaw them. The group says […]

Hello, I recently undertook a rent review, the first in years and it was challenged. The original rent was all-inclusive, and the contract noted bills, utilities and council tax is the responsibility of the tenant. Whilst the landlord is liable to ensure it is paid. If the landlord is liable what does this mean for […]

A report reveals that in one area of London, the chances of a renter finding somewhere to rent are ‘almost non-existent’. And with just 4% of the capital’s rental properties currently available for new tenants, the market is tough for most renters. According to a new report by Benham and Reeves, there are just 40,500 […]

I am an avid reader of Property 118 and a large portfolio owner. I have owned a 3 bedroom flat for 23 years and I turned it into 3 separate units as soon as I completed the purchase. I didn’t apply for planning permission. Although I feel I should be able to achieve an Established […]

Once a year, we award a fully paid scholarship to one lucky person, to join our 12-month Property Mastermind. Today the search has begun, for the 2023 Scholarship winner, and it could be you. I have recorded a short webinar for you, to explain what is involved in this life-changing scholarship, how you can increase […]

The private rented sector (PRS) needs to prepare for more than one million tenants being over the age of 65 by 2033, a report reveals. The findings from Hamptons highlight that a major shift is underway as older generations are increasingly opting for or staying in rented accommodation. According to the data, the proportion of […]

Hi all – newbie here and what a mess I’m in! I stupidly rented my house out feeling sorry for a single parent on benefits. The rent is £550 pcm and has not been increased over the 6 years as her benefits would not cover it. I asked for a £50 increase per month in […]

Most buy to let landlords (64%) say they are not planning to sell any properties in the next year, a survey has found. The data from Landbay’s quarterly survey also found that 75% of landlords with one property felt most strongly about not selling. And for those two or three properties, 69% of landlords say […]

As landlords are squeezed by rising mortgage costs and reduced income, the number of homes to rent in the UK has hit a 14-year low, the Financial Times reports. Using data from consultancy TwentyCi, the newspaper says that the number of properties available for rent has plunged by 35% in two years, to reach a […]

Landlords and letting agents are increasingly asking for guarantors from renters who earn between £25,000 and £75,000, research reveals. RentTech firm Goodlord analysed 220,000 tenancies between January 2020 and June this year and found that there has been a steady rise in requests for renters to provide a guarantor. The firm says that 5.8% of […]

Hi, my tenants phoned an ambulance and waited about 7 hours and because no ambulance turned up they left the property and took one of the tenants to the hospital themselves. When they came back to the house they found the police broke down the door left it damaged and boarded the house up. Who […]

The average asking price of new listings fell by 0.2% (-£905) in June, to £371,907 – when the market normally sees a 0% change for this time of year, data suggests. According to Rightmove, the price drop reflects a move by sellers to attract buyers after recent interest rate hikes and the affordability challenges that […]