The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has revealed that 13 social landlords have breached current consumer standards over the past year. The regulator says in breaching the standards, the landlords posed actual – or created the potential for – serious harm to tenants. And now the regulator, which protects thousands of tenants in England, wants […]

Some rent guarantee companies are allegedly encouraging landlords to evict tenants who are not deemed profitable enough, even if they pay their rent on time and have no other issues, an investigation reveals. According to the openDemocracy website, some rent guarantee providers are advising landlords to use Section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction notices to terminate tenancies […]

Hello, tenants were due to vacate the property this weekend. However, the tenants have told the management agency that they have been advised by the local authority to stay put as they are a couple with a young child. Where do I stand on this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you, Sheila Editors […]

Hello, I exchanged on a new build flat before June 2022 when the new regulations on Ground Rent came into force. The property is due to be completed this month and the freeholder wants to charge £350 pa Ground Rent with five yearly reviews. Can the freeholder do this under the new regulations? Any advice […]

Housing affordability is at its worst in decades, according to new research. According to House Buyer Bureau, today’s homebuyers have by far the toughest financial task when it comes to housing affordability – with house prices sitting at 8.8 times the average earnings. The research reveals the average house price throughout the 1970s sat at […]

New research reveals despite demand falling, UK house prices are still rising. According to TwentyEA asking prices at original instruction have risen nearly 3.5% in the last year and more than 24% since 2019. Exchange prices have also grown by 4.7% over the course of the last year and more than 22% since 2019. London […]

It’s a double-edged sword for landlords right now, with 1 in 3 landlords saying they’re going to trim down or get rid of their portfolios, coupled with the looming eviction ban in just 12 months’ time. It’s no surprise, therefore, that landlords are looking to sell as fast as possible. But where do you turn […]

The government has been criticised by Labour for failing to deliver on its pledge to end section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. First mooted by the Conservatives as part of its 2019 election manifesto, it was put forward in May as part of the Renters’ Reform Bill. But during Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, Labour’s deputy leader Angela […]

Hello, has anyone used a Zero Deposit (ZD) scheme? I’m coming into the ZD scheme from fresh having always taken traditional deposits up front so I’m wary of the scheme at the moment. I have been advised it might be a way of getting tenants to come forward. Despite the housing shortages, I rent in […]

Both tenants and landlords are facing an ‘unstable market’ as rent prices reached record highs in June 2023, one expert says. HomeLet’s latest Rental Index data shows that the average rent in the UK is now £1,229 per month – a 10.4% increase from the same period last year and a 1.3% rise from May. […]

Hello, looking for advice, please. My tenant took it upon himself to install an air source heat pump without informing me. The property already has efficient underfloor electric heating (EPC C) I would have refused had he asked. He broke his tenancy agreement and left before the break clause. Now he wants to have ‘his’ […]

The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on London’s private rental sector (PRS), with new research revealing a 41% drop in the number of properties available for rent since March 2020. The study, conducted by the LSE and Savills and commissioned by a group of organisations led by London Councils, warns that this trend […]

Since tenants pay for their landlord’s buy to let mortgage repayments, they should get a share of the profits, one leading commentator says. John Bird is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Big Issue, a social enterprise and street newspaper, and in the latest issue he says that ‘making money from buy-to-let properties has long […]

Hello, My company owns the freehold of a property which is divided into 2 self-contained flats, one of which is sold on a long lease and the other let on an AST. We are looking to secure a B2L mortgage but the lender requires that the AST flat is held on a long lease. That […]

Thousands of landlords and second homeowners are exploiting a legal loophole to avoid paying council tax, leaving local authorities with a huge shortfall in revenue, the Daily Telegraph reveals. The loophole allows owners of holiday lets and second homes to register as small businesses and pay lower business rates instead of council tax, if they […]

A damning report by the Housing Ombudsman has exposed a ‘culture of apathy’ at the London Borough of Haringey, which has failed to address serious issues such as leaks, damp and mould in its properties. The report, based on 32 individual investigations and six months of engagement with the landlord, found that Haringey had a […]

Hello, I have a property which is two flats where I own the share of freehold with the other flat owner. Our leases are at about 80 years each and I want to extend the leases to 199 years, but the other flat owner is refusing to engage in this. How can I extend my […]

A survey reveals that landlord confidence is strong as 41% of landlords say they are planning to buy more properties over the next 12 months. Landbay has polled 1,127 landlords and found that the main reason for expanding their portfolio was the high demand from tenants, cited by 35% of respondents. Another factor was the […]

Hello, I live in a block of 9 flats and we are interested in buying the Freehold. I understand that if the Freeholder wants to sell the Freehold they will need to offer it to us first before a third party. Before I moved in, the Freeholder offered the Freehold for purchase to the existing […]

In a bid to combat its growing housing crisis, one UK city has launched an appeal for the government to hand over powers to impose rent controls. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to help private tenants, who make up nearly one-third of the city’s residents. The Bristol Living Rent Commission has published […]

Hello, I am trying to find out how the law has changed regarding fire doors in converted buildings with 3 flats and one communal staircase leading to the main front door. I understand that a new law came in this January. The doors were renewed about 5 years ago and are 30 minute fire doors. […]