Ah, tax season. It’s a phrase that strikes fear into the hearts of even the most seasoned property portfolio owners. Mountains of receipts, baffling forms, and late-night calculations – it’s enough to make anyone yearn for a tropical island escape. But what if there was a way to navigate this annual ordeal with grace and […]

Propertymark has responded to a Welsh Government White Paper on Ending Homelessness which outlines its plans to reform the legislation on homelessness prevention. The organisation has expressed its support for some of the key proposals, while also highlighting the need for better collaboration with the private rented sector (PRS). Propertymark says: “We are pleased that […]

The UK’s property market has seen a surge of new sellers and buyers entering the market in January to boost prices by more than double the 20-year average of +0.6%, Rightmove says. The property platform adds that the average price of property listed for sale increased by 1.3% (+4,571) this month to £359,748, the highest […]

This week saw a cornucopia of stories that illustrate the current wrong thinking on the private rented sector – and that landlords are the fault for everything. First up is Andy Burnham’s political nonsense, the ‘groundbreaking’ Good Landlord Charter. Ostensibly it is for all rented homes in Greater Manchester but I’m willing to offer good […]

Landbay has reduced its rates for various buy to let mortgages twice in one week, offering more competitive deals for landlords. The specialist lender has lowered its rates for the standard two-year range by up to 0.35%, and for the two- and five-year small HMO/MUFB range by up to 0.40%. It has also lowered its […]

Hello, Please read this about the local housing allowance rates for 2024 to 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-housing-allowance-indicative-rates-for-2024-to-2025/indicative-local-housing-allowance-rates-for-2024-to-2025 What will this mean for you? For my properties it will mean rent increases. I shall be raising rents to match the new LHA rates at the first possible opportunity after the increase is applied from 1 April. Some of […]

Hello, We have a property in the family that we have taken back into possession after a very long rental term, circa 50 years. As you could imagine it is now quite dated and run down inside. All still functional just in need of modernisation all the way through. No central heating, just electric heaters, […]

The UK’s rents for new tenancies dipped by 0.9% in December 2023, reaching £1,268 which is still 8.01% more than the same month in 2022, the HomeLet rental index reveals. The average rent, excluding London, was £1,061, a 0.5% decline from November 2023, but an 8.6% rise from December 2022. London saw a 2.2% drop […]

Lambeth Council has been criticised by the Housing Ombudsman for its inconsistent and inadequate complaint handling from its tenants, despite making some improvements. The Ombudsman launched an inspection into the council after it was not satisfied with the information provided by the council in response to its orders about complaint handling. The inspection gave the […]

Ben Beadle, the chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), has met with the minister for the private rented sector (PRS), Jacob Young, to discuss the Renters (Reform) Bill. The bill aims to end no-fault evictions, improve security of tenure and strengthen the rights of tenants. Mr Beadle told the minister about the […]

The top worries for landlords in 2024 have been revealed in a survey which found that rising mortgage payments and interest rates are the number one concern. Molo, a digital mortgage lender, asked landlords to select their biggest worries from a list of 15 options and found that landlords in Birmingham and London are the […]

The Good News is that after the turmoil of 2023, 2024 has brought a much-needed reduction in mortgage rates, from most lenders. Starting with Kensington and Halifax, on the first working day of the year and followed by a multiple of others, each fighting for a share of the mortgage market, both for individual and […]

Are you a landlord who has used a rent guarantee scheme? Then, Ruby Hinchliffe, money reporter for the Telegraph would like to speak with you.  The Telegraph are looking to speak to landlords who hand over the keys to a management company and pay them to look after the property and place tenants. The Telegraph would […]

Paragon Bank has cut rates on five-year fixed-rate buy-to-let mortgages by up to 0.7%, reduced its reference rate and also made changes to minimum and maximum loan term criteria. The new rates WITH NO ARRANGEMENT FEE include: Green 5.25% Nil All EPC’s 5.30% Nil Green with £750 Cashback 5.34% Nil All EPC’s with £750 cashback […]

Hi, I rent out a 1 bed flat in Southend on Sea, the council have just introduced selective licensing. I have just had a compliance visit, the result being that the housing officer has said the bedroom is too small for someone to sleep in! The room is 7.8m2, she says the housing act 2004 […]

If you are a landlord wondering what landlord insurance covers then you are not alone. New findings from Confused.com reveal more than 8,000 people searched for “what does landlord insurance cover”. The findings also reveal more than 9,000 people searched for how much landlord insurance costs. How much is landlord insurance Confused.com’s home insurance reveals […]

Several buy to let lenders have announced rate cuts for their mortgage products as the trend for lower rates continues. So far this week, landlords have seen Paragon, Landbay and Accord, along with West One, CHL and Coventry for Intermediaries lower their BTL mortgage rates. And now Moneyfacts has highlighted two deals it says that […]

A new report reveals that one of the main trends in the private rented sector (PRS) last year was the shift of renters from urban to rural areas, as they sought more affordable and spacious homes. Rightmove found that 54% of renters who searched for a new home in 2023 wanted to move out of […]

London was at the forefront of a record-breaking year of property licensing schemes and enforcement in the UK in 2023, one firm reports. According to data from Kamma, there were 32 new licensing schemes introduced across the country last year, and another 18 were under consultation. However, more than £9.87 million in fines were imposed […]

This year is going to be a great year for investing in property, as long as you know what you are doing, so it’s really important to get some good training, to make sure you have the necessary knowledge and support to make the most of the current property market. Today could be your lucky […]

Around 1.6 million private renters on low incomes will see their housing support rise from April, as the government increases the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) by an average of £800 a year. The LHA is the maximum amount of housing benefit or Universal Credit that renters can claim, based on the size and location of […]