Birmingham city council says that 80% of landlords in its private rented sector (PRS) covered by the new selective and additional licensing schemes have not yet applied for a licence. The city’s new licensing scheme came into effect on 5 June 2023 to improve the standards and management of PRS properties. The scheme covers between […]

After the government announced a review of permitted development rights in a bid to shake up planning rules and build one million new homes in England by the end of the current Parliament, landlords say they doubt the move will deliver the homes. Permitted development rights allow certain types of building work to be carried […]

Are you a landlord or holiday let owner who has built a successful portfolio and want to share your story? Then, Alexa Phillips, the personal finance reporter, for The Telegraph would like to speak with you. Alexa wants to speak to landlords and holiday let owners who have built successful portfolios and would be happy […]

The rental market remained ‘boiling hot’ in August, with the cost of rent up 10% year-on-year, according to the latest rental index from Goodlord. Despite average rents dropping slightly after a record-breaking July – where average prices went over the £1,300 mark for the first time – tenants continue to face high prices. Void periods […]

Hello, our situation we have had a tenant in place at one of our properties for around 5 years – never increased the rent (single mum – two kids – you try not to make people’s lives harder than they need to be) – always done repairs – always acted as a model landlord. The […]

Hello, just watched a video by Nigel Farage who was talking about Europe filling up its gas tanks with LPG from Russia. A big point was we haven’t in the U.K. filled those tanks. So it got me thinking. What if we have a cold winter and we get gas rationing? In my house we […]

Hello, I have recently had a house fire caused by a tenant. The fire investigators deemed it was an accident so no malice was involved. Can I sue the tenant for damages for any costs that I might be liable for that the insurance company may not pay? I don’t know what these may be […]

Hi everyone, I need some advice, please. I am in search of new tenants for a 3-bed house and have been approached by a tenant who says they are looking for a property for two related families. They have two brothers, their wives, and 2 small children. I am aware that the definition of HMO […]

Housing associations are being urged to check building specifications for reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) The call comes after some schools in England have been forced to close because they contain the dangerous concrete. One social housing law firm warns that RAAC poses a serious risk to social housing tenants. Act on RAAC for tenant […]

While it’s been a tough year for the property market, activity is likely to pick up in the coming Autumn months, according to new research. A study by property lending specialists Octane Capital reveals mortgage approval rates have fallen dramatically but an ‘autumn boost’ is beginning to improve things. Over the past five years mortgage […]

We understand that Paragon Bank is now interviewing some if not all new clients who are applying for new BTL mortgages and that one of their questions is whether incorporation has been considered. We want to understand this better, so if you’ve had one of those interviews please reach out to us in the comments […]

The Nationwide House Price Index for August indicates a monthly fall in prices of 0.8% feeding through cumulatively to an annual drop of 5.3%. The average price of a property (not seasonally adjusted) now stands at £259,153 down £14,600 from the last August peak in 2022. Market activity in the first 6 months of 2023 […]

The Scottish property market has seen a slight dip in average house prices over the last year, but newbuild and detached homes have bucked the trend and recorded positive growth, data reveals. The findings from lettings and estate agents DJ Alexander show that from July 2022 to June 2023, the average house price in Scotland […]

Around 170 university students in Huddersfield have found themselves in a desperate scramble to secure new accommodation after being abruptly evicted from what was once touted as ‘luxury’ housing. The purpose-built student accommodation, which boasted a cinema room, gym and other student amenities, is reportedly being repurposed to house hundreds of asylum seekers. The affected […]

Two private landlords who breached planning laws and ignored council warnings have been handed hefty fines of more than £250,000. Ealing Council acted in the two unconnected cases after the landlords failed to follow planning rules and ignored the council’s planning enforcement team over warnings for properties in Southall and Perivale. Ealing Council’s cabinet member […]

Hello, I am a landlord of a flat within an estate and have been paying service charges to a property management company (Company B). The maintenance for the estate appears to be controlled by a limited company (company A) which had three directors and the property manager co-acted for company A in doing the maintenance […]

Fraudsters are placing fake listings adverts online in a bid to cash in on the lack of supply in student accommodation, according to new data. Figures from Action Fraud, reveal there were 5,751 reports of rental scams last year, a 23% rise compared to 2021. Now the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB) and Gumtree […]

A reputable retail and commercial bank has been announced as the new sponsor for the Property Investors Awards. Shawbrook Bank has been named as the Official Judging Day Sponsor for the 2023 Property Investors Awards. The judging day for this year’s applications will be held in Shawbrook’s London office in September. Innovative solutions that investors […]

A council crackdown on unlicensed HMO landlords has seen fines worth £207,500 being imposed, though just last month it faced stinging criticism from the Housing Ombudsman. The action from Haringey Council has seen 59 formal warnings being made to landlords who have been renting out unlicensed HMO properties to groups of three or more individuals […]

Landlords who are in Birmingham’s new selective licensing scheme are being urged to ignore social media ‘experts’ who say they don’t need to apply for a licence. Landlord Licensing & Defence says the advice could see the landlords who don’t apply being hit with a £30,000 fine. And the firm warns that enforcement begins on […]

London’s boroughs are sounding the alarm over the escalating housing pressures after it was revealed that there has been a surge in landlords pulling their properties from being used temporarily by homeless households. The crisis has reached ‘new extremes’, leaving local authorities grappling to accommodate the rising number of vulnerable individuals and families. A recent […]