Page 293 – Property118
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Backbench MPs push back against Renters’ Reform Bill

19th September 2023

The Renters Reform Bill may not see ‘the light of day before the end of the year’ according to new reports. Backbench MPs continue to push against the bill as parliamentary sitting days become scarce. Parliament is currently in recess due to party conference season and when MPs return on the 15th of October there […]

Notebook with sticky note reminder to pay rent

How to chase back the outstanding rent from tenants?

18th September 2023

Hello, I have rented my house to a couple for 2 years with 2 children. The male tenant told me he’s split up with his wife and moved out, leaving the female tenant behind with their two children. The male tenant has a well-paid job as a driver and the wife is now on benefits. […]

Older tenants fear being evicted as rents rise

18th September 2023

Almost half of older private tenants had their rent raised in the past year, and more than one in five can no longer comfortably afford to pay their bills, a survey reveals. The ‘Hidden Renters’ report published by Independent Age, found that 45% of older private renters had experienced a rent increase, with more than […]

Renters in London see rents soar by 11% in a year

18th September 2023

According to Foxtons, the average weekly rent for tenants in London last month was 11% higher than in August 2022, with rental prices remaining high for the third consecutive month. The average rental price has shown little change since June. Applicant registrations increased by 6% month on month, with August seeing the largest volume of […]

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Tenants damaging property?

18th September 2023

Hello, I was happy with my agent until they decided to retire and sold out to what turned out to be a rogue agent who against my wishes afforded an AST to someone not referenced, knowing she couldn’t pay the rent leaving me with £3000+ debt ignoring a mate living in the property. Another agent […]

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Rents hit new record-breaking high

18th September 2023

The average rent in Great Britain has now passed £1,300 for the first time in a decade, according to new data. Hamptons say renters face having to fork out more than £1,000 in some areas in England whilst renters in Inner London see rents soar past £3,000. Rents in London have been rising at a […]

Updated ‘How to Rent’ guide launched next month

15th September 2023

An updated version of the ‘How to Rent’ guide will be published next month with details of the new Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service. The move follows March’s update which saw various updates, including the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with fixed fuel-burning appliances. The newest version will focus on revising sections 15 […]

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Rent deposits eat up more than half of the average monthly income

15th September 2023

The average renter in the UK must spend 64% of their net monthly income just to pay the deposit on a new rental property, a study reveals. The findings from Zero Deposit highlight that for women, the proportion is even higher, at 77%. The study, which compared the average monthly earnings (net) with the average […]

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Transitioning tenant – Is the AST affected?

15th September 2023

This is a first for me so looking for some advice please! A tenant has contacted me to say they have put in all the paperwork to legally change their name. They are also undergoing transitioning from female to male. She/he asked me how this would effect their tenancy (in terms of the docuementation side). I […]

Another delay for Renters’ Reform Bill

15th September 2023

The Renters’ Reform Bill has been delayed yet again! The government confirmed that the second reading of the legislation will not take place until after the party conference season which ends on the 16th of October. There is a relatively short window of opportunity for a second reading before the King’s Speech outlines Parliament’s agenda […]

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BBC fact-checks Sadiq Khan’s rent control claims

15th September 2023

The BBC has challenged London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s claims that rents in the capital will rise to £2,700 per month – leaving renters to struggle since the average salary is £2,131. The mayor has called several times for a rent freeze to help tenants cope with the housing crisis – and used these figures as […]

Damp guarantee – is it worthless?

15th September 2023

Hello, I’m hoping for some advice please. I had rising damp treatment carried out beneath the bay window of a Victorian terrace and the firm I used recommended ‘tanking’ as the way to deal with it. The contractor’s 20-year guarantee now appears to be worthless on the sale of the property. (I had no sight […]

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Sharp rise in renters struggling to make ends meet

14th September 2023

A staggering five million households will be forced to spend more than a third of their income on housing by the end of the decade, according to a new study. The National Housing Federation reveals the sharp rise in renters struggling to meet housing costs. The report finds that by 2030, compared to the most […]

Government funding announced to make PRS homes more accessible for disabled tenants

14th September 2023

The government have announced £50 million in funding to help older and disabled people make adaptions to live independently in their own homes including in the private rented sector. Landlords can access the funding from the local authority Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), providing they have a tenant living in the property that requires the adaptation. […]

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Three more BTL lenders reduce product rates

14th September 2023

Buy to let landlords wanting cheaper BTL mortgage products are seeing rates being reduced as three more lenders are now offering cheaper products. The Mortgage Works (TMW) has unveiled rate reductions of up to 0.5% on selected new business products, delivering potential savings to investors in the buy to let market. Fleet Mortgages, a specialist […]

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Tenants see rent affordability hit the worst level in 10 years

14th September 2023

Renters in the UK are facing the highest level of rental affordability in a decade as demand for rented homes outstrips supply across the country, Zoopla reveals. The property platform has published its latest Rental Market Report and found that renters need to spend 28.4% of their gross earnings to cover the average rent. That’s […]

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UK rents to rise as supply falls short of demand – RICS

14th September 2023

The UK’s rental market is facing a shortage of available properties, as tenant demand continues to outweigh landlord instructions, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reveals. The survey also shows that house prices are on a downward spiral, as the sales market slows down. According to RICS, tenant demand rose for the third consecutive […]