Michael Gove has revealed plans for the next reading of the Renters’ Reform Bill. In a speech last night to the Centre for Policy Studies forum and a Shelter evening reception the Housing Secretary seemed to confirm that the next reading will take place this Autumn. He did not specify a date but as the […]

The updated ‘How to rent guide’ has been published and includes the latest advice for landlords and tenants on renting a property in England. The latest guide must be handed to tenants before they move in because failing to do so might invalidate a Section 21 notice. This is the second update to the guide […]

House prices remain unchanged in September, but remain down 5.3% year on year, Nationwide reports. Nationwide’s House Price Index found that house prices in London declined by 3.8% year-on-year to £514,325 in the third quarter of 2023. The South West was the weakest performing region, with prices down 6.3% year on year. Challenging picture for […]

Hello, two years ago we completely renovated my partner’s home before offering it up to rent through a full management letting agent. Recently, following a failed gas boiler safety check, we arranged for our gas engineer to fit a new boiler. After his visit, he warned us the property was in a terrible state with […]

Hello, please could I get some advice regarding how to report this? I rent 3 rooms out in a house. I have been recently informed by an existing tenant that an ex-tenant who used to live at my house back in 2019 still uses my address with her GP. She has moved away to another […]

Bristol is the most sought-after location for homebuyers in England, according to the latest homebuyer demand index by estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk. The index, which measures the ratio of total for sale stock that has already been sold subject to contract (SSTC) or marked as under offer, shows that 61.1% of all homes listed […]

Fleet Mortgages has announced a significant reduction in rates for all five-year fixed-rate products across its three core ranges: standard, limited company, and HMO/multi-unit block. The buy to let specialist lender says the move is expected to benefit borrowers seeking long-term stability and competitive rates. The rate cuts are as follows: Standard/limited company borrowers: Five-year […]

We are aware of a series of publications by Dan Neidle of Tax Policy Associates Limited to his website and his social media channels since 13 September 2023. Our solicitors have sought advice from an independent Tier 1 Tax King’s Counsel to confirm the correctness of our approach. We anticipate making a summary of this […]

So, we are into the party political conference season and it is apparent that the private rented sector (PRS) is not going to be discussed – even though the country is facing a ‘housing emergency’. And rather than offer up a political manifesto of what landlords want – knowing that politicians will simply ignore it […]

Hello, we had a tenant vacate our property on August 31st and a new tenant moving in on 2nd October, so empty for a month. The council gives a 100% discount for council tax for one month only for an empty unfurnished property. My issue is the tenant informed the council a month prior to […]

Hello, I am being harassed by a debt collection company. They claim that electricity worth £882.60 was used at a house I let out as two flats, between 2013 to 2020, from a prepayment meter, and no payments were made to the meter. I made the mistake of ringing them when a letter arrived at […]

Hello, I am a first-time landlord, who rented my property for the 1st time in Sep 2022. Our property was too big for us, and we decided to move to a smaller property and use the rent of this property for our future retirement. Now I need my property back for personal reasons, so I […]

Last week, I did an article about my “The BEST Property Strategy in the Falling Market” webinar which took place last night. I hope you had the opportunity to attend and benefit from the insights shared during this eye-opening training. During the webinar, I unveiled something truly exciting –my Lease Options Home Study Course. This […]

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has launched its manifesto for the built environment in the run-up to the next UK General Election, calling for more homes to rent in a bid to slow down rent rises. They also want action on climate change, housing affordability, skills development and fire safety. The manifesto, entitled […]

Since most buy-to-let landlords are heavily reliant on mortgages, there is a potential regional impact should interest rates rise again, research reveals. Property lending experts Octane Capital says that 78% of the average BTL portfolio has been financed by borrowing across England and Wales. The firm says that landlords in the East Midlands are the […]

An estimated seven million households are struggling to keep up with rent and mortgage payments, according to a new report. A survey of 4,000 people by consumer group Which? reveals nearly half (46%) of tenants and homeowners have found it hard to keep up with rent and mortgage payments, which equates to approximately seven million […]

Students in the UK are facing an “affordability crisis” as rents spiral and supply dwindles. A report by real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield reveals rents have rocketed by more than 9% this year, in the PRS. The average annual private sector rent outside London now stands at £7,632.55, equivalent to 77% of the […]

Scotland’s property tax revenues reached a new record high per transaction in August 2023, according to an analysis by a leading property firm. Scotland’s largest lettings and estate agency, DJ Alexander, says the Scottish Government collected £64.1m from Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) in August 2023 from just 8,950 sales. This means that the […]

The Liberal Democrats have pledged to give private rented sector (PRS) tenants and landlords a ‘fair deal’ in their newly published policy paper which would see three-year tenancies and ‘rent smoothing’ – or rent controls – being introduced. Plans would also see landlords having to apply for a licence – ‘much like getting a driver’s […]

West Lothian Council is facing a housing crisis as the cost-of-living crisis has forced many private landlords to sell off their properties, leaving former tenants in need of accommodation. In a report by the council’s housing needs manager, Sarah Kelly, around 100 private landlords in West Lothian sold up their properties in 2022, resulting in […]

Home sellers across England and Wales have seen a decline in the percentage of the asking price achieved over the last six months, according to a new report. The estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, has looked at the original price a property was first listed for sale at, versus the price they achieved upon completion. […]