Page 296 – Property118
pic of edinburgh which is the richest uk property market property118

The UK’s richest and poorest property markets revealed

25th May 2023

Over the last 12 months, £250bn worth of property has been sold in the UK with the richest local market – surprisingly – being found north of the Scottish border. Estate agents Nested analysed the total volume and combined value of property sales to reveal which areas are booming, and which ones are struggling. It […]

Pic of London tenants commuting to work landlords property118

London’s transport improvements open up commuter destinations

25th May 2023

Opportunities for landlords and investors might have improved after research reveals that commuting for renters and buyers in London has got a lot easier. According to a new report from Foxtons, the transport improvements in the capital have opened up a whole new world of commutable options. Its London Report found that in 2022, 39% […]

UK’s house price growth continues to slow down

25th May 2023

Property prices in the UK have fallen for the fourth month in a row as values dropped by 0.9% between February and March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals. Its latest house price index shows that the average house price climbed by 4.1% in the last year. However, that annual rate of increase is […]

Renters Reform Bill and Anti-Social Behaviour

24th May 2023

The Government is trumpeting that the Renters Reform Bill will help landlords deal with anti-social behaviour. A number of commentators have been taken in by this spin. Ben Beadle of NRLA has said: “We welcome the government’s pledge to ensure landlords can swiftly recover properties from anti-social tenants and those failing to pay their rent.” […]

Pic of landlord searching for a managing agent property118

How to select a managing agent?

24th May 2023

Hello, We wish to obtain quotes from managing agents to take over the management of our small block of 7 flats. I have obtained a list of 5 agents who operate in our area but only one of them is ARMA accredited. Are there other equally respected accreditations? For example, one MA who have a […]

Michael Gove backtracks on student let reforms

24th May 2023

In what appears to be a sudden U-turn, housing secretary Michael Gove is apparently backtracking on his Renters’ Reform Bill, just a week after unveiling it, the Daily Telegraph reports. It says that the government is now reconsidering whether it should end assured shorthold tenancies for student lets to become periodic tenancies. The move follows […]

Property Investors Awards Property Deal of the Year XP Property

24th May 2023

Being dynamic and challenging the norm are the watchwords that have seen Jack Jiggens and Ben Richards from XP Property enjoy success in the property market. The company specialises in delivering the highest quality residential, commercial, land and mixed-use space and the duo have won a Property Investors Award two years in a row – […]

Pic of fire hose and extinguisher tenant communication fire safety property118

Landlords urged to boost communication for fire safety rules

24th May 2023

Landlords and letting agents have been warned that updated fire safety regulations need to be strictly adhered to so they will ensure that tenants in high-rise buildings are safe from any potential danger. The warning comes from inventory provider No Letting Go, which is now calling on landlords and agents to improve communication with tenants […]

Pic of a tenant wth fingers in ears ignoring a s13 notice property118

Section 13 rent increase?

24th May 2023

Hello, What can you do when a tenant just ignores a Section 13? If he/she takes it to a Tribunal then you have to abide by the judgement. When it is just ignored, is the initiation of a Section 21 eviction the only option? Although you may not want to. Thank you, Steve

Pic of tenant with an empty wallet because of affordability issues over rent property118

A third of renters are spending more than 50% of their wages on rent

24th May 2023

Research reveals that 81% of renters in the UK are spending more than 30% of their take-home pay on rent – which means that most Brits are now classified as ‘rent burdened’ and it’s getting worse. The data from flatshare site SpareRoom also shows that one in three (34%) tenants are spending more than half […]

pic of city of london where commercial landlords are looking to invest further afield property118

Large Portfolio landlords set to defy economic gloom and boost portfolios

24th May 2023

Professional landlords look set to seize opportunities in the property sector despite the tough economic background with plans to expand their portfolios, research reveals. Handelsbanken says that more than half of large portfolio professional landlords (57%) are gearing up to acquire at least one new asset in the coming year. And nearly two-thirds (60%) are […]

pic of landlord questioning deed of variation property118

Superior landlords – the Thieves of Variation?

24th May 2023

Hello, As a reasonably large portfolio landlord, we had been caught out by the ‘Doubling Ground Rent’ clause in numerous leases for a multitude of apartments. These clauses make the property un-mortgageable in many cases, and the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) recognises these clauses as punitive and unfair. Many superior landlords undertook a pledge […]

Pic of old houses for HMO property118.com

HMO clarity within a ‘residential ‘lease’?

23rd May 2023

Hello,  I manage staff accommodation for our company and recently the company split and the original directors of the company went off and started a new company. These directors own houses in which we have staff living in them. I personally completed all the HMO licenses for them and they signed them. Since then those […]

pic of student tenant renters reform may mean she can leave after a month property118

Renters Reform Bill – the end of fixed term tenancies

23rd May 2023

By abolishing fixed term tenancies, the Renters’ Reform Bill will cause serious problems for landlords of student accommodation. The issue is not that the tenants may stay after the end of the tenancy but that they might leave early. Even now it can take months to evict over-stayers. Many properties are unlikely to let to […]

BTL repossessions rocket by 28% in the first quarter

23rd May 2023

There’s grim news for BTL landlords and homeowners alike as the cost-of-living crisis tightens its grip to push up mortgage repossessions, UK Finance reveals. The trade body says that in the first quarter of the year, there were 410 buy-to-let properties that were taken into possession – a 28% increase from the previous quarter. For […]

Happy tenant holding a playful French Bulldog outdoors, highlighting pet-friendly rental rights.

Smokers more likely to find a rental home than pet owners

23rd May 2023

Pet owners are facing a ruff time finding rental properties, with landlords more likely to welcome smokers than a tenant with furry friends, research reveals. According to the Vape Club, just 7% of available rentals are listed as ‘pets considered’ – compared to a whopping 44% for smokers. That means tenants who quit smoking are […]

HMRC will get a tax ‘gold mine’ with the new landlord database

23rd May 2023

The Renters’ Reform Bill has unveiled a new database that could turn into a tax ‘gold mine’ for HMRC to chase after landlords who haven’t been paying their taxes, one firm warns. Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO say the new private rented sector database will have a record of all landlords and their properties […]

Project to support landlords meet energy efficiency requirements

23rd May 2023

The Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) has launched an innovative project to help landlords nationwide meet the proposed energy efficiency requirements. The work is being funded by the TDS Charitable Foundation and there’s a one-stop website that is packed with helpful tips and advice. Landlords can now easily learn how to ensure their rented homes […]

How to increase the profit from your property portfolio

22nd May 2023

As we all know, thanks to the current high-interest rates, purchases of single-let properties don’t really stack up for many investors at the moment. For those property investors who already own single-let properties on variable rate BTL mortgages, now the monthly mortgage interest can be higher than the rent they receive, despite the rise in […]

Oli Sherlock the managing director of insurance at Goodlord

The Renters’ Reform Bill complexities unpacked in a free webinar

22nd May 2023

As landlords and letting agents gear up to say goodbye to Section 21 and hello to a tenant’s furry friends, property experts are offering advice in a free webinar to explain the complexities of the Renters’ Reform Bill. Property tech firm Goodlord is organising the webinar that will have expert insights tomorrow (Tuesday 23 May) […]