Private landlords in one city who have not yet applied for licences to rent out their homes are being urged to act quickly despite the council only processing just over 9% of applicants. Oxford City Council introduced a selective licensing scheme in September 2022, requiring all privately rented homes to obtain a licence. This is […]

Average new seller asking prices fallen for the first time this year, the Rightmove House Price Index reveals. New seller asking prices fell by £82 this month to £372,812. The House Price Index for June reveals, despite increases in mortgage interest rates over the last few weeks, that buyer demand is holding steady but there […]

Hi all, I’m renting a one-bedroom flat in London for £1000 a month. The tenant has been there for seven years, and I have not raised the rent in that time. I am advised the current market value for the rent is around £1450 per month. Next summer, the mortgage will increase by up to […]

New figures reveal Londoners are having to pay £600 a week for rent. Figures from Foxtons reveal that average weekly rental prices in May have surpassed the peak of 2022, increasing 8% from the previous month. New listings increased 22% from April to May, whilst applicant demand increased 31%. Renter demand is outstripping supply Sarah […]

We all hear about the rise in short-term lets, and how it might be to blame for the housing crisis – but is it really true? With growing regulation around short-term rentals such as Airbnbs, many holiday-let owners are being forced out of the market. This Property118 investigation looks at the data behind short-term rentals […]

As hardworking and worried landlords, we all know the buy-to-let market is facing a potential catastrophe of rising interest rates, tightening lending criteria and falling house prices. That inevitably means many of us may find ourselves struggling to keep up with mortgage payments, or worse, unable to remortgage at all. And all of this is […]

Citizens Advice has raised concerns about the potential for backdoor ‘no fault’ evictions if Section 21 is banned – and it wants renters to be protected from eviction for the first two years of a new tenancy. The charity says it has seen a surge in tenants seeking assistance with Section 21 issues, reaching a […]

Low-income renters in England who rely on benefits are finding it increasingly difficult to secure housing due to skyrocketing private rents that far exceed local housing allowance rates (LHA). These rates, which determine the maximum amount of financial help tenants can receive through universal credit or legacy housing benefits, have remained stagnant since 2020. Originally, […]

Hi Property118 readers, I wonder if any commercial landlords can help me with a situation. I own a freehold of a building with a tenanted commercial unit (I receive rent as the landlord) and 8 flats with different leaseholders (I collect annual Ground Rent as the freeholder). The flat leaseholders have created their own Right […]

The mounting impact of tax and regulatory changes, coupled with the recent spike in buy-to-let mortgage rates, may force a growing number of private landlords out of business, one organisation warns. The Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA) says the situation could have a detrimental effect on the long-term stability of the private rented sector (PRS), […]

Hello, the national legal minimum room size for an HMO is 6.51 sq.m. However, several local authorities have set higher minimum room sizes, e.g. 9 sq.m for Lambeth. Is this enforceable in law? Does anyone on Property118 know any precedent where this has been successfully challenged at a tribunal? With new HMO licencing schemes cropping […]

There has been a surge in leasehold property purchases in the North West of England – thanks to affordability and the region’s fast-growing cities, research reveals. The findings from peer-to-peer real estate investment platform, easyMoney, show that nationally, leasehold sales made up 22.8% of transactions. However, in the North West, leaseholds represented a staggering 35.1% […]

A lack of awareness among brokers and their PRS landlord clients of the proposed changes to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) requirements has been revealed in new research. The findings from Mercantile Trust of more than 150 brokers, found that 48.5% of brokers said they were not confident that they fully understood the government’s proposed new […]

Hello, I am sure this has been brought up before, but I am new to Property 118. I have been informed that I have to have a selective license, when I asked the council about it, they said it was to make sure the property was up to standard and to help with ASBOs. I […]

A leading industry body has warned the Welsh government about the failures of rent controls. Propertymark has responded to the Welsh government’s green paper consultation on housing adequacy and fair rents. The document says that some countries have rules that regulate rents, such as rent caps, and asks tenants if they believe that rent controls […]

Hello, We own the freehold of a converted building made up of three flats (we also own the leasehold of the first floor flat). The ground floor flat is completely self-contained and also includes both the front and back gardens, so the only communal area is a small lobby at the top of an external […]

England’s allotments could provide space for 200,000 new homes, according to new research. Figures from development site sourcing specialists Searchland reveals there is an estimated 44.4m square metres of allotment space in England. This would be enough to build 200,000 new homes with a market value of £84bn. Desperately need to build more homes Co-founder […]

Mortgaged buy-to-let investors’ net profits plunged below 4% in the first quarter of the year – a level not witnessed since 2007, one real estate firm reports. And Savills warns that there is a ‘very real risk’ that landlords may now sell up and leave the private rental sector (PRS). The firm’s research reveals that […]

As often discussed on Property118, owning rental properties through a limited company offers full tax relief on finance costs such as mortgage interest and mortgage arrangement fees, access to potentially lower tax rates and flexibility for planning, including inheritance tax. Owning rental properties in your own name, the rental income is added to your personal […]

Scott Baker Properties was founded in 2017 by Niall Scott and Matt Baker, who, as working professionals spotted a need in the community for quality shared accommodation for like-minded people. In recognition for being community driven and achieving first-class results with their development in Portsmouth, they were honoured with the 2022 Co-Living Deal of the […]

Hello, I’m about to exchange on a six-bed (all with kitchenette and en suite shower) in a large period house. It is being sold to me with an EPC level of D. Currently, this is fine and it comes with a three-year guarantee income from the local council (the tenant). However, what happens if the […]