Standards in privately rented property are being boosted with four in five landlords upgrading each rental home they purchase, a survey reveals. The findings from Paragon Bank found that 81% of landlords will improve every property they buy. And 22% of them will invest more than £25,000 when upgrading, with 18% spending between £10,000 and […]

Fleet Mortgages has announced reduced product rates across its entire range of two-year and five-year fixed-rate products. The buy-to-let specialist lender says that all two- and five-year fixes within its standard, limited company and HMO/MUFB (Multi-Unit Freehold Block) range have been reduced by 20 basis points. The product range now includes: 75% LTV two-year fixes […]

Rental stock accounts for just 5% of available homes in some areas of England, according to new research. The findings from the Gradual Homeownership provider, Wayhome, revealed in areas like the Isle of Wight rental properties account for just 5% of the total market stock. According to the report, there are 15.6 million owner occupiers […]

Hello all, I am using an estate agent to let my property. Whilst going through an insurance claim for a leak, the insurer has requested the Tenancy Agreements of those living in the property. Upon requesting the Tenancy Agreements, the estate agent has been unable to produce one of the four agreements. It has since […]

An estate and letting agent in Leeds has written an open letter to Michael Gove urging the Government to address the chronic shortage of rental properties available in the private rented sector (PRS). The firm, HOP, says that the situation is driving rents up and making life increasingly difficult for tenants. The letter to the […]

The Property Ombudsman has ruled that a blanket ban on letting a property to a family with children is discriminatory against women and against its code of practice for the rented sector in England. The ruling comes after an NHS nurse called Lexi Levens challenged the practice after she and her four children had been […]

Are you landlord who is trying to retake possession of your properties and facing difficulties from the council? Then, Alexa Phillips, the personal finance reporter for the Telegraph would like to speak with you. Alexa would like to speak to Property118 readers about: What has your experience been like? Which council has been involved? When […]

Data published by HMRC show that non-seasonally adjusted property sales were up 2% from January, to 76,920 in February – but this is down nearly a fifth from last year (18%). However, the seasonally adjusted figures show that things look even worse as transactions are down 18% in a year and 4% since January. That’s […]

Hello, My landlord’s insurance is up for renewal, and while there’s no problem insuring the properties themselves, this year – for the first time ever – our broker is saying no one will include cover for legal expenses because I’m a non-resident landlord. No problems before and I’ve never made a legal claim. Have any […]

Nearly half of UK landlords are looking to complete EPC improvement-related works over the next 12 months, according to a new survey. The findings from Finbri reveal that 48% of landlords intend to complete energy-performance improvements – and that nearly 80% of tenants were either concerned or strongly concerned about energy costs. This was a […]

Hello, I have a long term commercial tenant who is looking to sell on his business on as a going concern. Putting aside the issue of surrendering the existing lease for the minute, what referencing do you do for an incoming commercial tenant? Not sure if the new tenant will be a newbie starting up […]

Please can Property118 post a request for interested landlords to respond to this consultation. The deadline is 31st March. NC7 (New Clause 7) is Dame Caroline Dinenage’s amendment to the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill and it will hurt tenants and landlords as the costs will inevitably be passed on. “This new clause is intended to […]

As Spring approaches, one organisation says that the housing market is showing signs of ‘green roots’. The Guild of Property Professionals says that despite the continuing cost-of-living crisis, other economic factors are improving and any possible recession appears to be less severe than was predicted. Also, housing supply is returning to more normal levels and […]

One council has revealed that it’s going to buy 300 homes, worth up to £600,000 each, in a bid to provide emergency accommodation for those being made homeless. Councillors at Lewisham Council have been alarmed by the rapid rise in the number of families who are reporting as being homeless – or say they are […]

The potential scrapping of section 21 worries a third of landlords and is a ‘driving force’ behind growing numbers selling up and leaving the private rented sector (PRS), a survey reveals. The findings from Mortgages for Business highlights that the potential reform of section 21 as part of the Renters Reform Bill could have a […]

Hello, Any suggestions/advice would be much appreciated. I have a property portfolio with low loan to value ( 20% ) and I am in my 70s and bored!!! I don’t want to sell up and pay CGT, then IHT. I think I really would like to increase my wealth. Am I too old to increase […]

Optimistic home sellers are not being deterred by rising mortgage rates and a property market slowdown, Rightmove reports. In its latest house price index, the platform says that average asking prices went up by 0.8%, or £2,906, in February. And the annual rise in prices has eased to 3.0% – new seller asking prices are […]

Hi there, I have recently had a lot of complaints about a tenant of mine who is on an AST. He has breached the contract in that he has disturbed his fellow tenant and neighbours by making noise/playing loud music, having friends at the house for parties at unsocial hours, smoking cannabis in the house, and […]

An industry body has issued caution on converting commercial properties into residential homes. Propertymark has responded to an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) inquiry about converting empty commercial property into affordable housing. The organisation has warned of several obstacles to a wide-scale programme of conversions. Converted properties need to meet high standards Propertymark believes there is […]

To all Property118 and Alphaletz readers! Due to the great feedback we’ve had from our last webinar with over 300 registrations, Alphaletz’ Richard Jackson has decided to hold another educational event featuring Mark Alexander. Title: How can you eliminate Inheritance Tax with the right company structure? Date: Wednesday 5th April 2023 @ 7pm GMT Click […]

Hi everyone, A few months after my tenant signed a 12-month AST (in 2017) I agreed in writing that his adult daughter could become a permitted occupant with the intention of issuing a new AST and her becoming a joint tenant when the original tenancy expired. This, however, I neglected to do. No new agreement […]