Page 321 – Property118

NEW Paragon 5 yr fixed rate for single units, HMOs and multi-unit blocks

6th March 2023

Paragon Mortgages have introduced a new 5-year fixed rate mortgage to their Buy-to-Let portfolio product range. With a fixed fee of £2495, this is perfect for larger loans which usually have to pay a % of the loan amount as an arrangement fee to the lender. For example, a typical 3% lender’s fee on a […]

Rent Controls – Should we be scared?

5th March 2023

At the time I sold my last business in 2013, I was renting a house. I had owned, extended and refurbished many homes before and had also owned a portfolio of flats. But when the money from my business sale hit my bank account I did not own any property. It was a life-changing sum […]

PropSourcer website looks just like ours

5th March 2023

This is a heart-warming story of how a potentially very nasty contentious litigation battle was not only avoided but was also transformed into something that could well become a lifelong friendship and lucrative two-way business relationship. It began around six weeks ago when I was doing some keyword research for SEO marketing purposes and stumbled […]

Are councils acting illegally when telling tenants to stay put?

3rd March 2023

Are councils following the law when telling tenants to stay put when they are facing eviction to protect them? Or is the council simply kicking the can further down the road? The simple answer is – no-one seems to know. And this Property118 investigation highlights the confusion and mystery that surrounds the stance taken by […]

The number 1 skill for property investors… Not what you think

3rd March 2023

What’s the #1 most important thing you need to be a successful property investor? For 9 out of 10 people, the answer is always the same: Money… After all, more money, more deals, right? But not so fast… Because in reality, even the richest investors run out of money (never mind the rest of us). […]

City council urges ‘Awaab’s law’ to cover ALL rented homes

3rd March 2023

Planned legislation known as ‘Awaab’s law’ that will make councils and housing associations fix reported health hazards – including damp and mould – within strict new time limits should be extended to private rented homes too, one council suggests. Oxford City Council is following in the footsteps of Citizens’ Advice which made a similar call […]

Close-up of a tenancy agreement being signed by a tenant

Proof of tenancy for UC?

3rd March 2023

Hello, My excellent tenant of 8 years standing wishes to apply for universal credit. The requirements state : We will only accept the following documents: up-to-date tenancy agreement letter from your landlord or landlord’s agent rent book rent receipts The original agreement made in 2015 was a 12 month AST and is now monthly periodic. […]

Remortgaging landlords hit with high rates after failing affordability tests

2nd March 2023

Up to one in three buy-to-let landlords are struggling to remortgage after failing their lender’s affordability test, a BTL mortgage broker has revealed. The research from Mortgages for Business shows that some buy-to-let investors are being forced to accept variable rates as high as 9.5% because they have failed remortgaging affordability. The broker also reveals […]

Landlords are quitting the PRS because of Government ‘indifference’

2nd March 2023

A property expert has slammed the government’s ‘indifference’ for the growing crisis in the private rented sector (PRS) as landlords flee and fewer investors step in. That’s the view of Jonathan Rolande of the National Association of Property Buyers. He said: “Landlords are in the peculiar position of being a minority apparently hated by all […]

Portrait of a business leader in suit and tie

House prices in Scotland start to flatline

2nd March 2023

Scotland’s average house price is flattening – but some property types have not yet peaked, one firm of lettings and estate agents says. DJ Alexander says that Land Registry data for last year show that while average house prices began to flatline at the end of 2022, there are geographic areas and property types which […]

Tax incentives for energy efficiencies urged for landlords in Wales

2nd March 2023

Tax incentives that would help landlords deliver energy efficiencies in private rented housing should be introduced in Wales, a report by MSs urges. That’s according to a new report from Members of the Senedd on decarbonising private housing. The Senedd’s Climate Change Committee argues that the Welsh Government should look at how to use Council […]

Educating tenants and property visits are key in fighting mould

2nd March 2023

Landlords should be educating their tenants and inspecting properties regularly in a bid to combat the issues that come with dangerous mould, one organisation says. No Letting Go also points out that ‘proactive ventilation’ can help reduce the risk of damp and mould in rental properties. The inventory specialists warn that letting agents and landlords […]

Build to rent is UK’s fastest growing housing sector

2nd March 2023

Build to rent (BTR) is growing more rapidly than any other housing sector, according to a new report. The British Property Federation (BPF)’s Build to Rent Q3 2022 report revealed growth of 15% year-on-year, with more than 240,000 homes either in planning, under construction, or completed. BTR began in urban areas, but regional growth has […]

TDS Resolution extends its service to letting agents

2nd March 2023

Letting agents can now access the mediation and conciliation service from TDS Resolution that landlords and tenants already enjoy. The free service offers an impartial and fair mid-tenancy dispute resolution in England and Wales for tenants and landlords. TDS’ chief executive, Steve Harriott, said: “TDS Resolution is a key part of our work, enabling landlords […]

NRLA hails landmark ruling on rent-to-rent companies

1st March 2023

A landmark ruling from the Supreme Court has been welcomed by the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) that delivers clarification about the responsibilities of so-called ‘rent-to-rent’ companies. These companies take over the running of a property for a landlord. And the landlords’ organisations says that the ruling in the case of Rakusen v Jepsen will […]

Landlords enjoy rising rents and plummeting voids

1st March 2023

Landlords in England are seeing rising tenant demand pushing up rents with voids plummeting by an average of 26%, Goodlord reveals. Its rental index shows that rents grew by 1% to hit a four-month high to reflect strong renter demand. And the proptech firm warns that landlords leaving the private rented sector is also a […]

House prices fall for the first time since June 2020

1st March 2023

The UK’s house prices have recorded their first annual fall since June 2020 after dropping by 1.1% year-on-year in February, Nationwide reports. It is also the ‘weakest performance’ for prices since November 2012. Prices between January and February fell by 0.5% – that’s the sixth month in a row – and prices are now 3.7% […]

Landlords opting for fixed rate deals when remortgaging

1st March 2023

More than 75% of landlords expect to opt for a fixed rate deal when it is time for them to remortgage, a survey reveals. The lender Landbay has revealed that five-year fixed rates are still the most popular option for landlords. More than half (46%) preferred five-year fixed rates, however this has fallen from 68% […]

Probe into the ‘consumer rights’ of renters launched

1st March 2023

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has revealed that it is to investigate the consumer rights of tenants and explore what can be done to help landlords and intermediaries to understand their obligations. The organisation is also launching a market study into housebuilding amid concerns that housebuilders are not delivering the homes people need at […]

Landlords deliver a big boost to EPC rated homes in the PRS

1st March 2023

Landlords in the private rented sector (PRS) have reportedly driven a 165% increase in the number of homes that have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of A to C. The findings from Paragon Bank show that over the past 10 years, a focus on the energy performance of rented property by landlords has seen […]