The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has hit out after the government revealed it has not tried to calculate how many people cannot pay their rent because of the freeze on housing benefit rates. The admission has been made by the Work and Pensions Minister, Mims Davies, in response to a parliamentary question. The news […]

Hi, I’ve inherited a house from my stepmother and I’m considering letting it. I’m a higher-rate tax payer and as I’d rather not hand over 40% of all my rent to the tax man, I’d like to use a Limited company to ‘own’ the property, but, I think I may have to pay stamp duty […]

Claims that landlords are misusing section 21 notices – the ‘no fault’ eviction process – are unfounded, one firm says. Estate agents Leaders Romans Group (LRG) says it has carried out research and found that Section 21 is rarely overused, and even more rarely misused. The firm says that a controversial change being planned in […]

Hello, I have a nice studio flat in Balham and am trying to find a decent agent to show the flat and find a single professional to let it. Management is not needed. The agents have boilerplate one-sided contracts that I can’t sign. I would like to create a decent but simple contract that would […]

Landlords haven’t yet passed on their rising mortgage costs to tenants, but that could be about to change, research reveals. Estate and letting agents Barrows and Forrester warn that tenants could be facing a sharp increase in their rent bills as landlords battle soaring buy-to-let mortgage costs. The firm has analysed the average monthly cost […]

We’ve heard it all too often, you come to the end of the tenancy and the rent arrears and dilapidations exceed the deposit held.  You’ve now got to claim the full deposit through the ADR procedure and you are either left out of pocket or have to pursue the tenant through the courts for the […]

Most BTL investor sales are from those landlords who were among the first to invest after buy to let mortgages were launched in 1996, research reveals. The findings from Hamptons show that landlords are now retiring and selling up in increasing numbers – and the number will rise over the coming years. The estate and […]

A clampdown on landlords who are renting out homes with worst performing energy efficiency ratings could be facing £5,000 fines, one council says. The move will see landlords in Shropshire being issued with a Compliance Notice to improve the energy efficiency of the worst-performing privately rented homes in the county. From 1 April 2020, landlords […]

Renters in London will be the worst hit by the government’s proposed energy performance certificate (EPC) laws, research reveals. That’s the view of data science firm Outra which says that tenants will have to leave unlettable properties if the government imposes a minimum EPC rating of C by 2028. There’s also a risk that landlords […]

A leading industry body has called on the government to change council tax housing banding for HMOs. Propertymark has submitted a response to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ consultation arguing that HMOs should be banded as one property under one council tax band, rather than the individual rooms. The current system allows […]

Hello, I own a maisonette flat – there are two flats and I am the freeholder. The leaseholder moved into the downstairs flat two years ago and seems a nice guy. I will be having a discussion with the leaseholder soon as the roof and fascia of the property needs to be replaced since the […]

For the first time ever there’s not a single London postcode with an average monthly room for rent at less than £700, new data reveals. The findings by flatshare site SpareRoom reveal that average monthly room rents in the capital have now soared to £952, up 20% year-on-year. There are now more than 30 postcode […]

Managing BTL properties can sometimes be a complex and challenging task whether you’re managing a small portfolio of 3 properties or 15. Keeping track of your tenants, utilities, recurring payments, and cash flow can be overwhelming. Fortunately, property management technology is available these days to make this task more manageable. Here are some of the […]

The popularity of buyers investing in flats is helping to propel the housing market back to its pre-pandemic level for the first time since September, research reveals. And, according to Rightmove, sales are now just 1% behind March 2019. The sales of flats are 10% higher than they were in March 2019, with London buyers […]

The housing market is returning to normality with 68% of listed properties selling in the first 12 weeks of 2023 – the same as the pre-pandemic rate in 2019, research reveals. The findings from TwentyEA show that the volumes of new instructions this year are broadly similar to last year – they are 2.6% higher. […]

Hello, I currently have a leased property which, since Nov 2021, has been occupied by a family of four adults on a 12-month AST. Payment of rent has never been an issue and they keep the property reasonably clean. They have just notified me that from June of this year two of the adults will […]

You might be forgiven for thinking that a 6% fee nationwide for full management would involve cutting corners. You’d be wrong! To celebrate 10 years of successful property management Lettingsupermarket.com™ is offering 3 months of free management if you sign up with us by 30th April 2023. Please use code 10YR Lettingsupermarket.com™ is a national Propertymark/ARLA […]

A consultation has been launched by the government to protect the UK’s ‘cherished towns’ that will see holiday homeowners being forced to get planning permission for letting their property and if it is in England, it will need to be registered. The move will mean that landlords with holiday homes in tourist hotspots will be […]

Eight agents have been expelled by The Property Ombudsman (TPO) for failing to pay a compensatory awards following consumer complaints. The agents were referred to the scheme’s independent Compliance Committee, which ruled that they should be excluded from The Property Ombudsman scheme. The excluded agents include: Doorsteps.co.uk – TPO supported a complaint and ordered Doorsteps.co.uk […]

London’s councils look set to double the amount in fines they collected from landlords and agents last year under selective or additional licensing schemes, one company is reporting. Geospatial tech firm Kamma says that in the last three months, landlord and agent fines have increased by £500,000 with London’s fines now reaching £8.6 million. The […]

We are delighted to announce that nominations for the 2023 Property Investors Awards are officially open. This year there are 20 different award categories to nominate for, which is more than ever before. We invite you to take this opportunity to submit your nominations and have the opportunity to be nationally recognised for your property […]