One of the worst nightmares for landlords is finding their property damaged by cannabis cultivation, which is becoming all too common. The threat of cannabis farms has long been an issue for landlords up and down the country with £2.4 billion worth of the drug consumed in England and Wales a year (2021 figures). Cannabis […]

Tenants look set to continue feeling the financial pressure with low stock levels helping to boost rent price growth, one agency says. Fine & Country also says that as summer approaches, demand will increase and prices will rise even further. And one of the big issues facing renters, the premium estate agency says, is that […]

Hi – I have seven properties which I run as BTL and one holiday let. They are all in my name and I have buildings insurance specific to BTL and FHL for all of them in my name. On my main residence, I have not made any claim for over 10 years, however I have […]

The latest list of expelled agents has been published by the Property Redress Scheme after a lengthy disciplinary process has been carried out. Once expelled, the agents cannot join another redress scheme until the terms of the PRS’ decision have been settled. That means that property agents who continue to trade, without redress, are doing […]

Hello, I’m new to the forum and I’ve been looking through posts and I can see there is a wealth of experience here so excuse the probably basic questions. I am looking to move in with a relative, and thinking of letting my house out long term. (I have issues with stairs and not getting […]

House prices this year have plummeted by up to £21,000 in just one month in some areas of the property market – while other areas saw prices leap by £20,000, research reveals. The findings from estate agents Barrows and Forrester show that government data on the latest house prices across the British market between January […]

Home repossessions have remained flat since interest rates started to climb last autumn, but in one region they have rocketed by 30% since December 2021, research reveals. The findings from House Buyer Bureau show that in the England and Wales property market, most regions have seen repossessions fall since interest rates increased. The property purchasing […]

At the Property Investor Show at Excel last Friday, I was delighted to be presented with an award for being one of the longest-standing exhibitors at the show since 2003 and having provided support to other property investors for 20 years through our property investors network (pin) monthly networking meetings all over the UK. Back […]

All regions have seen an annual and quarterly rise in rental yields – up from 6% a year ago, and 6.4% in the last quarter of 2022 to 6.5% now, research reveals. According to Fleet Mortgages, the growth in yields is down to a shortage of rental stock and high tenant demand. Also, the easing […]

Hello, I would like some advice from Property118 readers. My previous tenants caused considerable damage and carried out unauthorised electric work on my property. How can I sue for costs I have incurred? I accept wear and tear, but the level of damage to new items is wholly unacceptable. To date, I have spent over £5,000 […]

Hello, I have received a court order that says: The claimant has leave to entry without further order if the defendant defaults. I have a property in Brighton and the tenant has not paid rent for 11 months. Since I started the possession proceedings, the tenant has used tactical allegations every time he attended the hearings. […]

Hello, I’ve been forced to work till 67 or retire with no pension, so I’ve been forced to sell my rented-out property to have some income in my older age. The government has added seven years onto both my pensions when I’d planned all my life that I would be retired at 60. I feel this […]

Hello, On the face of it, it’s very puzzling. Surely the government are well aware of the housing crisis? Yet, aided and abetted by Shelter they cause the private rental sector to shrink. Maybe this is about getting the national cost of Housing Benefit down. By shrinking supply, would-be renters are squeezed into becoming first-time […]

Landlords who are concerned over upcoming regulations should consider using letting agents, one firm says. The automated rental payment service Payprop says using letting agents is an ‘obvious solution’ for landlords. The organisation also warns that legislative changes will cause a big shake-up in the private rented sector – and landlords may need a helping […]

Economic headwinds are seeing home sellers cautiously pricing their properties to sell with April’s prices increasing less than expected, Rightmove says. And record high rents mean that tenants who can afford a deposit and a mortgage are increasingly looking at buying. The platform reveals that asking prices rose by just 0.2% (+£890) to an average […]

Legislation by the Scottish government is pushing landlords out of the sector, a leading industry body claims. According to research by Propertymark, 93% of landlords in Scotland have expressed a desire to withdraw property from the PRS because of temporary legislation introduced by the Scottish government. The Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act placed […]

Hello, Has anyone sold a flat using the protection provided by the Building Safety Act? My daughter has received a letter from the block management company responsible for her building, confirming that, as required under the Act, she will not be asked to pay anything towards the remedial works needed to resolve the fire safety […]

A consultation that could lead to a new law to crack down on landlords demanding ‘sex for rent’ has been unveiled. The Home Office is now starting a consultation on its plans – and asking whether current laws are effective enough. The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, says the law would bring to justice predatory landlords […]

Hello, a large London letting agent found and gave a glowing reference for a tenant, so we took her on. They stated that she was in a £90,000 pa job. It transpired that she was out of work. They stated that she had only been late paying rent by one day on one occasion. Later, […]

The housing secretary, Michael Gove, says he is ‘outraged’ over a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) investigation into broker commissions on multiple-occupancy buildings insurance which found that leaseholders are paying rocketing premiums – fuelled, in part, by hefty commissions being paid to freeholders, landlords and managing agents. Last Friday, the FCA revealed that an investigation would […]

There’s never been a tougher time for the private rented sector (PRS) with demand soaring and stock dwindling tenants are struggling with finding a place to live. This leaves tenants battling it out for properties but some face extreme vetting procedures to access homes to rent. However, with tenancy fraud applications on the rise, there […]