Page 324 – Property118
For sale sign outside a house as landlords exit rental market amid tax concerns

Do I sell my letting property?

5th April 2023

Hello, Not a long one this! I’ve had a 3 bedroom semi for 4 years, let it to a single mum with no real issues but she’s now given notice as she’s met a partner. Do I sell? The house is fully paid for, EPC grade C, fully checked and up to date regarding gas/electric […]

UK’s housing market is ‘defying expectations’

5th April 2023

Demand for homes in the UK is at the highest since last October as a strong labour market and falling mortgage rates help to support buyer interest, a report from Zoopla says. The platform points out that the market is experiencing ‘soft repricing’ and that annual house price inflation has slowed to 4.1%, with prices […]

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Tories shack up with Shelter

4th April 2023

Top Conservative MPs and an independent think tank for ‘liberal conservatism’ have teamed up with homeless charity Shelter to offer a ‘radical new vision’ for fixing the UK’s housing crisis. The Bright Blue think tank has published a collection of 16 essays in its new book, ‘Home advantage: a new centre-right vision for housing’. They […]

Rents begin to rise again

4th April 2023

Landlords are seeing that rents on new tenancies are beginning to rise again after a brief dip in January, a rental index reveals. The findings from Homelet show that the average rent for a new tenancy in March was £1,184 per month. That’s a year-on-year rise of 9.8% and a rise of 0.8% between February […]

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EPC improvement delays could cost renters £1 billion

4th April 2023

An organisation has warned that delays to boosting energy efficiency standards could cost private renters £1 billion in energy bills. The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit has reported that because of poorer energy efficiency in the PRS, homes are likely to use more energy and cost more than similar homes in other sectors. The organisation […]

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Landlords condemned by think tank over energy efficiency

4th April 2023

A think tank has warned that landlords’ unwillingness to spend money on rental properties to boost their EPC ratings is a ‘significant obstacle’ to Britain’s Net Zero-carbon agenda. The cross-party Social Market Foundation (SMF) revealed in a survey that 60% of landlords are unwilling to commit more than £250 towards the costs of improving the […]

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Thermal imaging surveys – a good idea?

4th April 2023

Hello, Thermal imaging surveys – are these a good idea? I am considering one for my own home to determine where there might be some obvious heat leak areas. Ideally each room scanned, as well as the building as a whole. Anyone had any experience of them – do they really ‘see’ and are able […]

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10 year fixed – consent to let dilemma?

4th April 2023

Hello, I’m thinking to fix my residential mortgage for 10 years with Nationwide which is due for renewal. My concern is if my situation changes (a bit likely) and have to move out, will Nationwide be difficult with consent to let? I won’t have the heart to sell given the hefty early repayment charges. Thank […]

England’s landlords see lettings market remain ‘steady’

4th April 2023

Rents in March increased slightly across England, while voids grew by just one day on average, a rental index reveals. The findings from Goodlord show that rents are still high when compared to February’s figures. Tenants in England are now paying £1,090 on average – that’s up 0.14% month-on-month – and is the highest rise […]

Sadiq Khan calls again for a rent freeze in London

3rd April 2023

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has again called for a rent freeze for tenants to be implemented in the capital. He was responding to a news report that highlighted data from Rightmove that shows the average asking rent in London leapt by 15% over the year to reach £2,480. And the rents for homes in inner […]

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Ombudsman slams social housing provider over damp and mould failures

3rd April 2023

A social housing provider has been heavily criticised by the Ombudsman over damp and mould. The Housing Ombudsman identified patterns of ‘exclusion’ and ‘marginalisation’ in Rochdale Boroughwide Housing. The social housing provider supplied accommodation to Awaab Ishak, the toddler who died from exposure to mould in his social housing flat. Housing Ombudsman found unsympathetic, inappropriate […]

EPC – contact your MP?

3rd April 2023

Hello, I’m a landlord with 4 flats that turnover less than £5k per annum each. They will never reach an EPC C. I can apply for exemptions once I have spent up to the £10k (more than 2 years turnover, not profit) on each flat. I’m so annoyed with the stupidity of this legislation. It […]

Labour calls for a ‘Renters’ Charter’

3rd April 2023

Labour MP Diane Abbott appeared on ITV’s ‘Good Morning Britain’ today (Monday) to push for a renters’ charter that will help protect tenants. The segment highlighted that the number of available homes for renting in the UK has dropped by a third in the last 18 months – but rent prices have seen a 20% […]

Do police lack knowledge when it comes to illegal eviction?

31st March 2023

This Property118 investigation highlights how anti-social behaviour has caused problems for both tenants and landlords. On the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, housing campaigners voiced their concerns that the police don’t understand the law protecting tenants from harassment and illegal eviction. The housing charity Shelter said there is a big disparity between the number of […]

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Leaseholder protection deed – can a new buyer have it?

31st March 2023

Hello, My daughter’s flat is blighted by the fire safety issues arising from the Grenfell tragedy, hence she wants to get a “Leaseholder protection deed of Certificate”, which provides capped protection from payment of remediation costs, and wishes to use this to help her sell the property in the coming one or two years. But […]

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EPC proposed upgrades cost limit?

31st March 2023

Hello, If the new £10,000 limit proposed upgrade to a band C before the deadline goes ahead, I was wondering whether this cost limit would be allowed to be spread over a couple of years rather than all in one go at £10,000. For example, spending £8,000 on changing double glazing for this tax year […]

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Damp and mould – why blame landlords?

31st March 2023

Hi all, Is it only me getting a bit sick of getting the blame for damp and mould in Victorian terraced properties, especially the solid stone walled type? Cold walls = condensation = eventually mould. When I inspect adjacent windows, the seals clearly show mould too, so a lack of ventilation. I think we should […]

House prices fall at their fastest rate in 14 years

31st March 2023

House prices in the UK have fallen at their fastest rate since July 2009, a major house price index reveals. The data from Nationwide shows that prices are down 3.1% compared with March last year – the biggest fall in 14 years. It is also the seventh consecutive month that prices have fallen. Every region […]

Life insurance, what types are they and what do they do?

31st March 2023

You may be surprised to know that life insurance isn’t always about death. There are several different types of insurance, they all do different things and are made to cover certain aspects of finance. If it’s not for leaving millions of pounds behind, it’s for making sure your financial commitments are met. Or maybe to […]