Page 342 – Property118

EXCLUSIVE: New renting laws in Wales are a ‘disaster’ for landlords

1st December 2022

From today, landlords in Wales will see the biggest change to housing legislation in decades coming into force with the rules affecting both landlords and tenants. But the new laws have been slammed as a ‘disaster’ for landlords by Janet Finch-Saunders, the Shadow Minister for Climate Change in the Senedd. The Conservative MS told Property118: […]

Shelters warns 941,000 tenants are facing eviction

1st December 2022

The homeless charity Shelter is warning that one in 12 private renters in England is threatened with eviction. The charity says that is the equivalent of 941,000 people. The results of polling, funded by Nationwide Building Society, found that of the renters at risk of eviction, 504,000 had received, or been threatened with, an eviction […]

House price growth slows to lowest in two years

1st December 2022

The UK’s annual house price growth slowed to 4.4% in November, down from 7.2% in October, data from Nationwide reveals. The 1.4% month-on-month fall in prices is the biggest fall since June 2020 – and comes after a 0.9% drop in October. Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief economist, said: “The fallout from the mini-Budget continued to […]

landlord at laptop typing comments on blogs property118.com

Landlords – Attack back?

1st December 2022

Hello, I know this will go nowhere. We cannot strike. We cannot ask for more pay. How about – and I’ll keep it short. Every article on the web (excluding offensive material) gets a tag from all landlords. Whatever it is, good or bad, we say it is our fault? Swamp the media with landlords […]

landlord looking at how to calculate his cgt tax bill property118.com

How much landlords will pay under new CGT rules revealed

30th November 2022

Changes to capital gains tax (CGT) announced in the recent Autumn Statement will see the average landlord pay up to £1,764 more if they exit the BTL sector in the 2023-24 tax year, research reveals. That’s according to the London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, after it analysed the capital gains seen on […]

pic of landlord handing key to a tenant rents rising property118.com

Rents will continue rising as landlords ‘withdraw’

30th November 2022

A lack of rental stock because landlords are leaving the PRS and continued tenant demand will continue pushing up rents, researchers reveal. The data from TwentyEA also highlight that the average asking price for rent across the UK was sitting at £1,605 per month in Q3 2022. That is 19% higher than in Q3 2019. […]

Andy Hulme of Hyde Housing Association responding to Housing Ombudsman report

Housing Ombudsman urges social landlords to deal with mould

30th November 2022

All social landlords are being urged to tackle complaints relating to damp and mould – and not blame a tenant for their ‘lifestyle’ as being the cause of the issue. The call has been made by the Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway who is also questioning the handling of legal claims and the tone and communication […]

Close-up detail of engraved eye from British currency representing financial focus and interest rate changes

The Mortgage Market Maze

29th November 2022

To fix your mortgage rate or not. That is THE question of 2022, a year of uncertainty in the mortgage market. Over the past 12 months the Bank Rate has increased 8 times, from 0.1% in November 2021 to 3.0% a year later, the highest level since 2008. This has been driven mainly by the […]

EPC expired with eviction pending?

29th November 2022

Hi everyone, We have a tenant whose EPC has expired (a D) but he doesn`t speak to us, not for any good reason, he just hates landlords (he`s told us) and hates us contacting him about the simplest thing. Notice (S 21) has been issued which resulted in him stopping paying the low rent. We […]

Person researching mortgage options on a laptop while taking notes

Buy-to-let product choice for landlords begins to recover

29th November 2022

Landlords searching for a new BTL mortgage will find product choice within the lending sector is recovering, research reveals. According to an analysis by Moneyfacts.co.uk, the overall buy-to-let product availability, both fixed and variable, has risen by more than 700 options since the start of October, However, there are 300 fewer deals than at the […]

Picture of streets in the UK landlord HMO licensing schemes property118.com -

Councils are ‘trying to catch landlords out’ with licensing schemes

29th November 2022

Licencing schemes are inconsistent across the country with the chair of the Lettings Industry Council accusing councils of ‘trying to catch landlords out’. Theresa Wallace spoke to the Telegraph after the newspaper filed Freedom of Information (FoI) requests with councils. It found that some unsuspecting landlords have been fined up to £45,000 for failing to […]

Agents can access new model Occupation Contracts ahead of Welsh renting law change

29th November 2022

One organisation is providing its letting agent members with access to new model Occupation Contracts ahead of the introduction of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. That’s when agents, landlords and tenants will see the biggest change to Welsh housing law for decades. It is almost seven years since the Act gained Royal Assent and […]

Skipton offers £11m to help landlords with their EPC needs

29th November 2022

Skipton has announced it will give 10 free EPC Plus reports for buy-to-let customers with property portfolios – even if just one property is mortgaged with the building society. At a time when energy costs are rising, Skipton says it is prepared to invest £11m in helping to green the UK’s homes by giving all […]

7 Things to find when you read your lease

29th November 2022

If you’re a long-leaseholder, it is important to understand what your lease terms mean. This article highlights the top 7 things you need to find when you read your lease – and why those things are important to understand. By understanding your lease, you can help to make sure that your leaseholder experience is a […]

Student holding fee refund property118.com

Holding Fee Refund?

28th November 2022

Hello, I’m a student looking for rental properties next year! We paid a holding fee of £400 and haven’t yet signed any lease or paid further deposits, however, we found the letting agent seemed a little dodgy and pushing for payments as quick as possible. Originally we had 7 days to come to an agreement […]

Doodle showing best mortgage rates BTL landlord property118.com

Early Repayment Charge?

28th November 2022

Hello, I currently have a 5 year fixed BTL mortgage with Leeds building society at 2.14%. I am looking to sell the property although I am being asked for an early repayment charge of £3k. Given the base rate is now 3%, and the rate for this same product is close to 6%, I would […]

Woman looking up at a question mark sticky note on her forehead, symbolising uncertainty about renting through a Ltd company

Landlords – what are your suggestions to better the current chaos in the PRS?

28th November 2022

Hello, Every landlord, big or small, must by now have felt the effects of repeated changes to legislation and taxation in regards to the PRS. On any landlord forum you will find lists of landlords giving lists of what is wrong with the system, but I’ve yet to read anybody giving tangible solutions. So, as […]

judge and gavel making a property decision property118.com

Courts and District Judges – Problems?

28th November 2022

Hello, Does anybody else have a problem with the judiciary? I have a judgement debt, but I am pursuing a Charging Order securing the debt against a property he now owns. Straightforward you would think? Go to CCMCC (County Court Money Claims Centre) who agree it can be enforced, but DJ’s simply forward it to […]

Home sellers slash prices to find a buyer

28th November 2022

Since September, 10% of homes for sale have had a price reduction of 5%, as buyer demand slumps by 44%, Zoopla reveals. The property platform also highlights that nearly a third of homes in the South East and East of England – outside of London – have seen asking prices being reduced to attract more […]

eviction notice opened envelope landlords property118.com

Eviction advice and recommendations?

28th November 2022

Hello, We are just starting an eviction and are looking for the experience of others who have been through this process. A local solicitor has issued the S 21 notice but we expect it to be ignored by our tenant who has always been uncommunicative. A financial settlement/inducement to leave is a possibility, but we […]

Greens demand rent freeze and eviction ban

28th November 2022

An immediate cap on rent increases and a ban on no-fault evictions until at least the end of March 2023 are being demanded by the Green Party. The party says the government must urgently bring forward its promised Renters Reform Bill in time to stave off ‘a winter of evictions and homelessness’. And, they say, […]