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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

Hello, The govt propose that existing tenancies must have a rating of C or above from April 2028. It will be rather difficult to carry out the alterations needed whilst properties are occupied. Section 21 will have been repealed by then, so as good tenancies cannot be ended, what do they expect will happen? Or […]

This year, the Property Investors Awards (organised by the Property Investors Bureau) returned to hosting a physical ceremony for its 10th year anniversary with celebrations consisting of an illustrious evening of fine dining and entertainment to announce the winners. The glamorous event took place at the extravagant Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel in Mayfair. It has […]

Further to my last piece about the Rise of the Private Rental Sector, I have unearthed this Reform the private rented sector and open up access to home ownership and social housing, says JRF | JRF One of the things it says is: “………Setting a strategy for reducing the size of the PRS by rebalancing the […]

Unlike the Millwall football chant, ‘No one likes us, we don’t care’, I’d just like to say that while no one apparently likes landlords, I do care. However, I despise the tenant groups who shout from the rooftops about how rubbish we all are. I despise the media for not offering a balanced view when […]

From new government figures Shelter claim Section 21 evictions have risen by 76% to 5,940 households in a year following the end of the eviction ban in May 2021. To be classified as ‘threatened with homelessness’ by their council, a household must be at risk of losing their home in the next eight weeks. This […]

It has been revealed that the UK has 2.74 million unincorporated landlords and in 2020-21 they earned £41bn from rents, but the data also shows that 50,000 landlords have left the private rented sector (PRS) since 2019. The figures from HMRC report in 2021 there were 2.71 million individuals and 300,000 partnerships declaring a rental […]