The scale of the situation for landlords having to improve their rental properties to meet the energy performance certificate (EPC) standard of C has been laid bare in new research. According to Shawbrook, seven in 10 (71%) landlords in the UK still own rental properties with an EPC rating of D or below. Their study […]

The Northern Ireland Assembly has published independent research on what a rent decrease of up to 10% and/or a rent freeze for up to four years will do the private rental sector. Under the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, section 7 amended the Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, so that the frequency of […]

Reaction from the worlds of property and finance was swift after the Bank of England announced that its base rate would increase to 3%. That means lending for landlords looking for a new mortgage deal just got more expensive. Angus Stewart, the chief executive of Property Master, an online broker for BTL mortgages, said: “Landlords […]

In an outbreak of predictability, when we all know the Base Rate is heading towards 4% to keep up with the Dollar and the Fed, The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 7-2 for an increase of 0.75% to a total 3%. The two dissenting Doves wanted increases of either 0.5% or 0.25%. The MPC is […]

Not only will rents rise but tenants will find it more difficult to find homes over the next year or two as landlords will be struggling with higher mortgage rates, MPs have been told. At the Commons Treasury Committee, a range of mortgage experts told MPs about the state of the market and what will […]

A government adviser is urging the scrapping of tax perks for holiday lets which could see tax bills increasing by thousands of pounds every year for landlords. The Office for Tax Simplification (OTS) is recommending that the government stops the owners of a furnished holiday let from offsetting mortgage interest payments against their income tax […]

UK Finance says a ‘strategic reset’ is needed for the country and government to achieve Net Zero homes. The organisations say this is ‘the number one policy issue facing future generations’. In a report, it says that UK homes are the least energy efficient in Europe, with the heating of our homes representing 14% of […]

The volume of viewing requests from potential tenants has risen so steeply that some landlords are now putting adverts for their properties on hold as they deal with the elevated level of demand, research reveals. With competition fierce among renters, it’s now taking an average of just four days to let a rental property, according […]

Hi all, I’m perplexed by a recent request for information from the council. I’ve operated an HMO in Northampton for several years. It has valid gas, electric and EPC certificates, alarms, fire doors, etc. IMHO, nothing amiss with it. Some years ago, the LA applied an Article 4 direction to the area and I thus […]

Hello, I hope someone can advise, appreciated if so. We have a nightmare of a freeholder. We recently had one of our flats have an EPC certification. The main improvement to bring it to where it needs to be (c) was having Cavity wall insulation So, if I write to the freeholder and he does […]

Our Hon. Legal Counsel, Mark Smith, Head of Chambers at Cotswold Barristers, will be presenting an overview of several landlord tax strategies at the pin meeting Thursday 3rd November. The Canary Wharf meeting will be held at The Hilton London Canary Wharf, South Quay Square, Marsh Wall, London, E14 9SH Hosted by Martin Skinner on […]

Hi All, I recently purchased my first property and decided to rent a few rooms out to help cover the cost of running the place. I’m a live-in landlord and registered to vote there, this is in the Portsmouth area. But do spend most of my time at my partners as its considerably closer to work. […]

A total of £214.7 million in bridging loans was transacted by contributors during the third quarter – the third consecutive quarterly increase and a 20% rise on Q2, research reveals. The latest Bridging Trends figures show this is the highest contributor lending amount since they began recording data in 2015. Preventing a chain break was […]

The Bank of England looks set to raise interest rates at its meeting tomorrow – and it could be the biggest rise in 33 years. The market is pricing in a rise of 0.75% to 3% because the Bank is tightening monetary policy in a bid to tame inflation. And with the Chancellor’s fiscal statement […]

The lettings market appears to have cooled down with rents dipping in every region for the first time since June and most areas seeing an increase in voids, a rental index reveals. The findings from Goodlord show that average rental costs in England dropped by 11% during October, taking rents down to their lowest levels […]

Consumer demand for help and advice from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) rose by 15% in 2021 to 45,007 enquiries – and has risen by a staggering 48% since 2019. The organisation says that the rise underlines the demand from consumers for justice and to have their issues taken seriously. They also point out that the […]

The nation’s rental market could be in for a boom as historic housing market trends show that a decline in property sales also leads to a boost in the private rental market stock. That’s according to Alliance Fund, the end to end real estate fund, which analysed both the sales and rental markets during the […]

Hello, I have a six bed / three bathroom property near Wolverhampton which I am looking at turning into an HMO. I am looking for a company to take on the management of this HMO with a guaranteed rent including covering for void periods Does anyone have advice or experience of this or recommendations of […]

The student property market in Leeds is evolving at a quick pace, with landlords making significant changes to attract student tenants, says estate agent HOP. Their research shows that Leeds now has more student properties than anywhere else in the UK and in the coming weeks estate agents across the city will release and begin […]

The annual UK house price growth slowed to 7.2% in October, from 9.5% in September, Nationwide reports. Its house price index reveals that prices fall 0.9% month-on-month – the first monthly decline since July 2021. Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief economist, said: “The market has undoubtedly been impacted by the turmoil following the mini-Budget, which led […]

Just 11% of one-bedroom properties in England are now affordable to renters on Local Housing Allowance – that’s down from 17% in April, research reveals. That’s when Crisis and Zoopla last conducted their analysis which also reveals that the proportion of affordable two-bedroom properties has fallen to just 7% from 11%. For three-beds, just 6% […]