HMRC is targeting residential landlords in its latest ‘nudge campaign’ that it suspects are not declaring their full rental income, warns tax advisers Kreston Reeves. The campaign comes in advance of Jeremy Hunt’s first Autumn Statement and rumours of a further attack on residential landlords with higher rates of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on property […]

The average price of a property in the UK fell by 1.1% or £4,159 in October, data from Rightmove reveals. And despite the weight of financial uncertainty, the fall is in line with the average 1.1% drop recorded in November during the pre-pandemic years of 2015-2019. Rightmove says that the proportion of properties seeing a […]

It’s a good job I was sitting down when I read a striking story on Property118 this week because it would normally have knocked me off my feet otherwise. Was it, I hear you ask, the Government announcing that their Rent Reform white paper is nonsense and will be ditched? Nope. Was it the prospect […]

Landlord repossession claims have reached a record level with increases being seen in all regions of England and Wales, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) reveals. The MoJ says that landlord possession actions have increased significantly in the three months to the end of September. When compared to the same quarter last year, landlord possession claims […]

Hello, I have recently sold a tenanted property and the completion date is a week away. Does anyone have any experience of handover of details/rent accounts to the new owner, especially in regard to UC recipients? All tenants have UC paid directly to me, but if they list a change of circumstance as a result […]

A tenant who tried to sell the house he rented without his landlord’s knowledge has been jailed. Andrew Smith, 41, was only caught out in his ‘truly brazen crime’ when a prospective buyer conducted a drain survey at the property. Smith claimed he was moving to the area for work when he began renting the […]

Rental value growth is predicted to outpace property price growth over the next five years, says one leading property expert. Nicky Stevenson, the managing director of Fine & Country UK, says that a shortage of stock, increased borrowing costs, and economic pressures are underpinning the market. She said: “Rental records continue to topple month-on-month across […]

The average UK house price is predicted to fall by 10% in 2023, real estate firm Savills says. It points out that prices have risen by 24% since March 2020, but as the Bank of England base rate is forecast to rise to 4.0% at some point, this will have a serious knock-on effect. The […]

Demand across the lettings market is high and continues to push rents up, the latest surveyors’ report reveals. RICS says that tenant demand continues to rise at a ‘solid pace’, with a net balance of +46% of survey participants noting an increase in October. However, landlord instructions fell once again with a net balance of […]

Hello, I am being forced to sell my rental property to a developer because of a big development including my property. I will need to buy another property to rent as I rely on the income. Other countries allow CGT to be held over to the next property but the UK currently don’t. If the […]

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has stepped in to look at the purchase of student accommodation provider Student Roost by GIC and Greystar. The CMA fears that the move could lead to higher rent and lower quality housing for students in Birmingham. In their initial assessment, the CMA looked at how the proposed deal […]

The average rent bill could rocket to hit £2,269 a month if prices rise in line with the hikes already being seen across other living costs, a specialist rental platform warns. A market analysis from Ocasa shows that with the cost of living on the rise, there are lots of factors impacting the lives of […]

The disputes between landlords and tenants that end in bitter court action could be easily avoided by a thorough, professional independent inventory. That’s the claim from the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC) which say that a qualified impartial inventory clerk, with no potential for bias, can offer protection and confidence to both parties when […]

Propertymark has responded to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) consultation on the Decent Homes Standard in England by offering clarity on how to deliver greater parity between the social and private rented sectors. The organisation says that its response will help ensure landlords who do not treat their tenants fairly are […]

Home buyers are spending an average of 15.5% more for an energy-efficient property, research reveals. The findings from Santander show that four in five estate agents (79%) are predicting a big rise in buyers wanting homes with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C or above. And nearly three-quarters (70%) of agents have seen […]

Paragon Bank has unveiled a market-leading five-year fixed rate buy-to-let mortgage with a reduced reference rate. The mortgage is available at 70% loan-to-value (LTV) with an initial rate priced at 5.69%. The product is subject to a 2.00% product fee and features a free mortgage valuation. Paragon is offering the five-year fix with an ICR […]

Students heading or returning to university are fighting it out for limited accommodation with research showing that 3.1 students are chasing EVERY bed. The findings from Stripe Property Group highlight that the private student rental sector is ‘overwhelmed’ and ‘under-stocked’, and there’s a lack of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA). Stripe estimates there are now 2,180,419 […]

A councillor has accused private landlords of kicking out tenants to make room for asylum seekers because the landlord can earn more in rent from the Home Office. The accusation was made by Julie Young at a meeting of Colchester Borough Council’s scrutiny panel meeting after revelations that the city could soon be home to […]

Data from Halifax this week shows that the UK’s house prices fell at the sharpest pace in almost two years last month as rising mortgage rates and a gloomy economic outlook took their toll. The figures show that house prices fell 0.4% in October – the third decline in four months. The annual rate of […]

A tenant welcome pack can help your tenant relationships get off to a great start. Have you ever had a tenant contact you with unreasonable or minor requests that then escalate into much bigger issues, or just create tension between you? Setting out expectations upfront is a great way to ensure your tenancy runs smoothly. […]

Hello, No landlord can be immune to the ever increasing attacks, not only on the buy to let business in general, but also very personal attacks that question our morals, our values, even our right to exist. I decided to sell up after the S24 announcement. The writing was on the wall. I only had […]