Hello everyone, All of us as landlords are affected in different ways by the raft of HMRC taxation and government regulation. As a student landlord of 25 years I am struggling to understand how the end of fixed term tenancies will benefit student tenants despite listening to arguments from Shelter and NUS. Their arguments made […]

Good buy-to-let mortgage deals are getting harder to find, with interest rates rising and products being pulled from the market. Landlords looking to buy or remortgage face a much more restricted choice as the Bank of England (BoE) starts to hike interest rates. Data from Moneyfacts shows that the average fixed-rate buy-to-let deal has now […]

There is a lane at the back of one property (well, at the back of the entire terrace). I don’t know how to find out whether it is private, just unadopted or what. I want to find out as I think the Council might be trying to take it over in order to build on […]

Over the last decade, more than 23,000 homes have been sold under the Right to Buy (RTB) scheme to London’s council tenants which equates to 5.6% of the total local authority-owned housing stock. The market value of the homes sold via RTB across the London market is an astonishing £3.415bn in the last 10 years. […]

Haringey Council are the latest to introduce Selective Licensing, but this latest iteration of far too many Council’s preferred money grabbing scheme to swell their coffers includes additional EPC rating conditions that are highly likely to further exacerbate the acute shortage of quality rental properties in their area. Landlords who let their properties in the […]

It has been revealed that 26% of landlords who have issued a Section 21 notice of eviction to their tenants in the last 12 months have done so because they plan to sell their property. The survey was carried out by Landlord Action, a housing law specialist and part of the Hamilton Fraser Group, and […]

A new property licensing scheme has been approved to provide safe and warm housing in Haringey. The council says that for some rental properties in the east of the borough, landlords will be helped to improve the property’s energy efficiency rating. There will be ‘support and education’ available for landlords to improve the property and […]

A lack of homes to rent is causing tenants to remain in their homes, research reveals. In its latest report, Propertymark says that 73% of letting agents say they have seen an increase in renters wanting to renew tenancies rather than move over the past year. They state: “With the recent lack of stock, it […]

Strong rent price growth means that tenants have lost a bedroom when spending the same amount of cash as they did in 2020, research reveals. The findings from Hamptons show that the average two-bed rental property at £1,068 per month today is what renters were spending for the average three-bed rental just 16 months ago. […]

A council has revealed that its plan to restrict the number of residential properties that are turned into houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) is now a step closer. The move has been revealed by Coventry City Council in a report that outlines the council’s intentions. And one councillor says the council is: “Supporting residents and […]

A pilot scheme that helps tenants threatened with eviction to stay in their homes has been extended after more cash was awarded. Cornwall Council will now extend the scheme that sees up to £5,000 being made available to help tenants of privately-owned properties who have fallen behind in their rent and are at risk of […]

Hello everyone, I am keen for readers’ views relating to the fire risk assessments and Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW). I’m just wondering how other professional landlords are faring with this – the Act is unclear about how we are to progress or what we can to do help the situation – with […]

In this property market update, John Howard and I are covering the recession, interest rates, and the outlook for Buy to let investors and developers. We debate our predictions for what this means for property investors as property prices and rents continue to sore & interest rates rise yet again. Season 5 of Property Elevator […]

Whether or not landlords should capitalise on sky-rocketing rental demand is a political hot potato. There are polarised opinions even among the Private Rented Sector’s leading centre’s of influence.  For example … Eddie Hooker, CEO of Hamilton Frazer (the owners of MyDeposits, Landlord Action and several other well known brands in our sector) is advising […]

Landlords and property owners are helping to push up the inheritance tax grab with news that in the three months to July, the Treasury raked in £300m more than they did last year. And that has led one financial expert to say that inheritance tax (IHT) is ‘no longer the preserve of the rich’. The […]

Hello everyone, The property I have just purchased has over £400 outstanding on a secondary prepayment meter in a leasehold flat, resulting in no electricity. The freeholder sells credits for the meters but, of course, I will not get any electricity until I have paid the debt. He is not interested in clearing the debt. […]

Rising numbers of students heading to university, coupled with a slowing supply of new student housing, means that by 2025, the UK will face a shortfall of around 450,000 student beds, research reveals. According to the latest data from StuRents there is currently a shortage of 207,000 which will not only push rent prices up […]

New data shows that the number of homes to rent in London fell between July last year and July 2022 by 38% – and the capital has now entered a ‘landlord-driven market’. But the number of tenant enquiries over the same period rocketed by 60%. The figures have been published by real estate firm Chestertons […]

As a large property network, ensuring our franchise partners are able to navigate the ever-changing world of Permitted Development Rights (PDRs) and Article 4 Directions is key… and something our planning department discusses with them daily. Mahsa Khaneghah is the Head of Planning and Sustainability at Platinum and has observed, through her years in planning, […]

Landlords around the UK have been warning for years that with growing numbers leaving the private rental sector, tenants will increasingly struggle to find somewhere to live and, it seems, that this has now come to pass. Two stories from Glasgow this week highlight what can happen when rented accommodation becomes scarce – but landlords […]

Landlords and letting agents should be protected under the new Statutory Debt Repayment Plans (SDRP) from tenants who may exploit a loophole if they have racked-up rent arrears. Propertymark says that the proposals for SDRP would see rent arrears being considered as ‘discretionary’ so a rent debt won’t be added to the plan – and […]