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 […]

Morning All, I have a remortgage renewal and the lender wants to take a ‘soft charge’ on the freehold of the building which houses 6 flats. They say because I am the director of the management company and the long lease holder this becomes necessary. Interestingly they go on to say that a share from […]

Affordability is becoming increasingly important in the lettings market as it continues to heat up over the summer, one lettings agency reveals. They point out that its rental value growth forecasts for 2022 are being upgraded as stock remains low and demand shows little sign of easing. That’s according to Nicky Stevenson, the managing director […]

Tired of renting, fed up with regulations, constant tenant hassle, costly repairs and, to cap it all, hammered by Section 24 Tax? You are not alone. Landlords nationwide have had enough and are looking to get out of renting by selling all or part of their portfolios. But, if you want to sell quickly without […]

Many tenants say they feel ignored by their letting agent, with delays in responding to problems being the most common complaint, research reveals. Researchers questioned 2,000 tenants and found that 31% of those who tried to contact their letting agency with an out-of-hours emergency didn’t receive a response. Whilst delays have plagued many tenants, 29% […]

Landlords in Scotland could be facing hefty bills to improve their homes to meet the EPC C rating after one minister said the country is facing a ‘monumental but essential task’ in overhauling its old housing stock. The warning comes from the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights, Patrick Harvie (pictured, […]

One in seven university students fear they may become homeless within the next six months as escalating bills, rent and food prices pile pressure on their limited finances, research reveals. The Nationwide Building Society says that its poll of 1,000 university students found two-thirds (66%) of students are struggling to afford to pay for their […]

They are probably the thoughts of many landlords around the UK, but one council in Wales decided to carry out a survey to find out what the landlord experiences in the city are. Newport City Council says its aim for the survey ‘was to better understand the private rented sector’. The council also wanted to […]

The UK’s average house price increased by 7.8% in the year to June 2022, the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals. And the ONS has also announced that the rate of annual inflation to July has hit double digits – and is now at a 40-year high. The House Price Index […]

The PRS needs landlords’ views to be heard. Your responses will help identify areas of most concern in the Renters’ Reform Bill and White Paper providing evidence pinpointing the consequences of these reforms if passed unchecked. Click here Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “The Government’s planned reforms to the […]

New figures obtained from a Freedom of Information request show a 300% increase in the number of homeowners signing up to a property alert scheme to protect against fraudulent property transactions – and landlords are at particular risk. The data comes from Thirdfort, a risk management platform, which found that 135,624 property owners registered for […]

Social housing tenants will be able to get training and support to speak up and complain about issues with their landlord, the government has announced.  A £500,000 grant to provide training, boost confidence and offer toolkits for residents on a range of social housing issues has now opened for bids. The Resident Opportunities and Empowerment […]

Hello everyone, How do landlords with long term tenants achieve the best rents when they let to tenants receiving Universal Credit? I generally keep my rents low for existing tenants. If they are paying the rent and looking after the property I’m happy and for peace of mind I’m happy to reward them for my […]

New research has found that just over one in five (21%) of adults in the UK are ‘seriously concerned’ about becoming homeless within the next six months. The survey of 2,674 renters over the age of 18 was carried out by the personal finance experts at myfavouritevouchercodes.co.uk amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. The firm says […]

Hello everyone, I have a 3 bedroom flat, that was rented to 3 sharers (friends on 1 AST) for over 10 years. It has 2 doubles and a large single. The new rules meant that I either had to rent it out as a 2 bedroom flat, or register it as an HMO. The rules […]

UK rental guarantor service Housing Hand has warned that A level results day is likely to trigger a tsunami of students struggling to find accommodation for their university places. The warning comes in light of unparalleled demand for university accommodation, with real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield reporting that a record 2.18 million full-time students […]

Hello everyone, I am being told, I think, some unusual things about the need for guarantors by a large national agency. First of all they said there was no need for a guarantor if the tenant met the 2.5 times criteria and refs and the credit history were ok. The let currently being arranged means […]

Hello everyone, We have a rented property which we have rented to the same tenant since 2003, a verbal tenancy of 6 months minimum then periodic. The council sent us a demand in December last year for 18 years worth of council tax including uplift for an empty property, a bill of £33,000, even though […]