The homebuying dream for first-time buyers (FTBs) has been delayed by nearly two years due to the cost-of-living crisis, research reveals. This means that most of those trying to save for a home of their own will have to continue renting. Aldermore’s latest First Time Buyer Index questioned 2,000 prospective first-time buyers and found that […]

Demand for rental homes across the capital with bills included within the cost of renting has climbed considerably since April, research reveals. The findings from lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, however, highlights that tenants are still paying a rental premium for the pleasure. The firm analysed current rental stock available across London and […]

Hi, Is there value from incorporating a buy to let portfolio where there are no bank borrowings? We have a small portfolio of three let houses and an industrial yard with no borrowings and the total value is about £1m and the rentals are about £50k pa. a) The original purchase price in the last […]

The Bank of England has increased interest rates in the UK by 0.5 percentage points, to 2.25% – that’s the highest level for 14 years. The move has been made in a bid to tackle soaring prices and the rates are now at their highest since 2008 when the global financial crisis was at its […]

Hi Guys and Gals, Can’t find a clear answer to “is a CO2 detector required for a modern balanced flue combination gas boiler installed in a purpose-built cupboard on a landing?”. Some say yes and some say no. The house in question, 10 years old, has a gas hob/electric oven in kitchen and gas boiler […]

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has revealed that all registered providers of social housing will need to collect and publish information on repairs, safety checks and complaints. The move follows a consultation on tenant satisfaction measures (TSM) that will see tenants being able to scrutinise their social landlord’s performance and give them an insight […]

Nearly two-fifths (39%) of commercial landlords are unaware of new standards on Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) coming into force in April 2023, new research reveals. The findings from property business experts Handelsbanken highlight the confusion in the market and the need for longer-term planning. The study found just one in 10 (9%) commercial landlords has […]

Landlords will have to pass on a £400 energy rebate to their tenants who are paying rent with their bills included, the government has revealed. The move is part of the government’s help to deal with soaring energy bills and various charities have voiced concerns that for renters who have energy bills included in their […]

As inflation continues to rise at the fastest rate in over 40 years, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find business and investment opportunities that can withstand the difficult economic landscape. In property, there have certainly been many positives coming out of the last 12 months for landlords, with rents up more than 11% compared to […]

The number of house sales in August was 7.6% higher than in the same month in 2021, HMRC has revealed. The data shows that house sales were also 1.7% higher than in July. The figures are provisional seasonally adjusted estimates of the UK’s residential transactions and in August there were 104,980 properties sold. However, HMRC […]

Hello, The government states that landlord must ensure that smoke and CO2 alarms are tested and are in working order at the start of a new tenancy. It states that a renewed of previous tenancy does not count as a new tenancy. I normally renew with my tenants a new fixed term tenancy agreement when […]

Giving your tenants a welcome pack will set expectations & ground rules early and could save you a lot of time and money during the tenancy period. You can guarantee that not every tenant is going to understand what their responsibilities are straight off the bat. Making this crystal clear from the start will serve […]

Dear All, I currently have 3 HMO’s managed by a letting agent who I have been with for nearly 11 years. The owner of the business has sold the company to another local agent. I was notified in writing this past Saturday (The current owner did call me the week before). The transaction has taken […]

A quarter of borrowers will not be able to afford their mortgage if interest rates hit 5%, a survey has revealed. With interest rates widely predicted to rise tomorrow (Thursday), it will be the seventh rise since December. And now the Anthony Ward Thomas Attitudes to Moving survey has found that successive interest rate rises, […]

Long story short, we had a new landlord who was late sending the march ground rent out and 18 leaseholders did not receive it. We did not know who the new landlord was or any payment details. We made a joint complaint to PDC (property debt collection) who very quickly got involved and even asked […]

Hi all, This situation is causing me real stress and I’m not sure where to turn. I bought a property to completely renovate. I told the council that it would be empty and a valuation officer visited on the 8th of April and confirmed that as there was a kitchen, a bathroom and a boiler […]

The housing crisis in the Scottish Private Rental Sector (PRS) is rapidly worsening, leaving thousands of tenants in a desperate situation as they are unable to find accommodation. That’s the view of the Belvoir Group and the firm’s Andrew Jack, from Belvoir Edinburgh, said: “The current situation is incredibly difficult for tenants, and many of […]

Hello, Can you please advise the best way to transfer my flat back to me now? In 2005 I bought my first one-bedroom flat for £265,00.00 getting a mortgage of £238,075.00 2007 I got married and bought a new 2-bedroom apartment with my husband for £440,000.00. I had to sell my first one-bedroom flat to […]

Rents as a share of income have remained stubbornly high while the average floor space per private renter in England has fallen by 16% over the past 20 years, research reveals. According to Resolution Foundation research, the lost floor space equates to a city the size of Nottingham. The Foundation’s latest Housing Outlook notes that […]

The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have given the go-ahead for the UK’s biggest Selective Licensing Scheme that will cover up to 50,000 homes. The permission has been given to Birmingham City Council to cover all private rented properties in 25 of the city’s wards. Permission was given under the Housing Act 2004 […]

The UK’s house prices are predicted to fall by 4.5% on average in 2023 – with a peak annual contraction of 6.2% expected in the third quarter. And though house prices will drop – those who are renting currently will not find that property affordability will be something they will enjoy. The forecast is being […]