Despite understandably lower enquiry levels in the first half of the year due to the pandemic, The Property Ombudsman’s (TPO) 2020 annual report reveals a significant uplift in the last two quarters as everyone seemingly settled into a ‘new normal’. Even though the sector experienced variability throughout 2020, enquiries increased year-on-year with a record 39,285 […]

Richard Bacon MP’s review of Custom and Self Build, commissioned by the Prime Minister, finds huge potential in the Self Build sector which could deliver 30-40,000 more homes every year, and recommends a major-scaling up of self-built homes to boost the overall housing supply. This will see homes that can be built in weeks that […]

The Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party Parliamentary Group have agreed to work together over the next five years. Click here A shared draft policy programme, ‘the Bute House Agreement’, has been agreed upon and includes the implement an effective national system of rent controls, enhance tenants’ rights and deliver 110,000 affordable homes by […]

The latest analysis from Moneyfacts.co.uk reveals the best debit and credit cards available to avoid any surprise charges and what consumers could end up paying with a standard credit card or debit card. A typical debit card charges £11.88* when consumers withdraw £250 in cash abroad, while some credit cards can charge £14.95** before interest […]

Hi, I have just been having a discussion with my wife regarding costs and tenancy agreements, and I am curious about what other landlords do. I have just completed inspections on my portfolio and one of my tenants has just asked for new carpets on the hall, stairs, landing and 2 bedrooms. As we all […]

I am applying for planning permission to convert a 3-bedroom flat in Birmingham (classed as a C3 dwelling house) to a C4 small HMO. Birmingham has a city-wide Article 4 Directive in place which overrides permitted development rights. The flat exceeds minimum room sizes considerably, and I am not proposing any changes to the internal […]

Propertymark’s July housing report indicates nearly a third (31%) of properties sold for more than the original asking price. This is a significant decrease from June which reported 40% sold over asking price, but closer to May’s figure of 33%. Agent members have highlighted signs of housing market stabilisation with the number of properties available […]

The Guardian is reporting that 1 in 16 companies are on the brink of bankruptcy and that today’s youth will never be able to buy a home due to soaring property prices. But is it really THAT bad for first-time buyers? In this video, Andrew Roberts and I breakdown these two articles and what it […]

The demand for private rented housing has reached a five-year high according to new research released by the National Residential Landlords Association following the easing of COVID restrictions. The wide-ranging survey of private landlords across England and Wales, conducted in partnership with research consultancy BVA/BDRC, found that 39% confirmed that demand for homes to rent […]

You’ve no doubt been watching property prices rise over the past few months, and if you’ve been reading the news, you probably know that experts and private landlords are agreeing, now is the best time to sell your portfolios before we have to wait another 7 years for the next market high. Landlord Sales Agency […]

I have an HMO that the new tenant moved in to on the 7th of July and I have had lots of minor complaints about him from other residents. On Saturday, I was informed that the police attended the house due to a domestic disturbance between him and his girlfriend. I would like to get […]

London Borough of Redbridge Council “secretly and informally” flouted its own policy in order to fine over 100 landlords in just six months. Testimony from a senior officer in a 2019 court case reveals the council’s policy to try to resolve issues with landlords “informally” before issuing a fine was ignored “for a few weeks” that year. The council then […]

For some of the Property118 community, you will have already seen the Shergroup Team of Enforcement Professionals on Channel 5’s new TV show about our work as High Court Enforcement Officers.   To be honest, as an Officer with over 40 years of enforcement experience under my belt, I can confess that watching these shows is […]

I’m posting this on behalf of an elderly landlord, who’s a friend. He owns a few 3-4 bed houses and rents it out by rooms to young professionals. All these years he has been splitting the monthly energy bills equally amongst the housemates, and everyone used to be fine with that. However, lately because of […]

England’s allotments could provide space for over 600,000 new homes, according to the latest research by GetAgent.co.uk. The research found that there are an estimated 4,554 allotments across the nation containing roughly 177,606 plots, each at an average size of 250 square metres. That’s a potential 44,401,500 square metres of allotment space, enough to build […]

In a consultation by the Law Commission on areas of law that it intends to review, Propertymark has called for a dedicated housing court to guarantee fair, timely redress for tenants and landlords and safeguard investment in the private rented sector. They note the current procedure to possession via courts is “slow, complex and costly, […]

Moneyfacts UK Savings Trends Treasury Report data reveals not one average savings rate fell month-on-month. The monthly analysis of savings trends also reports, that except for the notice ISA rate which remained unchanged, all other savings rates rose. There was a notable improvement to the average one-year fixed bond rate, which saw the largest monthly […]

The UK Government has been told it must complete and publish a full assessment of the impact on renters of their decisions to freeze Local Housing Allowance and cut Universal Credit, which risks pushing many households into poverty, problem debt, and homelessness. This comes from a Joint statement by: The Big Issue Ride Out Recession […]

With new instructions from landlords remaining in decline (slipping from -6% last month to -20% in July), rents are now expected to rise over the next three months. This is according to a net balance of +50% of RICS member respondents. Rental expectations in London have seen a particular turnaround, with a net balance of […]

The social housing white paper outlines a wide-ranging package of reforms to improve standards for residents and enhance regulation of the sector. The reforms aim to addressing safety issues, strengthening the complaints process, professionalising staff and rebalancing the relationship between resident and landlord. Eddie Hughes MP, Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing said: “Giving social […]

Smart Company structures have been all the rage for savvy property entrepreneurs. In 2019, HMRC launched its task force to investigate any wrongdoing concerning these structures, but now it’s been announced in the Financial Times that the HMRC has disbanded their unit. So in light of this good news, join myself and Mark Smith as […]