The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is investigating 16 sale-and-rent-back firms amid concerns their advertisements could be misleading homeowners desperate to avoid being repossessed. James Meikle, guardian.co.uk – Friday 30 January 2009 The watchdog has issued formal notices to the companies asking them to substantiate claims made in their adverts within 14 days. It will [...]
The Nationwide House Price Index recorded its 15th straight monthly fall after prices slid 1.3% in January, while the UK Land Registry’s House Price Index for December recorded a drop of 2.0%. The Land Registry also revised the drop in November to 2.1% from an estimated 1.9%. Property Week – 30 Jan 2009 Yesterday’s figures [...]
The Tories have stepped up their campaign against HIPs with two heavyweight statements yesterday reaffirming their total opposition. EstateAgetToday.co.uk – 30 Jan 2009 Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps told Estate Agent Today: “Conservatives always warned that HIPs were a bad idea that would damage the housing market. “We have voted against them at every stage [...]
We are so preoccupied in this country with the impact of the credit crunch on house prices, retail spending and jobs that we tend not to notice its geopolitical impact. Anthony Hilton, thisismoney.co.uk – 30 January 2009 But this week we received a timely reminder when Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s premier Wen Jiabao both [...]
Following the release of Home Office figures showing a significant increase in burglaries, the UK’s leading insurance provider for the lettings industry HomeLet is urging tenants to make sure their possessions are properly insured. The figures, released on Thursday (22nd January), showed a 4 per cent increase in domestic burglary between July and September last [...]
A TENANTS group has applauded tough measures used by council bosses to force rogue landlords to fall into line with new rules. Andrew Newport, Paisley Daily Express – Jan 27 2009 The Linwood Tenants and Residents Action Group have welcomed Renfrewshire Council’s hard-hitting policies that are being used to persuade private landlords to register with [...]
Workspace Group is aiming raise £87.2m from an issue of new shares. James Whitmore, Property Week – 27 Jan 2009 In what could be the first of series of cash calls for listed property companies Workspace today launched a five-for-one rights issue. The company is selling shares at 10p, which reflects a 69% discount to [...]
Comments from James Davis, founder of upad Today’s call to government to create a new policy to encourage companies to provide private rental housing (The British Property Federation Conference, 27 January 2008[1]), whilst being well-meaning will never become a reality. Private landlords currently make up two thirds of the rental sector in the UK, and [...]
Let’s Hear it for the Letting Agent Download the Full Newsletter As the economic troubles persist, and from all indications this week it will be some time before all this is over, landlords will increasingly have to deal with tenancy problems. Despite a relatively buoyant lettings market (certainly compared to sales), increasing redundancies, fewer temporary [...]
December 2008 saw demand for rented accommodation mushroom, according to the UK’s largest lettings agent Your Move. Despite a 14% month on month slowdown in the number of people signing up to new leases, rental demand in December was up a massive 63% on 2007. But a dip in tenant demand is normal over the [...]
