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Boost in BTL data reflects activity of larger wealthier landlords

Boost in BTL data reflects activity of larger wealthier landlords

News

Financial experts have greeted resurgent buy-to-let market data with caution, suggesting that larger wealthier landlords are simply taking a bigger share of the sector.

Average rents in England rise for the third month in a row to £1,213 in March

Average rents in England rise for the third month in a row to £1,213 in March

News

The average price of a rental property in England rose for the third month in a row to £1,213 in March, it has been revealed.

Desirable London properties at historic discounts, suggests Savills

Desirable London properties at historic discounts, suggests Savills

News

Investors can snap up prime central London properties at historic discounts equivalent to those seen in the early 1990s, according to new research by Savills.

Half of private renters don’t have contents insurance or don’t know what it is, claims Monzo

Half of private renters don’t have contents insurance or don’t know what it is, claims Monzo

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Half of private renters either don’t have contents insurance or don’t know what it is, leaving them financially vulnerable to theft, damage, or loss.

Only 2.5% of rented homes in England are affordable for those on housing benefit, Crisis reveals

Only 2.5% of rented homes in England are affordable for those on housing benefit, Crisis reveals

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Only 2.5% of private rented properties listed in England were affordable for people on housing benefit between April and October last year according to Crisis, down from 12% in 2021 to 22.

Billionaire landlord ordered to repay tenants £263,555 for operating two buildings as unlicensed HMOs

Billionaire landlord ordered to repay tenants £263,555 for operating two buildings as unlicensed HMOs

News

A billionaire landlord has been ordered to repay tenants £263,555 for operating two East London buildings as unlicensed HMOs.

House price growth remains steady, but is expected to soften as stamp duty rates change today

House price growth remains steady, but is expected to soften as stamp duty rates change today

News

House price growth remained steady last month, but is expected to soften in the coming months as the stamp duty holiday comes to an end.

More than a third of landlords to offload properties, Landbay survey suggests

More than a third of landlords to offload properties, Landbay survey suggests

News

More than a third of landlords plan to offload some of their rental properties in the next 12 months, according to a new survey.

Scottish lawmakers urged not to repeat the mistake of restricting rents

Scottish lawmakers urged not to repeat the mistake of restricting rents

News

Letting agents have urged Scottish lawmakers not to repeat the mistake of restricting rents that has ultimately increased costs for tenants.

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Rent Review

Rent Review

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Question - Rent Review - my landlord is asking for far more rent than I expected on review. Am I obliged to pay this?Answer - Commercial leases are contractual - the parties agree to and are bound by its clauses and that includes rent review provisions.The rent review process is a way of periodic

Re-selling Energy

Re-selling Energy

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Re-selling Energy - As a landlord am I able to make a profit by re-selling electricity or gas?</h2>Resale of Gas and ElectricityThe maximum amount that Residential Landlords or resellers� are permitted to charge for gas or electricity is the amount they

Providing a Reference

Providing a Reference

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Providing a Reference - I have been asked to provide a reference for one of my tenants who is moving on. What is my legal position in this and am I putting myself at risk if I say he was a bad tenant?</h2> Referencing (seeking verification of a tenants past performance) is an increasi

Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles

Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles

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Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles - is it legal to have these tiles in the kitchen of a rental property?</h2> There are currently no regulations specifically banning the use of polystyrene ceiling tiles in existing rented property.However, it is unlikely that local authority fire officers and en

Misrepresentation

Misrepresentation

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Misrepresentation - We recently rented out our rural cottage to a couple. As they wanted to use their computers I said it was possible to get high-speed broad-band. I thought this would be possible but it seems it is not at this time. The couple are now claiming that I misled them and that

Mail for Previous Tenants

Mail for Previous Tenants

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I'm receiving mail for previous tenants and some of them are from debt collectors. Will this get my property black listed and cause problems for my current tenants and myself in the future?</h2> It's fairly common to have mail arriving for months and even years after residents have left,

Long Term AST

Long Term AST

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Long Term AST - My prospective tenant has asked for a tenancy term of 6 years. Can I use the usual Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement for this?</h2> The Assured Shorthold Tenancy is the default tenancy for residential lettings and since October 2010 this applies to rents up to �100,000

Lodgers Limits

Lodgers Limits

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Lodgers Limits - Is there any limit to the number of rooms I can rent out to lodgers, and are there any planning implications ?</h2> There are several parts of legislation in England and Wales that affect this question. Perhaps four main ones apply: Health &amp; Safety (HHSRS), HMO, Over

How long should accounts be kept

How long should accounts be kept

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Question: How long should accounts be kept to satisfy the authorities, things like accounting files, invoices and tax records, as a property landlord?Answer: You must keep your records for 6 years after the tax year to which they apply, whether or not you complete a tax return.It's a good idea, a

BREAKING: Bank of England cuts base interest rate by 0.25%

BREAKING: Bank of England cuts base interest rate by 0.25%

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Landlords with buy-to-let mortgages who are about to come out of short-term fixed-rate deals will be relieved today after the Bank of England cut its base lending rate to 5%.

Britain needs more homes, not landlords says campaigning group

Britain needs more homes, not landlords says campaigning group

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Encouraging landlords to rent out more homes will not solve the housing crisis, it has been claimed.

Essex landlord banned for three years after HMO court case

Essex landlord banned for three years after HMO court case

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A rogue landlord who was also a letting agent in Essex has been banned from being a landlord in England for three years.

East Midlands city reveals clampdown on smaller HMOs

East Midlands city reveals clampdown on smaller HMOs

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A big council in the East Midlands has revealed plans to extend and widen its additional licencing scheme for HMOs.

Angela Rayner reveals big changes for Right to Buy

Angela Rayner reveals big changes for Right to Buy

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Labour has moved to make good on its manifesto promise to reform and improve the Right to Buy scheme which, under the Tories, saw the number of publicly-funded affordable rented homes in England shrink dramatically.

Social landlords blasted by Housing Ombudsman report - for maladministration

Social landlords blasted by Housing Ombudsman report - for maladministration

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Councils are failing in more ways than one. When it comes to complaints from their tenants, repairs and maintaining safety standards, councils are not performing

Landlord loses long-running 'battle of the staircase' with council

Landlord loses long-running 'battle of the staircase' with council

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An HMO landlord has lost his appeal against an improvement notice ordering him to update a 'paddle staircase'.

Holiday lets slump in Scotland as regulation bites

Holiday lets slump in Scotland as regulation bites

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The number of short lets in Scotland fell last year as the sector felt the impact of its licensing scheme clampdown.

More tenants using guarantors as competition for homes heats up

More tenants using guarantors as competition for homes heats up

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One in five private renters had to provide a guarantor when moving into their current property - equating to 940,000 households - according to the latest English Housing Survey.

Collapse of firms behind student accommodation scheme blamed on 'over-supply'

Collapse of firms behind student accommodation scheme blamed on 'over-supply'

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Millions owed to a lender by businesses which collapsed due to the oversupply of student accommodation in Newcastle are unlikely to be recovered.

PLANNING: Will this soon be Britain's biggest-ever HMO?

PLANNING: Will this soon be Britain's biggest-ever HMO?

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A private landlord in Kent has submitted plans for what will be the UK’s largest HMO if the scheme gets the go-ahead.

RESEARCH: Smaller properties offering best yields to landlords

RESEARCH: Smaller properties offering best yields to landlords

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Flats and smaller houses make the best buy-to-let investment for landlords, having seen the strongest annual increase in average yield compared with other property types during the past 12 months.

'Pension funds and investment firms will be tomorrow's landlords'

'Pension funds and investment firms will be tomorrow's landlords'

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Traditional private landlords are rapidly being replaced by pension funds and private equity firms seeking to capitalise on the lucrative build-to-rent sector.

Scandal hit social housing REIT winding down

Scandal hit social housing REIT winding down

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Home REIT, the investment trust marketed as the dream scheme to house 10,000 homeless and needy tenants, and a sure-fire investment alternative in property, is folding with extensive debts and legal claims

'HMOs do not deny homes to families and first time buyers'

'HMOs do not deny homes to families and first time buyers'

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A councillor in the North of England has pushed back against unlikely claims that large firms operating HMOs are ‘taking away his town’s family homes’.

ADVICE: '5 simple steps to take your property portfolio to the next level'

ADVICE: '5 simple steps to take your property portfolio to the next level'

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Looking to boost your property portfolio? Below are the five factors you must consider before your next property purchase.

Tribunal slams 'reprehensible' landlord who illegally evicted nurse

Tribunal slams 'reprehensible' landlord who illegally evicted nurse

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A landlord who sub-let an unlicensed HMO, failed to pay thousands of pounds in rent to the owner and illegally evicted a tenant has been handed a £4,872 rent repayment order.

Planners green light first rental homes from John Lewis

Planners green light first rental homes from John Lewis

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John Lewis has finally received the green light to begin its transformation into a build-to-rent landlord after Bromley Council approved its plans for 353 rental homes.

AI firm launches that pairs up tenants with ideal rental properties

AI firm launches that pairs up tenants with ideal rental properties

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A new tech start-up using AI to pair tenants with the most suitable rented homes has been launched.

Former minister who ushered in unpopular 'evictions ban' seeks Tory leadership

Former minister who ushered in unpopular 'evictions ban' seeks Tory leadership

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Former housing secretary Robert Jenrick who brought in the controversial 'evictions ban' during Covid has joined the Conservative party leadership race.

EXCLUSIVE: Senior figures slam ongoing court delays for landlords

EXCLUSIVE: Senior figures slam ongoing court delays for landlords

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Two leading figures from the private rented sector have slammed the ongoing nightmare many landlords are facing when waiting for evictions to pass through the courts.

Shelter calls for radical changes for landlords, but will Labour listen?

Shelter calls for radical changes for landlords, but will Labour listen?

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Shelter has called for indefinite tenancies as well as rent increases restricted to once a year and limited to a rise either in line with inflation or wage growth. 

Is Labour about to give councils full powers to licence landlords?

Is Labour about to give councils full powers to licence landlords?

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Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has hinted heavily that councils will be given powers to introduce large licencing schemes without his approval as part of Labour’s push for greater devolution.

REVEALED: Real cost of making a property energy efficient

REVEALED: Real cost of making a property energy efficient

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While the new Labour government has talked about making rented homes more energy efficient, one company has shone a light on how much it will cost landlords to achieve it.

Lettings agency chiefs call for minimum property standards

Lettings agency chiefs call for minimum property standards

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New minimum standards for rental properties and industry training are needed to improve quality and safety in the PRS, the government has been told.