The government should raise the stamp duty surcharge on BTL purchases to favour those buying their own home, according to a new report from Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). The social change group believes the surcharge should at least double to effectively disincentivise specu
Citizens Advice has urged the government to extend Awaabs law to the PRS to help the estimated 1.6 million children living in damp, mouldy or excessively cold privately rented homes. Awaab Ishtak died aged just two years old after living in a mouldy and
A new survey has downplayed the scale of landlords ready to quit the sector due to heavy-handed government regulations and upcoming legislation. Leaders Romans Groups poll of 271 landlords found that only 7% plan to sell up in the next year while 12% aim to reduce their portf
Nottingham councillors have voted through a contentious additional HMO licensing scheme. The current scheme, covering central areas of the city, will soon come to an end and the council plans to introduce a new citywide scheme in January 2024. It says this would pre
Peers have slammed the governments Boiler Upgrade Scheme for attracting a disappointingly low� take-up of grants. Launched in https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/latest-official-boiler-upgrade-scheme-launches-today-but-is-it-enough/" target="_blank" <stron
A BBC investigation has uncovered a new property rental scam that uses Facebook Marketplace and then fake accommodation booking sites to lure in unsuspecting tenants. Called an advance rent payment scam, a technique that has been around for many years, this version of it is more
The Government has now committed to delivering Awaabs Law in a new amendment to the Social Housing Regulation Bill. But does the Government intend to place the same onus on private landlords, and is this law totally fair? I cant help feeling perplexed as
Landlords in Bradford and Leeds are enjoying the UKs best rental yields, with those in Exeter seeing the largest annual growth last year. Yields have increased by as much as 2.5% in the past 12 months, according to Sirius Property Finance, which reports that as rent values ou
Propertymark is calling for more local authority funding to ensure licensing schemes dont unfairly burden compliant landlords. It says councils scant resources and inadequate staffing levels mean processing licence applications takes longer than it should and hampers their
A reduced supply of luxury rental homes in London is feeding into higher rents, which are now a third higher than before the pandemic, new research has revealed.
Labour MP Tom Hayes has launched a survey to quiz tenants and landlords in his Bournemouth East constituency, in a bid to fix the “broken” rented sector.
Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Dyke has called for WASPI women to be fairly compensated after one of her constituents was evicted.
‘Rentflation’ has cost young people an extra £1,616 on their rent bill in the past year, according to new data from Barclays.
Almost half of all private renters who receive Local Housing Allowance experience a shortfall between their payment and monthly rent, according to new analysis by the NRLA.
Landlords who fail to address damp and mould problems ahead of Awaab’s Law risk legal action, reputational damage, and significant fines, an air quality monitoring firm has warned.
More companies are registered to hold buy-to-let property than for any other type of business as investors seek to reduce their tax burden, new data reveals.
Landlords still have 'plenty of opportunities’ despite interest rates expected to remain on hold this week, a specialist lender has suggested.
The Renters’ Rights Bill could lead to an increase in the number of tenants being asked to provide a guarantor and to further discrimination, charities and campaign groups have warned
The average rent for a property in the UK has hit a historic high of �1,367 a month, helping push void periods between tenancies down to their lowest ever, an average of nine
There is a burning issue within the rented homes market that is grossly unfair on private landlords and that is never discussed by politicians or the trade associations that o
Being ignorant of landlord law is no defence, a brutal legal point that has cost a landlord duo in London dearly after they were told by judges to repay their tenants �12,500
The Governments plans to force landlords to upgrade their properties to a minimum C energy efficiency standard is already affecting how rental properties are being purchased, the boss of a big money firm has claimed. Louisa Sedgwick, Commercial Director at Paragon Bank
The pattern of office working is changing and nowhere is its effect on commercial property being felt more strongly than in Londons Docklands Canary Wharf. A once thriving financial centre The development of the wharf into a thriving financial centre just outsi
Michael Gove has given Nottingham city council the green light to proceed with one of the UKs most expensive and controversial selective licensing schemes. Due to start on December 1st, it will require all rented properties within 20 of its wards to be licenc
A leading lender believes the governments likely decision to row back on EPCs is linked to fears that it will hit an already struggling PRS. Earlier this week, Housing Secretary Michael Gove suggested a delay in bringing in energy efficiency plans for rental properties to
Home buying company the Open Property Group (OPG) has reported a 56% jump in PRS property purchases during the past year, with landlords blaming red tape for their decision to sell up. It bought nearly �6 million worth of property from homeowners and landlords looking for a fas
Three tenants have won a �20,160 rent repayment order from their landlord who failed to licence his HMO. A First Tier Property Tribunal found that Simon Freed let out the three-bedroom flat in Frognal Court, Camden (main picture), a
The Scottish Government has decided not to publish details of how many landlords north of the border have applied to raise their rent above the 3% maximum allowed under the countrys Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act. This controversial legislation was first in
Sub-letting is on the increase within the private rented sector as the cost of living crisis bites, it has been reported. Direct Line says nearly half of all tenants who sublet rooms within their property have not told their landlord or checked they are allowed to within their r
Brent Council is paying a landlord to house the tenant he was trying to evict after failing to come up with any alternative accommodation. The authority paid the legal fees and took over responsibility for paying the rent as long as the landlord continued to let his tenant stay
T The UKs build-to-rent (BTR) stock now stands at 88,100 completed homes, with a further 53,500 homes under construction and 111,800 in the planning pipeline. Savills research reveals that in the second quarter of the year, the sector saw a record-breaking �1.26
Landlords in Birmingham have slammed the citys new selective licensing scheme which some claim is unfairly targeting ethnic communities. The scheme, which took effect at the beginning of June, affects all landlords in 25 of the citys wards which have more than 20% of rente
Be careful what you wish for� is the point I would put to organisations such as Shelter, Generation Rent and other tenant groups. In other words, stop demonising landlords - its not helping the situation especially when we have such a severe rental stock crisis.&
Theyve been dubbed fireproof tenants� news this week reached fever pitch for landlords who rallied together in outrage to hear that multiple local councils had advised tenants not to move out of their houses� no matter what, even if the landlord was in financial difficulty
More than half of all homes in the private rented sector need upgrading to achieve an EPC band C by 2028, with landlords facing a total estimated bill of �30 billion at a time when many are struggling to cover their costs. About 2.9 million properties are affected, with costs f
Rental properties in the North West are each attracting an average of 30 viewing requests as competition among prospective tenants grows more intense. Data commissioned by the BBC from Rightmove shows an average of 20 requests to view each available property in Britain, up from
In a sign that the Renters (Reform) Bill is annoying many and pleasing few, charities and pro-tenant groups have today joined forces to slam the legislation for being too weak. The https://rentersreformcoalition.co.uk/" target="_blank" Renters Ref
The Government has rowed back on its commitment to phase out all gas boilers in rented homes by 2035 following comments by Michael Gove. Talking tohttps://www.thetimes.co.uk/radio/schedule" https://www.thetimes.co.uk/radio/schedule" target="_blank" i
A big South East counciil hopes to introduce a big selective licencing scheme for private landlords which would cover all PRS homes. Medway, which is a unitary authority covering a large swathe of Kent including Rochester and Gillingham, has seen those renting in the private ren
Ditching leaseholds is 'entirely possible' although some flat owners still arent convinced about moving across to commonhold, a government report has concluded. It explains that while reaching a point at which most existing flats are owned without a third-party landlord or ar
More than 5,400 homes in Islington now need a licence under Islington Councils new selective licensing scheme. Landlords in Finsbury Park, Tollington and Hillrise wards are affected, where properties are blighted with poor conditions, according to council enforcement of
Landlords are being encouraged to share their thoughts on government plans to make it easier to convert larger department stores, space above shops and offices. As part of Housing Secretary Michael Goves announcement on https://www.landlo
The UK property market has undoubtedly seen a tumultuous period since the end of 2022. Fluctuating statistics, record-breaking demand, falling supply, and concerning economic projections have left many scratching their heads and wondering: https://www.rw-inv
