Redbridge Council in North London has given the go-ahead for a new borough-wide additional HMO licensing scheme. The scheme extends licensing to all HMOs with three or more tenants forming two or more households after the authoritys consultation disco
The Halifax revealed today that house prices have fallen on an annual basis for the first time since December 2012, by 1%. This means the average house value has declined by �132 which may not sound a lot but represents a seismic change after years of ultra-low interest rates p
Property educators are being urged to collaborate, learn, and shape the future of property education at The Property Investors Bureau Property Educators Summit. The invitation-only industry event aims to improve standards, foster collaboration, and add value to their business by
Following our storyhttps://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/breaking-evictions-grind-to-a-halt-as-bailiffs-reduce-workload-over-health-and-safety/" https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/breaking-evictions-grind-to-a-halt-as-bailiffs-reduce-workload-over-health-and-safe
Persistent home working is affecting office occupancy rates and is leading commercial tenants to fail to renew their office leases. Ghost city streets have emerged post pandemic as occupancy rates hit a new low. In the UK it has been reported that these office space rates could
Last year saw worrying housing shortages in a number of university cities in the UK. In Leeds we were turning away larger than usual numbers of students at the back end of the summer as there were simply no rooms available. Even before the proposed changes under thehttp
The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on fair rents and adequate housing within which housing minister Julie James (main picture) reveals she is considering rent controls. The https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/consultations/2023-06/housing-adequ
Airbnb is to share data with the taxman on its hosts earnings going as far back as the 2017-18 financial year, a new warning on its website reveals. The information will help HMRC identify those making money from letting their properties without declaring it, who then face cr
A managing agent who failed to licence a property has had his appeal thrown out by a First Tier Property Tribunal. Taren Lamba tried to convince the judge that he was not in control of the property in Kenwood Road, London (main picture) by insisting that a
Illegal evictions and harassment by rogue landlords are increasing as tenants struggle to pay their rent and some landlords resort to criminal means to remove tenants as the court system falters and some landlords seek to exploit soaring rents, according to Safer Renting. Figure
In the third in a series of blogs for LandlordZONE on rental reform, Sean Hooker , Head of Redress at the https://www.theprs.co.uk/" <em
Prospective tenants flooding into London this summer along with the continued shrinkage in property numbers is set to create one of the most competitive rental markets ever seen. May bank holiday is when many 12-month and 18-month tenancies come to an end, explains Adam
Across the UK nations theres been a rolling programme of rental reform, one new tenancy regime after another, but has any of this really worked for the benefit of tenants or landlords? We dont yet know the final form the Renters (Reform) Bill will take, theres a long wa
A law firm has warned that the looming property portal will be a gold mine for tax investigators who are likely to focus on accidental landlords rather than rogue operators. The new landlord database proposed by the Renters (Reform) Bill could expose those landlords who may - p
A new Home Energy Efficiency Tool promises to help landlords and homeowners make their homes more energy efficient and reduce bills. The Nationwide Building Society initiative aims to provide information about their current energy use and will then outline the cost, energy or ca
Landlords face even longer waits than normal to evict tenants in London after two big landlords were told that bailiff operations are to be suspended for the foreseeable future. This unusual situation has been blamed by officials on now confirmed health and safety reaso
Rent reforms wont work until the real problem of affordable housing waiting lists is addressed, according to leading property expert Kate Faulkner. Although MPs are focusing on the PRS, the housing crisis is nothing to do with the private sector, believes Faulkner, who sugges
Traditional landlords in the Midlands face growing competition as the region looks set to witness a big expansion in the build-to-rent sector. Birmingham led the way nationally in 2021, according to JLL, which reports that of the pipeline of 50,000 BTR homes outside London, 11,3
Despite new research showing that one in four people plan to invest in property to generate retirement income, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's scrapping of the 'lifetime pension fund limit' could dampen demand for BTL property, says Cornerstone Tax. The impact of inflation on savings a
Shelter has slammed the Chancellor for failing to raise Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates in his spring Budget. The homeless charity says Jeremy Hunt could have put an end to spiralling homelessness, but instead, he has stuck his head in the sand. Yet again we
Sunday Times economics editor David Smith has expressed sympathy for private landlords who he believes feel bruised by increasing regulation in the sector. He says higher mortgage rates might be the straw that breaks the camels back for many, with some alrea
First time buyers remain better off owning than renting an equivalent home, Lloyds Bank says, but the gap is narrowing. Its latest Owning vs Renting Review reveals that owning a first home now costs �971 a month, four percent less than renting at �1,013.
The government failed to offer long-term support for energy efficiency improvements or increase the Local Housing Allowance in a Budget which instead focused on getting the country back to work. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt extended support for energy bills at current levels of �2,50
In this in-depth private rented sector legislation special, Eddie and Paul are joined by David Smith, head of property litigation at JMW Solicitors. The discussion kicks off with the recent landmark Rakusen v Jepsen rent repayment order case, where David represented the NRLA and which, he e
Youve made the decision to sell, and beat the market drop and increased costs. But where do you turn? Estate Agents can get you a high price, but theyll take far too long. Auctions can sell super-fast, but you might be compromising on price. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-t
Generation Rent is calling on the government to extend Awaabs Law to the PRS after its survey found 1,106 private rented homes in England with dangerous levels of damp and mould. A Freedom of Information request by the campaign group found that the 65 councils which reported
Eddie Hooker, Chief Executive of insurance company the HFIS Group, has called for action to combat the murky end of the rent-to-rent market. Talking during an video interview with LandlordZONE , Hooker said action was needed to increase transparency w
Nearly two-thirds of private rental properties wont reach proposed minimum EPC levels, according to new research. Data compiled for property data platform LandTech shows that 64% of private rental properties would fail to reach an EPC rating of C or abo
Only landlords with property incomes over £30,000 will now need to comply with HMRC's looming https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-tax-digital/overview-of-making-tax-digital" target="_blank" Making Tax Digital (MTD) https://www
One of Londons leading property management figures has said the Governments plans to abolish section 21 evictions is a sledge hammer to crack a nut and not an effective solution to the issue of bad landlords within the private rented sector. The comments come from An
Landlords in Scotland have been hit with a stamp duty rise as the government strives to raise additional revenue. It announced legislation in the Budget statement to increase the rate of the Additional Dwelling Supplement from 4% to 6% for second home buyers and buy-to-let landl
The Welsh Government wants to know what landlords who operate holiday accommodation in the country think of its proposed regulation of the sector. Following a https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/breaking-labour-and-plaid-cymru-to-jointly-force-through-rent-controls-in-w
In September the Government announced a �2bn plan to offer home insulation grants of up to �5,000 per household in England. This is to be known as the https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-the-green-homes-grant-scheme" target="_blank" Green Homes Grant and has replaced
A landlord whos facing bankruptcy has written to Housing Secretary Michael Gove voicing his frustration that he is not eligible for any cladding funding despite only earning �63 a week from his properties. The landlord, who has BTL interest-only mortgages, has two freehold s
A staggering 85% of letting agents in Scotland report that landlords want to sell up following the governments move to ban evictions and rent increases until next April. Propertymark members in Scotland say that even more worryingly, 68% of agents had already seen an increase
Just 0.2% of private landlords would qualify for full state support to help upgrade their properties under a proposed scheme to get the UKs walls insulated, while 87% would be liable for the full costs. The Economy 2030 Inquiry says simply basing hand-outs on means-tested ben
Gov confirms major tenancy law shake-up: abolishing assured periodic & fixed-term tenancies in favour of universal periodic tenancies.
A couple of weeks ago I was invited by the owners of a build-to-rent development in Wembley to see at first-hand what this emerging kind of rental property looks like in this case a 440-unit just off the A406 called WemLondon . <figure id="" class="w-richtext-fi
Liverpool Council would take almost 150 years to process all its selective licensing applications at the current rate, according to shocking new data, raising questions about its potential to address poor quality housing. Housing bosses told the https://liverpool.gov.uk
Short-term holiday properties will soon face a compulsory national registration scheme after and amendment has been to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill going through parliament. Such a move has been in the offing for several months and follows an initial https://w
The London borough of Greenwich has launched a consultation into renewing its additional licensing scheme. The previous scheme ran from October 2017 and ended in September, and the council now wants landlords and tenants to help it decide whether to start it up again from April
Landlords must ensure they amend the Welsh governments model tenancy agreements or risk eroding their rights, warns a leading property lawyer. Following the introduction of thehttps://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/huge-changes-to-welsh-renting-laws-go-live-today-f
The Government has given buy-to-let landlords two compelling reason to sell-up, and fast: first is the overhaul of the rental rules coming next year, with indefinite tenancies and the end of section 21 evictions, and second comes the eroding of capital gains tax, tax free allowances. <p
New government funding to explore how technology can help dispute resolution could reduce the backlog of court cases, including possession hearings. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has been awarded �119,691 from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial St
Investigations have thrown new light on a series of solar energy investments which failed to switch the lights on for Thurrock Council. Conservative led Thurrock Council has saddled itself with an almost �500 million debt when it tried to bridge a funding gap by taking on risky
In this episode of the property cast, Eddie and Paul are joined by Nigel Lewis - award-winning property journalist and Editor in Chief at LandlordZONE, the most visited landlord news website in the UK. Nigel Lewis is a property writer and editor with a 27-year track record working for nation
In this episode of The Property Cast, Eddie and Paul are joined by Maxine Fothergill, President of the leading membership body for property agents, ARLA Propertymark. The trio discuss the topical issue of rental reform and ROPA, delving into the detail of what lies ahead for age
In this episode of The Property Cast, we discuss the myriad of issues surrounding damp, mould and condensation a common problem for landlords and letting agents alike. To explore this topic, Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme, steps into Eddies sh
Portsmouth is to go ahead with its contested additional licensing scheme but has promised to reward good landlords by charging them a lower licence fee and doing fewer inspections. Landlords had urged their council not to go ahead with plans to extend licensing to about 4,000 th
The long awaited renting reforms first muted in 2019 will be implemented next year, promises Housing Secretary, Michael Gove MP. Admitting that the Government should have moved more quickly� on these reforms to protect tenants following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Mr Gove
A landlord battling to evict his nightmare tenants using a Section 8 order is exasperated that county court bailiffs encouraged them to stay put. The Cumbrian-based landlord had been granted a possession order, but his tenants - on bail for alleged drug offences and owing �3,00
The Government has averted a looming crisis in the HMO sector that would have seen many tenants charged individually for council tax, rather than paying a share of the propertys annual bill. As LandlordZONEhttps://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/exclusive-official-counci
