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
Landlords have increasingly fewer BTL mortgages to choose from as lenders withdraw products amid a rise in average fixed rates. Moneyfacts reports that since the beginning of last week, the number available has dropped from 2,748 deals to 2,343 while the average rate on two- and
A rogue landlord has lost a landmark case after she failed to convince an Upper Tribunal to overturn her banning order. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63bef2f3c329eff8e3a4af45/64cb99f6e035517f
Landlords in Scotland face further pain after it was announced today that it will for a second time extend the rent cap and evictions freeze first introduced in October last year to help combat rising inflation. The measures within the Cost of Living (Tenant Protec
The burgeoning build-to-rent (BTR) sector has been warned not to rest on its laurels as new research reveals slipping customer service standards. Consultancy hereSAYs BTR Mystery Shopping Benchmark Report found that although the developments still prese
Propertymark says Scotlands emergency legislation is alienating landlords, discouraging investment, inhibiting supply, and causing rents to rise faster. It reports that while most landlords cant evict tenants following the Cost of Living Act extension, those with tenancies
Labour's Lisa Nandy proposes a mortgage guarantee scheme to help first-time buyers and limit landlord purchases, aiming to boost homeownership.
Britains demented war on landlords has already backfired�, says Daily Telegraph columnist Matthew Lynn, and There is no sign whatsoever that the Government realises it is to blame,� he says. Furthermore Mr Lynn says that the chaos in the rental market
A void energy solution and switching service for 'end of tenancy' promises to trim pounds from landlords bills. Empty rental properties incur a range of standing charges that average between 10p and 80p per day for electricity and from 5p to 60p per day for gas, averaging out
Landlords should do their homework before voting in the local elections next week and take the chance to quiz candidates on issues affecting the PRS, advises Leaders Romans Group (LRG). It points to a number of pressing local issues which can be determined
Landlords have until 1st June to comply with the new and relatively convoluted Rented Homes Wales legislation following its introduction last December. Under the new law, standard contracts have replaced assured shorthold tenancies a
Companies selling multi-occupancy insurance will have to act in leaseholders best interests under new proposals from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It is demanding new rights and protections to improve the transparency of the multi-occupancy leasehold buildings insura
Jersey has launched a consultation into sweeping reforms including rent controls and open-ended tenancies, prompting fears that they could force more private landlords to quit the sector. The islands government aims to increase protections for both tenants and landlords
A new law to crack down on predatory landlords who exploit vulnerable people for sex in return for free or discounted rent is being considered, Home Secretary Suella Braverman (main picture) has announced. Her department is seeking the views of victims, the police and charities
A dog-owning tenant has launched a legal challenge against her freeholder which could result in parting with her pets or the leasehold. The womans partner moved into her property five years ago with three small dogs and admitted this to the freeholder. It then sent her a
A tech professional who is also a landlord has launched what she believes to be the ideal solution to the impasse between landlords who won’t take tenants with pets, and the estimated 7.6 million tenants in the UK who want to live with their cats or dogs.
Landlords and agents must make sure they dont come a cropper deciding what constitutes a single household when vetting HMO tenants in an age of polyamorous relationships, warns a top property lawyer. While the legal definition of a household can be explained quickly, re
Just over a quarter of a billion pounds has been clawed back from landlords since HMRC's Let Property campaign began eight years ago, it has been revealed. The latest figure for the campaign were revealed by Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jesse Norman in response to a writt
With private rentals and holiday homes in high demand, many due to Covid and holiday staycations, some councils are offering landlords some very attractive incentives, dubbed golden hellos� of up to �3,500. Some councils have been offering private landlords and second home
A landlord who was hauled up on minor maintenance issues has been refused an HMO licence by Glasgow City Council. Khurshid Begum told its licensing and regulatory committee that he had sorted all the problems at his property in Grant Street, Hillhead, but councillors would still
The UK Government has identified that homes across the UK contribute about 1/5 of all carbon emissions from the country. In order for the UK to reach its ambitious carbon neut
As a landlord, your life is far from idle as you work hard to find new tenants, manage your current ones, do the admin, find reliable tradespeople and much more.<br>Faced with
House building giant Barratt has revealed what it claims to be the future of UK housing a 37 sq metre one-bedroom apartment for sale at �285,000. The 160 initial Smrt homes are within the companys huge Eastman Village development in Harrow, North London where event
A national rogue tenant register to combat the issue of renters trashing properties and leaving landlords out of pocket could be open to abuse, a leading expert has warned. Sean Hooker, head of redress at the https://www.theprs.co.uk/" target="_blank" <strong id="
August got off to an unsettled and changeable start this year, with heavy rain and flooding in many parts of the UK. But the long-range weather forecast is now predicting warmer than usual conditions in late August, and potentially even a heat wave, with temperatures set to soar across some
Rent Smart Wales is challenging letting agents and landlords over the widespread practice of charging student tenants summer retainer fees which it claims are unlawful under Welsh legislation. It says a retainer is an additional fee which is unlawful under the Renting Home
Owners (landlords) of commercial (business) premises and sometimes residential premises want to let to a tenant on a short term basis, but are fearful of creating a long-term arrangement such that the tenant cannot be removed if the landlord wants it.Basically, there are three ways to do that whi
When it comes to owning a buy-to� let property, the decision as to whether to use an agent or not is a big one. It is estimated that more than half of landlords self-manage their rental properties, believing it to be the best way to maintain control over who lives there and how
Commercial investments produce an average yield of 10.7% while residential properties offer just 3.7%, new research has claimed. Scotland is home to the highest commercial yield at 20.4%, along with the South West (13.7%), while Scotland is also where investors can find the high
While the cost of renting continues to increase across the UK, the Government continues to grapple with the issue of making renting more accessible and secure, especially for
NRLA calls for urgent government support to address rent arrears and court backlogs, proposing interest-free loans and grants to sustain tenancies.
Especially at a time like this, in the middle of a pandemic, when good commercial tenants are hard to find, landlords dread the time when a lease comes to an end, or their tenant goes into administration. When a commercial landlord loses a tenant, not only do they lose regular r
The government is pouring �13m into a homelessness reduction initiative to fund long-term accommodation for prison leavers in the private rented sector. More than 140 councils across England will share out the cash to pay for landlord incentives and loans for rent deposits, spe
We know that households across the UK will need to adopt a low carbon alternative to traditional heating solutions such as oil, gas, coal or wood burning in the future. Air source or geothermal ground source heat pumps are being touted as just such an alternative to help the UK
During these difficult times many tenants have found themselves in the position of wanting to divest themselves of surplus property, to reduce rental commitments by ending a lease agreement before it full term has expired. Perhaps the only way of doing this from the tenants p
Landlords who own leasehold properties in low and medium-rise apartment blocks affected by the cladding scandal will no longer have to supply an EWS1 form when selling or remortgaging their properties, the government has announced. Thousands of landlords who have been unable to
Spiralling fraud and overpayments in the benefits system now stand at the highest rate ever recorded, admits the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), as it identifies housing payments as an area of concern. Housing benefit fraud is particularly rife after the pandemic resulted
The private rented sector wont meet new energy efficiency targets unless the government stumps up more cash for any replacement to the Green Homes Grant, it has been claimed. Latest https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-housing-survey-2019-to-2020-private-
Bury Council in Manchester has adopted new measures to fine landlords up to �30,000 if their properties dont meet the recently-introduced electrical safety standards. Although the standards came into force in June 2020, they had not been adopted and implemented by the counci
