Date

Library

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Beware using WhatsApp to discuss rental contracts, warns lawyer

Beware using WhatsApp to discuss rental contracts, warns lawyer

News

A property lawyer has warned that landlords might fail to realise their tenant has given notice after a court ruled that a WhatsApp exchange was sufficient to create a contract.

CLAIM: Fees ban has saved tenants £1bn and 'didn't push up rents'

CLAIM: Fees ban has saved tenants £1bn and 'didn't push up rents'

News

Private renters in England have saved nearly £1 billion in letting agent fees since the 2019 Tenant Fees Act, research by Generation Rent has found.

Student HMO landlords face tenancies-in-advance 'crunch' this November

Student HMO landlords face tenancies-in-advance 'crunch' this November

News

One of the UK’s leading student lettings agencies has pointed out a huge ‘crunch point’ for HMO landlords when the Renters’ Rights Bill goes live later this year.

Landlords to raise rents when reform restrictions go live

Landlords to raise rents when reform restrictions go live

News

New poll shows landlords are planning to raise rents in response to new restrictions within the looming Renters' Rights Bil.

BLOG: 'Tenants and landlords will see harder times when section 21 is abolished'

BLOG: 'Tenants and landlords will see harder times when section 21 is abolished'

News

Property lawyer Ian Narbeth takes a detailed but scathing look at Labour's looming Renters' Rights Bill and predicts there is trouble ahead.

London politician calls for action against rogue landlords

London politician calls for action against rogue landlords

News

Comments have been made after residents at a property that was illegally converted into 11 bedsit flats remain worried about its condition.

Landlord trio sell portfolio for £22m citing 'complex renting environment'

Landlord trio sell portfolio for £22m citing 'complex renting environment'

News

Three landlord brothers have had a whopping £22 million pay day after selling their property portfolio to an investment trust.

EXPERT: Renting reforms will make 'horrendous housing crisis' worse

EXPERT: Renting reforms will make 'horrendous housing crisis' worse

News

A leading property expert says the UK is heading for a “horrendous housing crisis” that could worsen with the advent of the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Social housing in crisis as tenants’ complaints go through the roof

Social housing in crisis as tenants’ complaints go through the roof

News

New report from the Housing Ombudsman shows complaints about substandard living conditions in social housing in England are five times higher than they were five years ago

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Likely cost of EPC upgrades for rental properties revealed by Government

Likely cost of EPC upgrades for rental properties revealed by Government

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Energy efficiency improvement costs for most private rental homes work out at between �5,000 and �9,999 (46%), while almost a third (30%) could be improved for under �5,000, according to the latest government analysis. At the other end of the scale, 19% of homes would cost be

Higher mortgage rates driving more landlords to request rent guarantors

Higher mortgage rates driving more landlords to request rent guarantors

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords hit by mortgage rate hikes are demanding guarantors from increasing numbers of high earning tenants. Many tenants are seeing a greater proportion of their take-home pay go towards rent so are having to provide the additional security of a guarantor when signing new agr

Influential Labour group says tougher eviction rules needed to tackle poverty

Influential Labour group says tougher eviction rules needed to tackle poverty

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords should be prevented from serving an eviction notice for at least the first year of a tenancy, in the case of repossession for selling or occupying the property, according to a new report from the Fabian Society. The independent left-leaning

Rents soar as agents report rising tenant demand but landlord slump

Rents soar as agents report rising tenant demand but landlord slump

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Governments housing policies are coming home to roost as tenant demand continues to soar but the number of landlords advertising new properties to rent plummets, it has been revealed. RICS says that during June it found significantly more members (a net balance increase o

NEW: Big London borough brings in tighter HMO conversion rules for landlords

NEW: Big London borough brings in tighter HMO conversion rules for landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords in one of London's biggest boroughs now need planning permission to convert family homes into HMOs for three to six tenants. After a year-long pilot and consultation with residents, the London Borough of Hounslow (main picture) has made its borough-wide A

Mortgage woes spark surge in landlords selling portfolios

Mortgage woes spark surge in landlords selling portfolios

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords with portfolios of 20 properties or more are making up the bulk of enquiries about selling to the Landlord Sales Agency. Despite reports that smaller landlords with one or two properties will be hardest hit by current market conditions, the firm has one landlord client

Housing chief tries to reassure landlords over looming eviction changes

Housing chief tries to reassure landlords over looming eviction changes

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Government officials have reassured private landlords that judges will be able to consider a wider range of behaviours before using their judicial discretion in ASB eviction cases. Giving evidence to the Levelling Up Housing and Communities Committee into

Landlords face losses amid soaring mortgage rates

Landlords face losses amid soaring mortgage rates

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Almost 250,000 BTL landlords face refinancing losses as borrowing rates near 7%, says Daily Telegraph.

Renting reform bill progress unlikely until much later this year, admits minister

Renting reform bill progress unlikely until much later this year, admits minister

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Governments Renters Reform Bill is unlikely to make progress through parliament until much later this year, housing minister Rachel Maclean has admitted. Maclean was unable to confirm when the bill would get a second reading during a Q&A with MPs from the Levelling Up

Police swoop during dawn raid on 'slavery' HMO

Police swoop during dawn raid on 'slavery' HMO

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A dawn police raid on an overcrowded Coventry HMO has prompted an investigation into potential slavery and immigration issues.

More woes for City-backed landlord that houses homeless

More woes for City-backed landlord that houses homeless

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Home REIT - a City-backed investment trust providing affordable homes for homeless people and prison leavers – has taken back 600 properties from a charity landlord.

Leading landlord warns over property portal proposals

Leading landlord warns over property portal proposals

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

One of the key provisions of the Renters (Reform) Bill was the provision of a portal to register all landlords. In effect a licencing system for every landlord in England and Wales and something Labour has said it would like to resurrect if it wins the General Election.

£45 billion! Report champions economic contribution of landlords

£45 billion! Report champions economic contribution of landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A report published today attempts to counter the ‘anti-landlord’ rhetoric that has gathered pace in the UK recently by revealing that the private rented sector supports some 390,000 jobs and makes a £45 billion contribution to its economy.

Short-lets licencing in Scotland has been 'disastrous' says Tory MSP

Short-lets licencing in Scotland has been 'disastrous' says Tory MSP

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A Conservative MSP has slammed Scotland’s short lets licensing scheme for its negative impact on thousands of businesses.

FIVE housing ministers to quit, but which one nailed the job?

FIVE housing ministers to quit, but which one nailed the job?

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Five former housing ministers are among the 77 Conservative MPs standing down at the next election, leaving behind a mixed legacy.

Rugby star launches letting agency for landlords

Rugby star launches letting agency for landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Welsh rugby star Gareth Davies is trying his hand at a career in lettings as he considers life after playing for the national team.

COMMENT: What has gone wrong, when a typical buy-to-let landlord makes a loss?

COMMENT: What has gone wrong, when a typical buy-to-let landlord makes a loss?

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Tom Entwistle asks the question, what’s gone wrong with the buy-to-let market, why has government policy been so much against it?

Social tenants pay £847 a month less in rent than private ones

Social tenants pay £847 a month less in rent than private ones

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Social rents are 64% more affordable than private rents, with social tenants in England paying about £828 less each month than private tenants, according to new analysis by Shelter.

John Lewis tells next Government to take lead on build-to-rent

John Lewis tells next Government to take lead on build-to-rent

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

John Lewis has urged future governments to develop a clear national strategy around the need for build-to-rent developments.

Landlord fined for squeezing tenants into illegal HMO

Landlord fined for squeezing tenants into illegal HMO

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A rogue landlord has been ordered to pay more than £23,000 after he admitted operating an unlicensed and unsafe HMO.

'We won't give up' vows pets campaigner as renting reforms axed

'We won't give up' vows pets campaigner as renting reforms axed

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A pet activist has pledged to continue her fight for tenants’ right to keep pets following the demise of the Renters (Reform) Bill.

Total Property launches innovative new platform for mydeposits

Total Property launches innovative new platform for mydeposits

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Leading private rented sector expert, Total Property, has launched an innovative new platform for its mydeposits custodial scheme members this week.

SW landlords invited to join Paul Shamplina live in Bristol

SW landlords invited to join Paul Shamplina live in Bristol

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords in and around Bristol are invited to join TV star Paul Shamplina this Thursday, 30th May for an educational seminar run by leading estate agency Andrews.

Are you? Half of landlords worried about a Labour government

Are you? Half of landlords worried about a Labour government

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

More than 40% of landlords are still undecided about who to vote for in the upcoming general election, while nearly half have concerns over a potential change in government.

Gove quits parliament, but what did he do for landlords?

Gove quits parliament, but what did he do for landlords?

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Michal Gove will leave the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities having seen his Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill make it onto the statute book.

Landlord banned for three years from renting properties

Landlord banned for three years from renting properties

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A rogue landlord who let his tenant sleep in a bike store and rented out a crumbling property has been banned from letting houses in England for three years.

Tribunal publishes decision in dispute between tenant and agent

Tribunal publishes decision in dispute between tenant and agent

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A letting agent investigated by the BBC following complaints about the management of a student HMO in Salford has lost his appeal against expulsion from his industry’s trade association.

Councils issue record number of HMO licences

Councils issue record number of HMO licences

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

An increase in licensing schemes pushed the number of HMO licences issued in England up to a record-breaking 27,177 last year.

Dismay as renting reforms finally hit the buffers

Dismay as renting reforms finally hit the buffers

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Renters (Reform) Bill has been abandoned and must now go back to the drawing board after years of uncertainty and political wrangling.

South West properties see strongest tenant demand

South West properties see strongest tenant demand

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Eight in 10 landlords are reporting strong levels of tenant demand, Paragon Bank research has revealed.

All for nothing? General election 'death knell for Tories' renting reforms'

All for nothing? General election 'death knell for Tories' renting reforms'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Renters (Reform) Bill is almost dead in the water following the announcement of a 4th July general election which probably won’t leave time for it to become law before Parliament is dissolved next Thursday.

Comment: The Labour Party is at odds with itself over rent controls, just how effective are they?

Comment: The Labour Party is at odds with itself over rent controls, just how effective are they?

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The threat of rent control still lingers, despite Labour claiming the party policy goes against it, landlords still leaving...

Experts pour cold water on Welsh rent controls plans

Experts pour cold water on Welsh rent controls plans

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Welsh Government should reinforce existing legislation, remove barriers to building more adequate homes and improve how it collects data instead of bringing rent controls into the housing debate, according to Propertymark.

Northern Mayor vows to seize properties from rogue landlords

Northern Mayor vows to seize properties from rogue landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

New North East mayor Kim McGuinness has vowed to seize properties from irresponsible landlords as part of her plan to stand up for renters.