Michael Gove, arguable the best housing secretary for some years, has been sacked from his job after joining a chorus of Tory cabinet ministers calling on the PM to resign. During a fast-moving day in politics which has seen over 40 MPs quit the government or withdraw their supp
Welsh government leaders have revealed radical plans to licence holiday lets in a bid to get tough on the causes of long-term rental shortages. The region is to introduce a cap on the number of second and holiday homes while bringing in measures to put more homes into common own
HMO landlords face paying thousands of pounds for https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/safety-peer-asks-why-private-landlords-must-do-electrical-checks-when-social-ones-are-exempt/" electrical equipment when new regulations kick in later this year. An amendment
Manchester aims to double the size of its selective licensing scheme by adding another 1,884 properties in eight areas. The council has given it the go-ahead to the https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/manchester-mayor-vows-to-launch-1-5m-landlord-licensing-across-city/"
Owners of second homes in many coastal and holiday locations could face a ban on renting using lettings websites like Airbnb. Tourist hotspots such as coastal towns in Cornwall and Devon are particularly affected. Communities being eroded In many of these towns, loca
Brighton and Hove has its sights set on being the first city to slap a ban on second homes and holiday lets. The Green-controlled council is looking to clamp down on landlords profiting from the staycation boom amid fears that the rapid growth has impacted on the availability of
Prepare for the Leasehold Reform Act on 30 June: what landlords need to know about new ground rent rules and leasehold fairness.
The long-awaited Government White Paper, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1083378/A_fairer_private_rented_sector_web_accessible.pdf" target="_blank" A Fairer Private Rented Sector ,
According to recent research buy property agents Hamptons International, for the last 11 months its been cheaper to buy a home with a 10% deposit than rent. This is because to rental growth was tearing away before and mortgage rates were near their record lows. In May this ye
Abolishing fixed-term tenancies risks ruining the student rental market, warns leading provider of major housing contraction.
Thousands of landlords have vowed to switch to short-term lets when Section 21 notices are abolished, a new survey has found. Assist Inventories study of 10,000 landlords and letting agents revealed that 45% plan to move away from long-term tenancies while 41% said they might
The new Building Regulations and accompanying technical upgrade to the SAP assessment methodology ask for a completely different way of measuring the energy performance of many buildings, giving a market boost to those properties with higher EPC ratings. Effective from last week
A landlord too terrified to reveal her name has warned others to conduct more regular property checks after she unwittingly rented her house to a drug-dealing gang for years. The North London-based landlord has had the same tenants since 2005 but only discovered their illegal ac
New research reveals how adult tenants cause as much damage as pets in rental properties and that for smaller landlords, animal damage costs less to repair. The survey of 537 landlords and lettings agents found 85% have experienced both kinds of damage while only 29% of landlord
A landlord has given evidence in the Sebastian Kalinowski murder trial, who died at his home in Huddersfield. Prosecutors allege his mother Agnieszka Kalinowska, 35, and her partner Andrzej Latoszewski, 36, subjected him to a campaign of abuse before his death in August 2021.</p
Houses with off-road parking space will not only command a higher sale price, the rental value will also be boosted as more people buy electric cars. Surge in EV sales The electric vehicle (EV) market is booming, which will inevitably have its impact on property pric
Landlord leaders criticise Renters Reform White Paper, highlighting flaws and concerns over proposed legislation and its impact on the sector.
HMRC has named and shamed 26 property tax dodgers who collectively tried to avoid paying more than �6.7 million. The deliberate tax defrauders earned income from either rental property, property developing or property tax advising, and have all been investigated and fined for e
A report in The Guardian newspaper says that the Surge in no-fault evictions prompts calls to renew UK-wide ban,� on section 21 evictions that is, as was the case during the Covid pandemic. Tenants were protected from being removed during lockdown - how
Business rates revaluations are scheduled at certain times, but if these occur during period of high inflation the new fix could put businesses and commercial landlords at risk. Though business tenants are liable to pay business rates, landlords should be concerned because they
Labour's Lisa Nandy criticises landlords, pledges reforms to shift balance towards social housing and empower renters.
A Uttoxeter-based landlord, Gunes Ata, aged 47, has been successfully prosecuted by Sheffield City Council for repeatedly failing to provide his leaseholder tenants with the detailed information they are entitled to when presented with their service charges. Mr Ata, who owns She
Kwasi Kwarteng failed to deliver the hoped-for repeal of Section 24 in his mini-Budget but confirmed a permanent cut in stamp duty. The chancellor raised the threshold before stamp duty is paid to �250,000 and for first-time buyers, to �425,000 - cuts universally panned by mor
Fire doors and fire door safety are key elements in the Government's drive to improve fire safety post-Grenfell.
Landlords have been offered a glimmer of hope by the new Prime Minister whos hinted that shes not adverse to considering the repeal of Section 24. https://www.nrla.org.uk/" target="_blank" NRLA boss Ben Beadle n
Landlords have slammed the Governments new plans to force HMO landlords who operate all inclusive rental properties to pass on the �400 rebate being made available via the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS). This announcement is an abrupt U-turn previously Minister
The MP replacing Eddie Hughes at the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is Lee Rowley. This 42-year-old MP and Leave voter, who was elected to parliament by the constituents of North East Derbyshire in 2017 following his two unsuccessful bids in other co
The rate at which rents have been rising has increased across the UK to record levels, official figures reveal today.
A group representing letting agents has slammed the chaotic growth of the private rented sector in recent years, calling for radical changes to solve the rental housing crisis this has created.
All Jersey’s landlords will need a licence from the beginning of next month after the Island’s government launched a scheme to improve standards in the PRS.
Average rent arrears owed by tenants to landlords have climbed by 27% so far this year, new data reveals.
The government has urged the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to review the boiler supply market amid fears that a lack of competition is leading to higher prices.
Evictions expert Paul Shamplina has called for a rogue tenant database to be established, pointing out that bad letting agents and landlords face being named and shamed via official schemes, but tenants do not.
Rental reform campaigners have staged a protest outside Michael Gove’s official residence in central London, calling on the housing secretary to implement his promised Section 21 evictions ban.
More than 84,000 households have been put at risk of homelessness due to no-fault evictions since 2019, renting campaigners have claimed.
As we enter April it’s been a mixed bag for landlords, with many “nervous" landlords looking to sell amidst a growing apprehension of market conditions and general elections.
A leading businessman has entered the political fray with a book in which he lays out his ideas on how to solve the housing crisis including planning and rental market reform.
An HMO landlord who added another storey on his property to squeeze in more tenants has been ordered to pay £26,535 for breaching numerous safety rules.
HMOs are becoming more popular among landlords as many turn to them as a ‘surer bet’ than other types of rental property in a time of economic uncertainty, it has been claimed.
Voters say the ongoing housing crisis tops the list of key priorities that need to be addressed by the current and incoming government, according to renters in a SpareRoom poll.
Property portal could cut red tape and free up funds to tackle rogue landlords by replacing expensive licensing requirements.
New research among landlords reveals that although a majority are adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach to the Government’s looming renting reforms, it’s the changes to pets rules and evictions that are troubling them the most.
Private landlords considering a move to limited company ownership of their rented properties are being urged by the NRLA to use its latest partner service.
Landlord fined £8,471 for renting unsafe HMO with dangerous wiring, no fire safety, and serious structural issues.
Five fraudsters who stole £53.9 million in a huge benefits scam used false tenancy agreements to help them make claims.
The Local Government Association (LGA) has urged Minister to ignore rebel MPs’ calls for selective licencing to be replaced by the looming Landlord Portal.
The number of landlords instructing agents to rent properties has declined for a second quarter in a row, fuelling ongoing worries that the Government’s ‘anti-buy-to-let’ mood music is disrupting the market.
A landlord who blamed her agent and tenants for not telling her about a selective licensing scheme has been hit with a £10,572 rent repayment order.
If you are involved with Furnished Holiday Lets you are probably be aware by now that there are far reaching tax changes coming - what to do about them?
Total fines for London’s rogue landlords and agents have topped £10 million since the rogue landlord database launched in 2017.
Private landlords face a significant increase in competition from corporate operators within the rented sector as investors reveal a £17 billion, 60,000-home building programme concentrated on the South and Midlands.
It’s almost inevitable that court fees will have to rise considerably, and probably sooner than 2025/6 unless alternative funding is added direct from the Treasury, according to property lawyer David Smith.
