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First look: Renters’ Rights Bill promises sweeping changes

First look: Renters’ Rights Bill promises sweeping changes

News

First look at the Renters (Reform) Bill: groundbreaking tenant protections, streamlined landlord redress & flexible ‘pets-in-lets’ rules.

Purplebricks sold to rival for �1 after senior team throw in the towel

Purplebricks sold to rival for �1 after senior team throw in the towel

News

Purplebricks, which at one stage was used by thousands of landlords to manage their properties, has announced that its assets and business are to be sold to rival Strike for �1, pending approval by its shareholders. Any funds remaining in the firm some �5.5 million are

Gove's plan to ease HMO rules for asylum accommodation

Gove's plan to ease HMO rules for asylum accommodation

News

Michael Gove approves relaxed HMO rules for asylum seeker housing, exempting safety standards and licensing; critics warn of potential exploitation.

BLOG: 'Reform bill will solve the problem of pet damage for landlords'

BLOG: 'Reform bill will solve the problem of pet damage for landlords'

News

The long-awaited Renters (Reform) Bill will finally be introduced in parliament after Prime Minister's Questions today. Setting out plans for 12 key reforms to the private rental sector, the 11th pledge - to give tenants the right in law to request a pet, which should not be unr

Agents who lack licencing law know-how 'putting landlords at risk'

Agents who lack licencing law know-how 'putting landlords at risk'

News

Agents lacking landlord licensing know‑how put landlords at risk — vital compliance gaps exposed.

Opinion: does Michael Gove know something we don't?

Opinion: does Michael Gove know something we don't?

Opinion

It would seem that successive Tory governments have waged an ongoing and progressively more vicious war on buy-to-let landlords, but this latest layer of legislation goes much further. Yes, this latest iteration, and one thats https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/1768/s

EXTRA red tape, scams and repairs drive more landlords to use agencies

EXTRA red tape, scams and repairs drive more landlords to use agencies

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Almost two thirds (63%) of private landlords who manage their own properties are tired of sorting out repairs and dealing with red tape and considering using a letting agency or property manager instead.  A Uswitch poll of 2,000 landlords found that the most common reason t

Labour targets landlords with new housing reforms

Labour targets landlords with new housing reforms

News

Labour pledges stricter Decent Homes Standard 2 for private landlords, raising property quality and accountability ahead of next general election.

Starmer 'set to U-turn on rent controls' as London Mayor pleads for more powers

Starmer 'set to U-turn on rent controls' as London Mayor pleads for more powers

News

Keir Starmer is set to rebuff previous calls by London mayor Sadiq Khan to bring in a rent freeze, it has been reported. Khan has been banging his rent freeze drum for months now as the cost-of-living crisis has hit many tenants personal finances, telling the BBC in Oct

'Disaster' renting reform bill to enter parliament tomorrow after PMQs

'Disaster' renting reform bill to enter parliament tomorrow after PMQs

News

The much-delayed Renters Reform Bill is rumoured to be getting its first reading tomorrow after Prime Ministers Questions, although the 'full meat' of the proposals will come later. Rumoured to be renamed the Rented Homes Bill or Renters (Reform) Bill, landlords are waitin

BREAKING: Renters (Reform) Bill to get first airing after PMQs today

BREAKING: Renters (Reform) Bill to get first airing after PMQs today

News

The Government is to finally introduce its long-delayed renting reforms into parliament later today following Prime Ministers Questions (PMQs) in the Commons. The Bill, which is to be called the Renters (Reform) Bill, will get its first reading just aft

Third of tenants turning to credit to fund tenancy deposits - claim

Third of tenants turning to credit to fund tenancy deposits - claim

News

A tenancy deposit affordacility crisis is looming as new data reveals that nearly a third of renters are borrowing money to pay for them, new research shows. The poll of 1,000 tenants reveals how they are using credit cards, personal loans, overdrafts and family loans to scrape

Tech firm gets public cash to help portfolio landlords improve energy efficiency

Tech firm gets public cash to help portfolio landlords improve energy efficiency

News

Proptech company Propflo is working with BTL mortgage lenders to help portfolio landlords make their properties more energy efficient. It has been given a grant by Innovate UK to encourage lenders to explore initiatives such as encouraging retrofitting in their products, creatin

NEW: Government promises crack-down on dodgy rent-to-rent operators

NEW: Government promises crack-down on dodgy rent-to-rent operators

News

The government has vowed to crack down on dodgy rent-to-rent landlords who flout housing laws. Housing Minister Baroness Scott of Bybrook (pictured) says it is aware of concerns that some rent-to-rent arrangements have sometimes been used to make it more difficult to identify la

Average rent now 25% higher than before Covid says leading agency

Average rent now 25% higher than before Covid says leading agency

News

Rents on newly-let homes have increased by 25% across the UK since the start of Covid, costing the average tenant an extra �2,962 each year. Hamptons reports that rents rose 11% year-on-year, with April marking the second strongest month for rental growth on record.&nbsp; <p

Signs of a turnaround in the UK construction industry...

Signs of a turnaround in the UK construction industry...

News

Construction activity is continuing to grow in the UK. Thats according to the April S&amp;P Global / CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers Index� (PMI), as reported by PCBToday, a Construction, Planning and Building Control portal. Construction companies in the UK the

Renting reforms will be a damp squib and we 'need a proper reset', say experts

Renting reforms will be a damp squib and we 'need a proper reset', say experts

News

Leading property sector figure Kate Faulkner (pictured) has called for a reset of the private rented sector, away from ineffective rules and regulations. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63bef2f

NEW: Number of landlords planning to sell up hits RECORD high, new poll finds

NEW: Number of landlords planning to sell up hits RECORD high, new poll finds

News

The number of landlords planning to sell their rented properties has reached its highest level ever, according to new research. BVA-BDRC, commissioned by the NRLA, found that during the first three months of this year a third of 700 private landlords in England and Wales that it

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Thousands of landlords affected by sale of struggling digital lettings agency

Thousands of landlords affected by sale of struggling digital lettings agency

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Thousands of landlords whose properties are managed by a leading online letting platform are to see their property management firm change hands after Howsy revealed it is to be acquired by a major high street lettings agency. Launched in 2016 originally as No Agent

Commercial property energy upgrades could cost over �30bn

Commercial property energy upgrades could cost over �30bn

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The road to net zero is paved with additional costs for Britain, not least the amount of money it will take to upgrade commercial property, in the industrial alone. Achieving grade B� ratings under the 2030 Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) requirements for the UK

LATEST: Infamous rogue landlord and three associates are banned for five years

LATEST: Infamous rogue landlord and three associates are banned for five years

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Camden Council has handed out banning orders to four rogue landlords for letting an unlicensed and unsafe home in Kilburn. All part of the same interconnected group of London-based family and business associates - Mohammed Ali Abbas Rasool, 30, of Manor House Drive, Daya Ahmed D

LATEST: Coventry to clamp down on HMOs with new planning powers

LATEST: Coventry to clamp down on HMOs with new planning powers

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News
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Coventry aims to come down hard on HMO expansion within the city by introducing an Article 4 Direction. Councillors have approved the plans which will now form part of a public consultation this summer. They hope to change the rules which currently allow landlords to

BREAKING: Landlords now covered by cladding fund - but NOT portfolio operators

BREAKING: Landlords now covered by cladding fund - but NOT portfolio operators

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Landlords who own flats hit by the cladding scandal will be covered by the remediation fund, the government has announced. However, portfolio landlords have been left out, with property experts suggesting that this omission will mean work will be held up and their flats could be

OPINION: The consequences of abolishing Section 21

OPINION: The consequences of abolishing Section 21

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Drummed up by popular media horror stories, egged on by the homelessness charities, the ban Section 21� band waggon kept on rolling until eventually the politicians saw it would be politically advantageous to jump aboard. What is Section 21 <p id="

OPINION: Why the EPC rating system needs fixing

OPINION: Why the EPC rating system needs fixing

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The governments controversial policy of phasing out natural gas boilers in favour of heat pumps, in its drive to meet internationally agreed energy efficiency targets, could be stymied because of an out of date EPC algorithm. Regardless of the fact that many older poorly insu

AIRBNB: Westminster to step-up war against 'nuisance' short-term lets landlords

AIRBNB: Westminster to step-up war against 'nuisance' short-term lets landlords

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Westminster Council has launched a spirited campaign to stop central London being overrun by nuisance short-term lets booked chiefly through Airbnb. It is lobbying the government to follow Paris and Amsterdams lead whose authorities have clamped down on problem properties. </

Landlord insurance premiums driven up by inflation

Landlord insurance premiums driven up by inflation

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After two decades of low property insurance premium rates, prices are being driven up by inflation. Steve Barnes, Associate Director at https://hamiltonfraser.co.uk/landlord-insurance/?utm_source=landlordzone&utm_medium=article&utm_id=lz+feb22+insurance+rising" target="_blank" id="

UPDATE: NW council approves bigger selective licencing scheme

UPDATE: NW council approves bigger selective licencing scheme

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Two selective licencing schemes operated by Wirral Council in and around Birkenhead have been renewed with a further two schemes about to be launched following a consultation.

Southcoast city latest to charge landlords £500 for improvement notices

Southcoast city latest to charge landlords £500 for improvement notices

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Landlords in Brighton and Hove face a £500 charge if they are handed an improvement notice, as part of a council crackdown on failing properties.

How bad is the rental crisis? Latest figures reveal reality not the hype

How bad is the rental crisis? Latest figures reveal reality not the hype

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One of the key arguments used by housing campaigners to criticise the private rented sector and its landlords has been contradicted by the latest English Housing Survey.

Nightmare tenant sentenced after stealing landlord's furnishings

Nightmare tenant sentenced after stealing landlord's furnishings

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A tenant who stole almost £2,000 of furnishings from his elderly landlord has been handed a suspended jail sentence

MPs warn renting reforms could make PRS worse, not better

MPs warn renting reforms could make PRS worse, not better

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A cross-party group of MPs and peers has warned that the government needs to get its Renters Reform Bill right if it is to avoid exacerbating the housing crisis.

The US CoStar Group has completed a takeover of UK property portal OnTheMarket.com

The US CoStar Group has completed a takeover of UK property portal OnTheMarket.com

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US based CoStar, a force to be reckoned with in property, has completed a takeover of UK property portal, OnTheMarket.com

Lettings firm accused of breaking evictions ban

Lettings firm accused of breaking evictions ban

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Three students have threatened to take their landlord to tribunal for allegedly flouting eviction ban regulations which meant they were forced out of their flat while studying for exams.

Landlord given £485,000 fine over ‘sheds with beds’

Landlord given £485,000 fine over ‘sheds with beds’

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A rogue landlord who used a fake name to evade the law has been handed a whopping £485,000 in fines after he was found illegally renting out a large shed as five flats.

US bank predicts rebound in UK property prices

US bank predicts rebound in UK property prices

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US bank predicts turnaround in UK property market - inflation down to 3 per cent in two years

London's most expensive selective licencing scheme revealed

London's most expensive selective licencing scheme revealed

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Landlords in one of London’s biggest boroughs face a new selective schemes following a consultation launched by Lambeth council.

Recent research by Savills points to more landlords being priced out of BTL

Recent research by Savills points to more landlords being priced out of BTL

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More landlords to be priced out of BTL as rent increases slow from their peak

MP in second bid to stop landlords evicting benefits tenants in arrears

MP in second bid to stop landlords evicting benefits tenants in arrears

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An SNP MP has made another attempt to prevent PRS landlords from evicting benefit tenants who are in arrears.

Unusual portal and app that pays landlords seeks £5m funding

Unusual portal and app that pays landlords seeks £5m funding

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A property start-up hoping to the next big thing in the student housing market is looking for a £5 million cash injection to help it launch across four more cities.

Wales changes guidance after 'uncertainy' over occupation contracts

Wales changes guidance after 'uncertainy' over occupation contracts

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Landlords in Wales need to update their occupation contract templates after the Welsh government amended part of the document.

Initiative launched to better regulate property 'deal sourcers'

Initiative launched to better regulate property 'deal sourcers'

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The world of property deal sourcing is to become better regulated following the launch of a new partnership between the sector’s trade association and the Property Redress Scheme.

HMRC targetting 'under declaring' limited company landlords

HMRC targetting 'under declaring' limited company landlords

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A property lawyer has warned that HMRC believes buy-to-let landlords may be under-declaring taxes, and that it has them in their sights.

Smaller landlords offloading properties the most - claim

Smaller landlords offloading properties the most - claim

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Twice the number of landlords with one or two properties plan to sell up compared with those who own more than 10 properties, according to a new survey.

Judge slams AI following landlord's inaccurate tax bill appeal

Judge slams AI following landlord's inaccurate tax bill appeal

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A landlord who tried to challenge a tax fine by unwittingly using fake rulings generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) system like ChatGPT has had her appeal dismissed.

London council sweeps 20,000 rented properties into licencing

London council sweeps 20,000 rented properties into licencing

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Landlords in Lewisham are the latest within the London to face a selective licencing scheme now that permission has been granted by the Secretary of State for the scheme.

Higher mortgage costs driving higher rents say landlords

Higher mortgage costs driving higher rents say landlords

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Three-quarters of buy-to-let landlords (76%) increased rent during the past 12 months, most of whom blamed higher mortgage costs.

London's largest selective licencing scheme given green light

London's largest selective licencing scheme given green light

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The government has given the go-ahead to Brent’s selective licensing scheme, with the council labelling it, “a major win for both renters and landlords”.

Landlord licencing should be harsher says health chief

Landlord licencing should be harsher says health chief

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Environmental health officers want more robust landlord licensing schemes under the Renters Reform Bill, says the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).

Letting agent sentenced after stealing landlord cash

Letting agent sentenced after stealing landlord cash

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A letting agent who swindled £128,000 from her employer to fund an affair with her personal trainer was rumbled after landlords complained they had not received their rent.

NRLA and Shelter chiefs lock horns over reform bill

NRLA and Shelter chiefs lock horns over reform bill

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NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle has called for pragmatism and unity in response to Shelter’s new anti-landlord campaign.

London landlord to pay largest rent repayment order so far this year

London landlord to pay largest rent repayment order so far this year

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A landlord in London has been landed with one of the largest rent repayment orders so far this year after failing to licence their HMO property in Tottenham.