Barnet Council has announced new housing strategies based partly on its experience of a shrinking private rented sector. The London boroughs new Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy proposes increasing the supply of affordable housing for rent and
A council and housing association attracted as much criticism as private landlords in a Panorama investigation on the topic, Whats gone wrong with our housing? Last nights BBC1 programme initially talked about greedy landlords cashing in� at the B
Property expert and TV presenter Phil Spencer believes landlords are being disadvantaged by tax rules that have made the profession less attractive to investors. He says landlords are being forced out of the sector, leaving both them and renters in a vicious circle. Speaking at
Hosts Eddie Hooker and Paul Shamplina of the HFIS group are joined by David Smith , Head of Property Litigation at JMW Solicitors , legal advisor to the NRLA and a regular face in national media trusted for advising the private rented sector. <
More than half the privately rented properties in England saw a rent rise in the last year, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics. It reports that 50.6% of properties in England experienced a price increase in February compared to 36% in February 2022.
A landlord has been fined for dumping piles of construction waste from his rental property on the side of a road. Timber, mattresses, carpets, tiles, and other household waste was removed from the house in Huntingdon as part of renovation works between tenants. Evide
A mature international student has turned to a crowdfunding site to raise �12,000 after his landlord demanded a years rent upfront. Mohamed Elsawwah, who lives in Birmingham with his wife and three children, has been studying international business in the UK for the last eig
The Government is preparing to compromise over its plans to abolish Section 21 'no fault' evictions by beefing up landlords ability to eject unruly tenants including those involved in anti-social behaviour, the Prime Minister has revealed. The initiative is part of the
Smaller portfolio landlords quitting UK rental sector, says Bank of England: mounting costs & regulation driving exits, reducing rental supply.
Letting agents and their landlords who advertise properties as 'no children' face being accused of breaking discrimination rules, it has been claimed following a campaign by Shelter. The organisation says agents who advertise properties as no children are now breaking The
Eviction expert Paul Shamplina warns of a social housing crisis post-Section 21 abolition, citing court delays and landlord uncertainty.
Short-term holiday lets platform Your.Rentals is raising on the crowdfunding site Seedrs as it seeks to expand its reach in the UK, raising some £1.3 million so far. The Copenhagen-based company, which is headed up by founder Andrew Martyn (main picture),
It has been reported this week that housing minister Rachel Maclean (main picture) told a meeting in Westminster that fellow Conservative MPs and the property sector (i.e. the NRLA and other trade associations) are wrong to claim that landlords are leaving the sector. This
Manchester students occupying a university-owned building in a protest over rent costs and living conditions have been ejected by bailiffs. Manchester University says their action was illegal and that it was granted a possession order by the High Court. When the 20 strikers refu
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has dropped a hint that he could be willing to consider tax concessions for landlords. Speaking in the Commons during a Budget debate, he told MPs that the government needed to make sure there was fairness in the tax treatment of landlords before l
Tax changes in the private rented sector have lost the Treasury �1.5 billion in revenue, according to new research commissioned by the NRLA. https://www.capitaleconomics.com/" target="_blank" Capital Economics fou
A landlord in Derby has been convicted of an illegal eviction and ordered by a court to pay a �1,600 fine. After initially agreeing a 12-month rental for an unfurnished house with a young family, landlord Grace Young of Pear Tree Street, Derby then attempted to illegally evict
A new devolution deal will give the 10 Greater Manchester councils powers to approve larger selective licensing schemes. The pact, signed by Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison (pictured, below), Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham (main pic) and the council leaders, will al
Some holiday lets owners are gaming the system to claim business rate relief, comments made by the Housing Minister Lord Greenhalgh suggest, who has promised action to clamp down on the practice. In a Lords debate on second homes, peers voiced concerns that second homeo
A company that houses asylum seekers has been fined more than �60,000 for HMO offences in Newport. Clearsprings Ready Homes, which has the contract for operating accommodation for asylum seekers in Wales, was found guilty of letting an HMO in Redland Street (pictured), in the B
The Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings Bill, which aimed to advance the governments energy efficiency commitments, is in doubt following the tragic death of David Amess MP. He was the presentation bills main sponsor in the Commons, launching it at the same time as Lor
However, Carol Lewis writing for the Sunday Times newspaper thinks that holiday let owners should be paying council tax. Given that levelling up is the government's buzzword du jour, it is time to level the playing field and bring holiday-home owners in line wi
Landlords and letting agents hit by the collapse of Ash Residential Property Management Limited (ARPM) have been left struggling to claw back deposits and fees after it ceased trading last month with debts of almost �1.5m. At least 8,000 properties and their landlords are affec
HMRC warns that owners must accurately declare these earnings on their self assessment tax returns or face criminal charges if in default. A boom in bookings The Covid pandemic has stored up excess demand for stay at home Britains under the foreign holiday restrictio
Scottish landlords have until 2028 to meet energy efficiency standards but can access interest-free loans of up to �15,000 to help them spread the cost. The Scottish government has published its Heat In Building Strategy setting out that, by 2030, greenhouse gas emissions from
The so called Pandora Papers is a financial services leak of nearly 12 million documents that reveal an international treasure trove of hidden wealth, tax avoidance and money laundering, by some of the world's richest individuals. The secret files were unearthed by a Washington
High Street lender the Nationwide has launched a platform that will be first of its kind created for landlords by a major financial institution. Called The Landlord Works, it has been developed by a team headed up by Paul Wooton (main picture) who, after leaving its mortgage bro
Millions of renters living in damp and run-down properties are suffering worsening mental and physical health, new research by homelessness charity Shelter suggests
Three brothers who violently attacked vulnerable tenants at their father’s rental properties in Bedford have been handed a combined jail term of 31 years.
Housing minister Rachel Maclean has confirmed that a proposed housing court for landlords to help speed-up the evictions process is ‘definitely off the table’.
A “bumbling amateur” landlord who imposed restrictive rules on tenants in his unlicensed HMO has been hit with a £27,500 Rent Repayment Order.
A landlord couple have been ordered to pay a Rent Repayment Order reduced by £6,000 but will still have to fork out £21,000 between them in fines.
Housing minister Rachel Maclean has sought to reassure landlords that they will still be able to evict troublesome tenants or those who build up rent arrears during an event at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.
Landlords in Scotland can have their say on radical PRS reforms that would bring in rent controls, delay evictions and allow tenants to have pets.
Labour is planning a “devastating” multi-billion pound inheritance tax raid, which could affect family businesses and in particular farming families.
Michael Gove has confirmed that the Renters (Reform) Bill is to get its second reading within the next three months, scotching hopes among some landlords that the legislation might have been kicked into the long grass.
The government has published its latest and legally required How to Rent guide with details on the new Housing Loss Prevention Service.
TV star Paul Shamplina has called on landlords to urge tenants using pay-as-you-go (PAYG) energy services to fit smart meters.
High interest rates not forcing landlords to leave the private rented sector as some have claimed says Tom Entwistle
The Liberal Democrats have vowed to address the power imbalance between tenants and landlords by introducing national licensing and standards, longer tenancies, rent smoothing and empowered councils.
An elderly landlord’s long-standing failure to carry out roof repairs has resulted in a £5,000 win for his long-standing tenant.
A rogue landlord faces a possible jail sentence for harassment and failing to comply with a banning order.
A key member of the recently disbanded Energy Efficiency Taskforce has expressed regret that it failed to launch any effective ideas.
As the Bank of England’s base rate continues to ride high at 5.25% it has been revealed that a much higher proportion of landlords own properties via mortgages than was previously thought.
Estate agent chain Winkworth has waded into the debate on how to fix the broken property market by calling for an end to infighting around housing delivery and the reinstatement of landlords’ mortgage interest relief.
A landlord has been ordered to pay £5,312 for unlawfully evicting his tenant, leaving the renter with nowhere to stay and without access to his belongings and medication.
Nearly a quarter (23%) of people without a smart meter say it’s because - incorrectly - they live in a rental property that can't have one installed.
Scotland’s minister for tenant’s rights is oblivious to the havoc he’s wreaking in the PRS and the harm being caused to tenants, says Tory MSP.
New research from the consumer campaign group paints a grim picture of renters facing tough financial conditions as they struggle to pay the rent.
Welsh Housing Minister Julie James has warned that Rishi Sunak’s green U-turn means many tenants will continue to rent draughty, inefficient homes and face high energy bills for years to come.
A lack of public money to back landlords keen to upgrade their properties islikely to have been a major factor behind Rishi Sunak’s decision to scrap changesto minimum energy standards, an expert has claimed.
Increasing regulation of the private rented sector, the pain of finding tradespeople to do property repairs and increasing fraud are pushing more landlords into the arms of letting agents, it has been revealed.
