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'Discriminatory' HMO licensing scheme rules slammed by landlords

'Discriminatory' HMO licensing scheme rules slammed by landlords

News

Two out of three HMO landlords in Portsmouth plan to call it quits this year, largely prompted by the launch of an additional licensing scheme in September. Portsmouth & District Private Landlords Associations survey found that this would mean a loss of 348 rooms which, e

Damp and mould investigation reveals 1000s of homes affected

Damp and mould investigation reveals 1000s of homes affected

News

A Government investigation into damp and mould in the social housing sector has disclosed initial findings which show a significant number of homes in the social sector are affected by this problem. On Thursday (2 February) the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) published a <a hr

Up for a fight? Fundraiser seeks property people to step into the ring

Up for a fight? Fundraiser seeks property people to step into the ring

News

The property industrys Rumble with the Agents charity event is to host its eighth evening of boxing and fund-raising in North London on Thursday 22nd June, it has been announced. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" dat

MORTGAGE SHOCK: Bank of England hikes base rate by 0.5% to 4%

MORTGAGE SHOCK: Bank of England hikes base rate by 0.5% to 4%

News

The Bank of England has raised interest rates for the 10th consecutive time as it battles inflation - a move likely to hit thousands of investors with variable rate mortgages and those forced to renew fixed-rate deals. The base rate has gone up by half a percent to 4%, the highe

Councils' frosty reception for HMOs sees number decline in key regions

Councils' frosty reception for HMOs sees number decline in key regions

News

Englands HMO market has shrunk by more than 21,000 properties in the last two years as local councils ramp up planning rules and licensing schemes. Numbers were down by -2.4% to 489,701 last year, having already seen a -1.7% drop in 2021, according to figures from Octane Capi

EXCLUSIVE: Online boss talks candidly about landlords' reluctance to 'go digital'

EXCLUSIVE: Online boss talks candidly about landlords' reluctance to 'go digital'

News

The boss of online lettings platform lettingaproperty.com is determined to overcome landlords inertia to switch from using high street agents. Jonathan Daines admits its a challenge as 95% of landlords still use agents, with the ingrained belief that the online process wil

MARKET: Average house price down 3.2% since August 2022

MARKET: Average house price down 3.2% since August 2022

News

House prices have fallen for the fifth month in a row, with the average property now worth �258,297, almost �4,000 less than in December, reports Nationwide. January saw a -0.6% monthly dip which left prices 3.2% lower than their August peak, while annual house price growth al

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax on hold, again!

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax on hold, again!

News

If you were due to submit a self-assessment tax return and pay your dues by yesterdays deadline and you missed it you should do so now without delay, otherwise you will face a penalty. Anyone with rental income must submit a self-assessment income tax return, completing the property inco

Looming Vic & Bob movie to portray landlords as 'obnoxious'

Looming Vic & Bob movie to portray landlords as 'obnoxious'

News

Landlords are to get their latest outing on the silver screen within the first movie by comedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, it has been reported. But predictably its not the image many would prefer to see the comedy pair promote. After nearly two decades of dev

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Labour to make landlords renew EPCs more often

Labour to make landlords renew EPCs more often

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Proposed changes to Energy Performance of Buildings regulations mean private landlords in England and Wales would have to get EPCs more frequently.

Tax hike prompts buying and selling rush among portfolio landlords

Tax hike prompts buying and selling rush among portfolio landlords

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Landlords buying up property portfolios have helped non-residential property sales reach a new high this year as investors seek to capitalise on the existing tax rate, ahead of stamp duty changes.

Report reveals shock gap between Chinese and UK student rents

Report reveals shock gap between Chinese and UK student rents

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Wealthy Chinese students are paying £66 a week or 42% more in rent than their British counterparts, according to the latest StuRents annual report.

Will councils begin selling off empty landlord properties?

Will councils begin selling off empty landlord properties?

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A property expert has voiced concerns that councils won’t have the resources to implement the government’s new high street auctions initiative.

'Lackadaisical' landlord to repay tenants £10,538

'Lackadaisical' landlord to repay tenants £10,538

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A landlord in London has been ordered to repay three of his tenants £10,538 after they applied successfully for a rent repayment order (RRO).

How to tackle damp and mould as the mercury falls

How to tackle damp and mould as the mercury falls

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Damp and mould can affect your rental properties at any time of year; but issues are much more likely to occur in colder months.

Landlords with mortgages 'to get early Xmas present'

Landlords with mortgages 'to get early Xmas present'

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News
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Mortgage rates are likely to drop even further before the end of the year, providing some much-needed festive cheer for landlords.

Labour says renters face 'insecurity' but tenancies getting longer

Labour says renters face 'insecurity' but tenancies getting longer

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News
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Private renters are increasingly staying for longer in their homes, contrary to tenant groups’ argument that they face ‘insecurity of tenure’.

PIX: Shocking size of 'rooms' within illegal HMO revealed

PIX: Shocking size of 'rooms' within illegal HMO revealed

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A rogue landlord who turned her three-bedroom bungalow into a 15-room unlicensed HMO where tenants slept on camp beds in windowless rooms has been handed a £12,000 fine.

Council proposes unusual property licencing REDUCTION!

Council proposes unusual property licencing REDUCTION!

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News
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Landlords are being urged by a London councl to take part in a consultation on plans for a new, slimmed down selective licensing scheme.

Bad plumbing not mould is top concern for private tenants

Bad plumbing not mould is top concern for private tenants

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Two thirds of private renters had an issue with the quality or condition of their home during the past six months, according to new research, with plumbing problems top of the list.

Winchester council latest to become big private landlord

Winchester council latest to become big private landlord

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Winchester City Council has set up its own housing company, Venta Living, one of a growing number of councils going down the private route to help meet the growing demand for rental properties.

Landlord fined £6,500 after member of public reports HMO

Landlord fined £6,500 after member of public reports HMO

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News
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A landlord in Norfolk has been fined £6,500 after a significant investigation by local housing officers.

Mental health – are we doing enough in the HMO sector?

Mental health – are we doing enough in the HMO sector?

Opinion
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One might immediately answer 'no' to this question, but does the HMO property industry possess adequate understanding of this delicate subject to address it effectively?

Lawyer warns landlords NOT to blame tenants for mould

Lawyer warns landlords NOT to blame tenants for mould

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A senior lawyer has told landlords that they cannot blame their tenants if mould appears within privately rented homes.

Letting agent avoids jail after defrauding seven landlords

Letting agent avoids jail after defrauding seven landlords

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A fraudulent letting agent who ripped off landlords by failing to register their deposits has escaped a jail sentence.

Absentee landlord to pay tenants £10k over mouldy, unlicenced property

Absentee landlord to pay tenants £10k over mouldy, unlicenced property

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Three tenants have pocketed £10,060 between them after winning a rent repayment order against their landlord for letting out a mouldy HMO with “lamentable” fire safety.

Tribunal orders big landlord to pay £16m toward cladding costs

Tribunal orders big landlord to pay £16m toward cladding costs

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One of the UK’s largest private landlords has been ordered to pay £16 million towards the cost of fixing cladding-related fire safety problems at a group of five residential towers in London.

Warwick latest town to start borough-wide big HMO licencing

Warwick latest town to start borough-wide big HMO licencing

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An Additional Licencing scheme covering all larger HMOs in Warwick has now gone live following approval of the scheme last year and a consultation.

MPs say private landlords must face same rules as social housing

MPs say private landlords must face same rules as social housing

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Select committee report is arguing for a change in the law to force private landlords to have to fix mould within days

New ombudsman will join forces with partner scheme

New ombudsman will join forces with partner scheme

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The government has revealed more details about how the new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman Service will work in practice.

MPs want landlords to sort out mouldy PRS homes

MPs want landlords to sort out mouldy PRS homes

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A cross-party group of MPs says a crackdown on social landlords to tackle damp and mould should be extended to tenants in the private rented sector.

Mortgage broker's new look marks its evolution

Mortgage broker's new look marks its evolution

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Buy-to-let intermediary Mortgages for Business is rebranding as Mortgage Finance Brokers (MFB) to reflect its more inclusive approach.

Growing demand means 1 million extra homes are needed in England & Wales

Growing demand means 1 million extra homes are needed in England & Wales

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News
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1 million extra homes will be needed in England and Wales to house singles and families – this is a continually growing market for the private rented sector.

NRLA backs MPs' pragmatic plans for Renters Reform Bill

NRLA backs MPs' pragmatic plans for Renters Reform Bill

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Tory MPs have tabled a raft of amendments to the Renters Reform Bill to ensure it works for the whole private rented sector.

Surveyors call for government action to tackle PRS woes

Surveyors call for government action to tackle PRS woes

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News
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Property surveyors across the UK have reported a slowdown in tenant demand along with continued levels of diminishing stock.

Rogue letting agent used 'smokescreen' to conceal ownership

Rogue letting agent used 'smokescreen' to conceal ownership

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Four tenants have lost their £309,000 claim for harassment but won a £21,160 rent repayment order for living in an unlicensed flat.

January sees a new surge of landlords selling their portfolios for higher prices than 2023

January sees a new surge of landlords selling their portfolios for higher prices than 2023

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There’s good news for landlords who have postponed selling their rental properties despite falling profits and new legislation making the private rental sector less appealing to most landlords.

Inflation rate surprise to delay mortgage interest rate drop for landlords

Inflation rate surprise to delay mortgage interest rate drop for landlords

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Landlords could have to wait slightly longer for the pressure on mortgage rates to ease after the annual rate of inflation hit 4% last month.

Record rent rises revealed by latest official PRS data

Record rent rises revealed by latest official PRS data

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UK rents increased by 6.2% in the year to December 2023 - the joint highest annual percentage change since 2016.

MPs told Commonhold is best replacement for leasehold

MPs told Commonhold is best replacement for leasehold

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Experts and campaigners giving evidence to the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill committee have endorsed a commonhold system.

Landlord slams 'over the top' DWP demands on tenants

Landlord slams 'over the top' DWP demands on tenants

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Tenants across the UK are being asked to comply with an extensive fraud checklist to confirm their eligibility for Universal Credit.

Landlords in Wales not obliged to flag homelessness risk

Landlords in Wales not obliged to flag homelessness risk

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Propertymark has welcomed the Welsh government’s commitment that private landlords shouldn’t have to refer tenants at risk of homelessness.

Family build-to-rent urged to meet PRS shortfall

Family build-to-rent urged to meet PRS shortfall

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Up to one million new rental homes will be needed to accommodate growing demand by 2031, particularly from young families, across England and Wales.