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EPC changes, what’s coming and what do you need to do?

EPC changes, what’s coming and what do you need to do?

News

The new Labour Government has been busy changing the rules on EPCs for rentals and there’s ongoing consultation exercises to decide what changes are needed

Repeat offender landlord fined £5,000 over illegal HMO

Repeat offender landlord fined £5,000 over illegal HMO

News

A landlord has been fined almost £5,000 after being found guilty for a second time of operating an illegal HMO.

Big NE town brings in HMO planning restrictions

Big NE town brings in HMO planning restrictions

News

Middlesborough Council has brought in new planning restrictions to clamp down on the “wrong sort of HMOs”.

Big city to expand licensing five-fold despite landlord concerns

Big city to expand licensing five-fold despite landlord concerns

News

Gateshead is to push ahead with new property licensing schemes despite local landlords and letting agents opposing them including 93% saying the fees are ‘too high’.

Is development more attractive than landlording?

Is development more attractive than landlording?

News

Rental property yields are shrinking as the costs created by more regulations and legislation eat into landlord profits – so is it time more BTL landlords became SME developers?

Tenant group says 'landlords can't be trusted' to regulate themselves

Tenant group says 'landlords can't be trusted' to regulate themselves

News

Scotland’s tenants’ union has warned that removing rent rise reprotections will lead to an uptick in de facto evictions and homelessness.

Big Kent council latest to offer landlords 'guaranteed rent'

Big Kent council latest to offer landlords 'guaranteed rent'

News

Maidstone Borough Council has become the latest authority hoping to entice private landlords to hand over their properties in exchange for guaranteed rent.

Landlord to pay £37,000 after running overcrowded illegal HMO

Landlord to pay £37,000 after running overcrowded illegal HMO

News

A rogue landlord who squeezed six people into one room of his HMO has been told to pay £37,000 in fines and costs.

CLAIM: Labour's 'new towns' will be all about BTR not private landlords

CLAIM: Labour's 'new towns' will be all about BTR not private landlords

News

The UK’s new towns will favour build-to-rent developers rather than private landlords, according to a think tank which labels them “profit-seeking institutional investors”.

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Is converting commercial buildings to residential use a viable proposition?

Is converting commercial buildings to residential use a viable proposition?

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News
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Converting commercial buildings to residential use would seem an ideal solution to a housing shortage, especially with and a glut of underused commercial buildings, but how easy is it? The planning regulation changes have made it easier to convert commercial buildings to residen

BREAKING: New mandatory 'How to Rent' guide delayed for a week

BREAKING: New mandatory 'How to Rent' guide delayed for a week

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News
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The new How to Rent guide due to come out today (17th March) has been delayed for a week, according to industry sources. The new guide forms part of the prescribed information that landlords in England must issue at the start of any new tenancy or renewa

John Lewis build-to-rent plans stall as locals oppose huge apartment 'towers'

John Lewis build-to-rent plans stall as locals oppose huge apartment 'towers'

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News
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John Lewiss build-to-rent strategy appears to be stalling amid local opposition to its plans for large developments in West Ealing and Bromley. The retailer has just announced pre-tax losses of �234 million as sales dipped 2% last year, making it even more vital to find new

'Disappointing' - housing chiefs slam lack of property measures in Budget

'Disappointing' - housing chiefs slam lack of property measures in Budget

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News
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Landlords, estate agents and surveyors have all given yesterdays Budget an unqualified thumbs down after the Chancellor chose to focus on economic growth but ignore several problem threatening to engulf the housing market. All have said the budget was disappointing and a m

BUDGET: Scrapping lifetime pension fund limit 'will reduce BTL investment'

BUDGET: Scrapping lifetime pension fund limit 'will reduce BTL investment'

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News
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Despite new research showing that one in four people plan to invest in property to generate retirement income, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's scrapping of the 'lifetime pension fund limit' could dampen demand for BTL property, says Cornerstone Tax. The impact of inflation on savings a

'A budget that does nothing to help struggling renters', says Shelter

'A budget that does nothing to help struggling renters', says Shelter

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News
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Shelter has slammed the Chancellor for failing to raise Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates in his spring Budget. The homeless charity says Jeremy Hunt could have put an end to spiralling homelessness, but instead, he has stuck his head in the sand. Yet again we

Leading economics expert says 'enough is enough' for bruised landlords

Leading economics expert says 'enough is enough' for bruised landlords

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News
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Sunday Times economics editor David Smith has expressed sympathy for private landlords who he believes feel bruised by increasing regulation in the sector. He says higher mortgage rates might be the straw that breaks the camels back for many, with some alrea

Gap between renting and home ownership cost narrows as mortgage payments rise

Gap between renting and home ownership cost narrows as mortgage payments rise

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News
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First time buyers remain better off owning than renting an equivalent home, Lloyds Bank says, but the gap is narrowing. Its latest Owning vs Renting Review reveals that owning a first home now costs �971 a month, four percent less than renting at �1,013.

BUDGET 2023: Hunt ignores pressing needs of landlords and tenants

BUDGET 2023: Hunt ignores pressing needs of landlords and tenants

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News
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The government failed to offer long-term support for energy efficiency improvements or increase the Local Housing Allowance in a Budget which instead focused on getting the country back to work. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt extended support for energy bills at current levels of �2,50

Renting reform bill to progress next week - claim

Renting reform bill to progress next week - claim

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News
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The Renters Reform Bill is expected to get its second reading on Monday, heralding a huge shake-up of the sector after four years in the planning.

Leading landlord welcomes Rishi's U-turn on 'mental' EPC rules

Leading landlord welcomes Rishi's U-turn on 'mental' EPC rules

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News
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A leading landlord has welcomed the Government’s recent U-turn on EPCs, telling a webinar this week that he was facing a ‘crazy’ bill to upgrade his portfolio of properties to the minimum ‘C’ band.

'Renting reforms are worrying landlords, but it's not a stampede to quit'

'Renting reforms are worrying landlords, but it's not a stampede to quit'

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News
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A quarter of landlords are to sell some of their property portfolio in the coming months but not in the volumes previously claimed, a big letting agency has claimed.

Minister rejects call to give landlords green upgrade tax breaks

Minister rejects call to give landlords green upgrade tax breaks

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News
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Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Claire Coutinho (main picture) has rejected the idea of tax breaks for landlords to pay for green upgrades.

Council to begin fining rogue landlords £30,000

Council to begin fining rogue landlords £30,000

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News
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Harlow Council in Essex aims to take a harder line with private landlords by introducing civil penalties as an alternative to prosecution.

'I blame rental market stock crisis on mortgage interest relief withdrawal'

'I blame rental market stock crisis on mortgage interest relief withdrawal'

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News
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Landlord leader Ben Beadle has pinned the shortage of private rental sector homes squarely on the Government, saying George Osborne’s decision in 2015 to cut mortgage interest tax relief for landlords has been the key driver of the current stock crisis.

Tenants on benefits given more backing to fight evictions

Tenants on benefits given more backing to fight evictions

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News
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Tenants on benefits will get more help when paying court fees during evictions and claiming Rent Repayment Orders after the government expanded its Help with Fees scheme.

Northern town to clamp down on landlords converting homes to HMOs

Northern town to clamp down on landlords converting homes to HMOs

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News
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Burnley Council has launched plans to clamp down on landlords converting homes into small HMOs.

BLOG: Are the Tories still game for renting reform?

BLOG: Are the Tories still game for renting reform?

Opinion
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PRS chief Sean Hooker relects on the bumpy ride landlords face in the coming months, and how they can get prepared for the changes.

Landlord mortgage costs leap to nearly 40% of rental income

Landlord mortgage costs leap to nearly 40% of rental income

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News
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The average mortgaged landlord paid 37% of their rent on mortgage interest in August, up from a low of 24% in November 2021, according to Hamptons.

30 campaigning groups write to Rishi urging landlord reforms

30 campaigning groups write to Rishi urging landlord reforms

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News
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Thirty charities and non-profit organisations have written to the Prime Minister urging him to ensure the Renters Reform Bill is passed during this Parliament.

Property 'dating service' for landlords and tenants launches

Property 'dating service' for landlords and tenants launches

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News
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A WhatsApp-style ‘dating service’ designed to marry up landlords and tenants has launched seeking to simplify London’s ‘chaotic’ private rented sector and rival established portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla.

40 per cent of tenants are struggling with rent payments

40 per cent of tenants are struggling with rent payments

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News
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There’s now a significant proportion of adults in the UK struggling to meet their rent or mortgage payments

Buy-to-let profits nosedive for new buyers

Buy-to-let profits nosedive for new buyers

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News
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Landlords who took out a new mortgage between April and June this year made an annual cash loss for the first time since 2007.

Absentee landlord handed fine for ignoring tenants

Absentee landlord handed fine for ignoring tenants

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News
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A landlord who ignored improvement notices on his two unlicensed properties has been handed a £15,000 fine by magistrates.

Can tenancy contracts be signed electronically?

Can tenancy contracts be signed electronically?

Information
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It is very convenient and timely to accept documents relating to tenancies signed electronically and transmitted electronically - are they legal valid?

Agency pays high price for harassing tenants

Agency pays high price for harassing tenants

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News
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A letting agency in Hove has been ordered to pay nearly £69,000 for “abhorrent and vile” behaviour towards its tenants.

Kids and pets raise the cost of renting

Kids and pets raise the cost of renting

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News
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Renters with pets or children are paying as much as £460 more during their tenancy compared to other renters.

Private buying companies rush to snap up buy-to-let portfolios in bulk

Private buying companies rush to snap up buy-to-let portfolios in bulk

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After a tough week, starting with reports from the Telegraph urging banks to “stop treating landlords like cash cows”.

Fewer landlords offering homes to rent reports RICS

Fewer landlords offering homes to rent reports RICS

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News
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A buoyant private rented market continues to outshine the struggling sales sector, although there is cause for optimism long-term, reports The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Two landlords 'banned' for not providing safety documents

Two landlords 'banned' for not providing safety documents

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News
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Landlords wondering how the planned register for landlords in England may operate have been given a taste of what’s to come following a case in Glasgow.

Barclays ordered to pay leading landlord compensation

Barclays ordered to pay leading landlord compensation

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Barclays has been ordered to pay benefits landlord Mick Roberts compensation over a long-running saga which saw him wrongly given a bad credit rating.

Landlords to face 52% higher costs when remortgaging BTL loans

Landlords to face 52% higher costs when remortgaging BTL loans

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News
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Landlords looking to re-mortgage until December 2024 at a typical 6.5% rate face an alarming 52% jump in their monthly mortgage payments, according to credit ratings agency DBRS Morningstar.

Landlords could put new life into UK high streets

Landlords could put new life into UK high streets

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News
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Investing in commercial property can be an attractive alternative to buy-to-let

Landlords and tenants warned over shocking Facebook scams

Landlords and tenants warned over shocking Facebook scams

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News
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An investigation has revealed that nearly all the flat listings on Facebook Marketplace in central Glasgow were potential scams.