Labour’s housing minister Matthew Pennycook is said to be planning a “hardship test”
Claims by the new Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) minister of state Stephen Timms that the transfer of remaining housing benefit claimants to Universal Credit is being done ‘as smoothly as possible’ have been questioned by a leading expert.
Booking in a five-yearly Electrical Safety Installation Certificate (ESIC) check for your rented property often seems like one of the plethora of minor tasks on the ‘to do’ list.
An increase in buy-to-let repossessions is exacerbating the rental supply shortage and leaving evicted families without legal aid needed to fight their case.
An exodus of older landlords is paving the way for build-to-rent investors and younger landlords looking to capitalise on higher yield properties, according to a big estate agency boss.
At least 710 buy-to-let mortgaged properties were repossessed in the second quarter of the year, 13% up on the previous quarter and 51% up year-on-year.
Online lettings firm OpenRent and Rightmove have signed a new property listings deal after several weeks of corporate brinkmanship over fees.
The average time from claim to landlord repossession has jumped to 25.4 weeks, up from 22.1 weeks in the same period in 2023, according to the latest government figures.
Gloomy letting agents have reported a fall-off in private rentals coming onto the market around the country.
A rogue landlord who persistently failed to license several rented properties has had them seized by Merton Council in one of the first actions of its kind in the country.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been slapped down by Labour’s national leadership after asking to be given rent control powers, it has been reported.
Coventry councillors look set to give the go-ahead to extending the city’s additional licensing scheme, raising the fee for a five-year licence from £840 to £916.
A landlord renting out an unlicensed HMO was caught out when a prospective buyer reported her to the council.
Private landlords face an average bill of £10,000 to hit government EPC C targets by 2030, according to new research.
The City of Peterborough says it has received selective licencing applications for three quarters of the properties due to be included in the ten-ward scheme, with a deadline for the completion of applications due at the end of November.
A new private rented sector lobbying group hopes to convince the Scottish government to temper its plans for permanent rent controls under the Housing (Scotland) Bill.
An appeal judge has backed a tenant’s argument that serving prescribed information before the deposit is paid isn’t valid, meaning their eviction cannot go ahead.
Gloucester was the fastest moving rental market last month where the average property was let within 14 days of being advertised.
The government has confirmed it is still deliberating whether to bring in property agency qualifications and minimum standards in the sector, almost four years after the Regulation of Property Agents (RoPA) published its recommendations. RoPAs report outlined proposals back i
The Government has announced plans to tackle mould within the private and social housing sectors through updated guidance and iniatives. Announced late on Friday before a midnight deadline set by the Coroner during the inquest looking into the death of toddler Awaab Ishak, the i
The majority of letting agents expect to see more landlords leave the market in 2023, against a backdrop of rising arrears and falling https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/december-dip-makes-small-dent-in-rising-house-prices/" house prices . Goodlord reveals tha
New and replacement gas boilers should be banned by 2033, two years earlier than current plans, according to the governments net zero tsar. Conservative MP Chris Skidmore believes it should make the decision to decarbonise homes by next year to help the country meet its clima
The Scottish government has admitted it is considering long-term proposals for rent control after the https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/leading-letting-agent-slams-chaotic-rent-freeze-announcement-in-scotland/" Cost of Living Act has expired. Minister for Te
A rogue landlord who created false identities and fake letting agencies as part of an elaborate web of misinformation designed to exploit his tenants has been fined �12,000 and ordered to pay �25,000 costs. Thomas Flight, who owns flats on Portland Square in ht
Tougher checks on lending to buy-to-let https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/office-blocks-and-high-streets-provide-hope-for-canny-investors/" investors are on the cards after the Bank of England warned it would scrutinise risky areas more heavily due to rising interest ra
With the consistent implementation of draconian legislation over the last year from the Scottish Government, its no surprise that more landlords are leaving the private rented sector than ever before. Although some may cheer at the news, what they fail to realise is that the
The Property Redress Scheme's (PRS) advisory panel has chosen experts from across the sector to join its new member panel. The UKs largest lettings redress scheme, covering more than 13,250 letting agency branches, launched the panels as new, open, and transparent forums to b
MPs have voted against an amendment to prevent a tax cut from applying to buyers of second and additional homes. During a debate on the Stamp Duty Land Tax (Reduction) Bill, Opposition Treasury Secretary Abena Oppong-Asare said that a clause which increases the threshold for peo
According to a new report just out by the Resolution Foundation (RF), UK households face a torrid time in the coming months in what is going to be the worst cost-of-living crisis in living memory. Its the aftermath of a Covid pandemic that involved massive Government borrowin
https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/judge-slams-arrogant-landlord-after-illegal-eviction-of-tenant-during-covid/" Rent Repayment Order (RRO) applications dropped significantly last year as tenants were put off by more restrictive Upper Tribunal and Court of Appeal decisio
Housing groups across Greater https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/latest-manchester-landlords-given-last-chance-to-comment-on-licensing-expansion/" Manchester have urged MPs and local policymakers to step in and protect tenants from eviction, warning that the system is no
Commercial capital property values fell 13% last year as rising interest rates impacted the sector, with industrial units taking the biggest hit. https://www.cbre.co.uk/" CBRE s monthly figures show values down 3% in December and annual total returns down by
Private renters are facing an increase in housing costs, with rental price growth at its highest rate in the UK since records began in 2016. About a quarter (26%) of all renters (both private and social) surveyed between 7th and 18th December reported that their rent payments ha
As landlords, we all know there is a wealth of legislation that we need to wrap our heads around to maintain compliance throughout the lifespan of a tenancy. Gas safety, energy efficiency, electrical safety, legionella risk assessments, insurances, prohibited payments, How to Rent, Right to
New laws will make it easier for broadband companies to gain access to thousands of https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/latest-mps-gives-tenants-new-rights-to-have-high-speed-broadband-kit-installed-in-blocks/" blocks of flats across England and Wales. The Tel
Landlords are being encouraged to donate the addresses of their vacant properties as part of a unique bid to stem homelessness. Dreamt up by architect Chris Hildrey, https://www.proxyaddress.co.uk/" ProxyAddress allows people to securely borrow a stable, donat
Average house prices fell by -1.5% in December, while the annual growth rate dropped from +4.6% to +2.0%, according to the Halifax House Price Index. A typical property now costs �281,272 - down from �285,425 in November following six months of rapid growth during the firs
Propertymark has voiced fears that the governments ECO plus scheme risks excluding many landlords with low-rated properties. In its response to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategys consultation into the scheme to help fund home insulation, the indus
Cherwell District Council has pressed the government to urgently introduce the long-awaited Renters Reform Bill to help it rebalance the relationship between landlords and tenants. The north Oxfordshire authority has written to Housing Secretary Michael Gove asking him to bring
All non-domestic properties usually have their business property Rateable Value (RV) revalued every five years by the Valuation Office Agency. The next revaluation is due to take place on 1 April 2023. What is Rateable Value? The value is determined by the Valuation
The average cost of rent fell slightly during December, dropping 1.47% to �1,071, according to the latest Rental Index from https://www.goodlord.co/" Goodlord .<br><br>The South West saw the largest reduction of 2.68% to �1,066 while the only region to see an increase wa
Landlords should think carefully before attempting to remove good tenants who resist rent increases, advises https://www.landlordaction.co.uk/ Landlord Action founder Paul Shamplina - or risk replacing them with tenants who stop paying rent. If you have a
A letting agency boss has been hit with an 11-year ban after repeatedly abusing the https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/landlords-who-took-out-bounce-back-loans-given-six-month-breathing-space/" Bounce Back Loan scheme. Laszlo Szabo, the sole director of Letti
