8 Mar, 2025

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Renters (Reform) Bill - we take a first look at the radical new legislation

Renters (Reform) Bill - we take a first look at the radical new legislation

News

The Renters (Reform) Bill has finally had its first reading in Parliament, promising a fair deal to renters, faster redress for landlords and giving more details on how 'pets with lets' will work. Heralded as a once-in-a-generation overhaul of housing laws�, the government

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 to approve looser rules for HMO landlords housing asylum seekers

Gove to approve looser rules for HMO landlords housing asylum seekers

News

Housing Secretary Michael Gove is set to push through new rules on HMO safety for housing asylum seekers with little fanfare on the same day that the Renters Reform Bill is published. The changes outlined in the proposed https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2023/9780

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

Bungling letting agents with a lack of legal understanding are putting landlords at risk of prosecution, it has been claimed. One landlord expert has advised caution when signing up with a firm in the current climate of increasing legislation and falling profits, particularly fo

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

News

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 to 'go further than Tories' with harsher Decent Homes Standard

Labour to 'go further than Tories' with harsher Decent Homes Standard

News

Labour has promised to ramp up the pressure on private landlords by introducing a legally binding Decent Homes Standard 2. Its latest draft policy programme a provisional blueprint likely to shape the next general election manifesto includes a proposal to take the

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

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Landlord reveals nightmare cannabis factory saga

Landlord reveals nightmare cannabis factory saga

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I’m writing this article to highlight the pitfalls landlords can face, and to share what I’ve learned from my experience.

Shocking number of prospective tenants fail to be 'rent ready'

Shocking number of prospective tenants fail to be 'rent ready'

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More than a third of tenants looking for a new home aren’t organised to move, despite the fiercely competitive rental market.

New deadline set for landlords to file digital tax returns

New deadline set for landlords to file digital tax returns

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Landlords earning more than £20,000 will have to use the Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self-Assessment by the end of the current Parliament.

Deposit-free offer sees boost in landlords' short-let bookings

Deposit-free offer sees boost in landlords' short-let bookings

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News
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PropTech firm Rentals United aims to disrupt the short-let market with a property damage protection service paid for by a small nightly fee.

BLOG: 'Don't punish Scottish landlords for doing the right thing'

BLOG: 'Don't punish Scottish landlords for doing the right thing'

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Policymakers must act to right the wrongs that have been foisted upon the PRS in recent years, says Scottish landlord group.

Are your properties ready as the mercury falls?

Are your properties ready as the mercury falls?

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The clocks have gone back and there is a distinct chill in the air – and with the winter months almost upon us now is the perfect time to make sure your properties are prepared for a cold snap.

Landlords and agents slammed by BBC over 'bidding war' tactics

Landlords and agents slammed by BBC over 'bidding war' tactics

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News
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Many landlords and lettings agents are prepared to use a shortage of rental properties to their advantage, viewers of the BBC’s Morning Live show were told.

71% of tenants have 'no issues' paying their rent, reveals official data

71% of tenants have 'no issues' paying their rent, reveals official data

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New official data about the private rented sector reveals that it is in better shape than some tenants’ rights groups like to claim.

Renting reforms will 'break' local councils warn environmental health officers

Renting reforms will 'break' local councils warn environmental health officers

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The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has warned that the Renters’ Rights Bill will place a huge enforcement burden on already stretched local councils.

Rogue landlords are not always who they seem…

Rogue landlords are not always who they seem…

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Not all poor housing standards are in the private sector, many social landlords have problems reaching the new higher standards

House prices dip as buyers brace for higher stamp duty

House prices dip as buyers brace for higher stamp duty

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House prices dipped by 0.1% in February, but annual growth held steady at 2.9%, with the cost of an average property down £213 to £298,602.

Letting agents urge peers to listen to their concerns ahead of the Renters’ Rights Bill committee stage in the House of Lords

Letting agents urge peers to listen to their concerns ahead of the Renters’ Rights Bill committee stage in the House of Lords

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Letting agents have urged peers to listen to their concerns ahead of the Renters’ Rights Bill committee stage in the House of Lords.

More councils will launch selective licensing if 20/20 rule is ditched, legal expert warns

More councils will launch selective licensing if 20/20 rule is ditched, legal expert warns

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A legal expert has warned that ditching the 20/20 rule around selective licensing will prompt more councils to launch or expand schemes.

Tenants complain less about their landlords in reality, new survey suggests

Tenants complain less about their landlords in reality, new survey suggests

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Tenants complain less about their landlords in reality, a new survey has suggested.

Rent campaigners block bailiffs from evicting disabled man from home

Rent campaigners block bailiffs from evicting disabled man from home

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Protesters have managed to block bailiffs from evicting a couple who had been handed a Section 21 notice.

Tenants reveal how they feel about renting in Total Property’s survey

Tenants reveal how they feel about renting in Total Property’s survey

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Only 17% of tenants feel more supported by the Labour Government than they did under the Tories, despite the ambitions of the Renters’ Rights Bill, while the same number feel less supported.

Half of Property Redress cases resolved through early resolution

Half of Property Redress cases resolved through early resolution

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Half of all cases received by Property Redress last year were resolved through early resolution, despite a 20% rise in complaints.

Landlord sells 23 properties in 16 days: get the highest price now before the market drops

Landlord sells 23 properties in 16 days: get the highest price now before the market drops

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Landlords, sell now before prices drop. Shauna sold 23 properties in 16 days with Landlord Sales Agency. Act fast for the best price.

Landlords still want to buy despite stamp duty hike, survey reveals

Landlords still want to buy despite stamp duty hike, survey reveals

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Hikes in stamp duty rates have failed to dampened landlords’ appetite to buy more properties, a new survey has revealed.

The areas where landlords face the most challenges with deposits are revealed

The areas where landlords face the most challenges with deposits are revealed

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The areas where landlords face the most challenges with deposits have been revealed, with Oxford leading the way.

Landsec rebalancing to residential signifies a growing trend…

Landsec rebalancing to residential signifies a growing trend…

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Land Securities (Landsec), last week reaffirmed its intention to reduce exposure away from office developments towards higher-yielding residential assets

Landlord couple told to pay £8,748 back to five tenants

Landlord couple told to pay £8,748 back to five tenants

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A landlord couple who blamed Lambeth Council’s maladministration of its online application system for their unlicensed HMO have been told to pay £8,748 back to five tenants.

Concerns raised in House of Commons about new EPC rules for landlords

Concerns raised in House of Commons about new EPC rules for landlords

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Concerns have been raised in the House of Commons about the impact of new EPC regulations on landlords.

Risk to rental sector in Wales as taxes raised, Propertymark warns

Risk to rental sector in Wales as taxes raised, Propertymark warns

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Letting agents have warned that stifling rental home supply in Wales through higher taxes or by landlords passing on costs to tenants could jeopardise the PRS.

Scottish First Minister warned against promoting hydrogen boilers

Scottish First Minister warned against promoting hydrogen boilers

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Housing and industry groups have warned Scottish First Minister John Swinney against promoting hydrogen boilers to heat homes.

North Hants Council creates tenants’ charter to boost standard of homes

North Hants Council creates tenants’ charter to boost standard of homes

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North Herts Council has created a tenants’ charter to set out the rights and responsibilities of tenants, landlords and the council, in a bid to keep private rented homes up to scratch.

Rents grow at slowest level for three and a half years

Rents grow at slowest level for three and a half years

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Rents are growing at their slowest level for more than three years, but a limited supply of new rental homes will help keep prices high, it has been revealed.

Sex offender landlord banned from letting property

Sex offender landlord banned from letting property

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A landlord has been banned from letting property in Edinburgh after he failed to report that he was a registered sex offender.

International Women’s Day: Elevating women in property

International Women’s Day: Elevating women in property

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Discover how women are transforming the property sector on International Women's Day. Read Victoria Valentine's inspiring story from a landlord to estate agency owner, and learn about the impact of female leadership and all-women teams in the traditionally male-dominated property industry.

Tenant activists insist "landlords need us”

Tenant activists insist "landlords need us”

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Acorn has taken aim at private landlords again, this time questioning whether their existence is even necessary.

Ban on new leasehold flats moves closer

Ban on new leasehold flats moves closer

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Government vows to finish the job of ending ‘feudal’ leasehold system in England and Wales

Rents rise and void periods shorten, reveals Goodlord

Rents rise and void periods shorten, reveals Goodlord

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Average rents in England jump 4% in a year to February while voids dropped from 24 to 20 days

Younger people targeted in tenant fraud

Younger people targeted in tenant fraud

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Almost three quarters of rental fraud involves young people, official data has revealed.

Book Review: Carl Bayley’s book, Shelter your Family from the Taxman: How to Save Inheritance Tax

Book Review: Carl Bayley’s book, Shelter your Family from the Taxman: How to Save Inheritance Tax

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Carl Bayley is the author of more than twenty ‘Plain English’ TaxCafe published tax guides designed for the layperson and the non-specialist