NEWS
Gove pledge on the Renters Reform Bill
Speaking at a Centre for Policy Studies fringe meeting, Housing Secretary Michael Gove said speculation that some Tory backbenchers opposed the Bill did not reflect the government’s thinking. The Bill will go ahead, he said. A statement he...
RICS launches their election manifesto
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is launching its manifesto for the built environment in the lead-up to the next UK General Election, titled Empowering a Sustainable Future. It can be seen here having a stamp duty holiday for...
New How to Rent Guide issued
The new How to Rent Guide has been issued today (Monday October 2nd 2023). It can be seen here. The latest update is the second in 2023 and today’s revision will include reference to the controversial Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service, which...
Top 10 areas with best yield revealed
Confused.com has analysed the average rental income by the average house price of different areas in the UK to reveal the areas with the highest rental yield. Areas in the UK with the greatest rental yield: Rank Local authority Average rental...
A political party manifesto for the PRS: What landlords DON’T want from politicians
Using Property118, the Landlord Crusader has published a blog offering the political parties what landlords DON’T want. The blog can be seen here, and discusses: the loons of the (ill)Liberal (un)Democrats with a rash of barmy ideas the...
Leasehold and commonhold reform
The House of Commons Library has published a paper considering trends in leasehold ownership, ongoing problems associated with the sector, and Government plans for future legislation. For the paper, click here.
House price statistics for England and Wales: year ending March 2023
The Office for National Statistics has published data on house prices and the number of transactions for property sales in England and Wales, on an annual basis. The data show: Median house price for residential properties was £290,000 in...
Index of Private Housing Rental Prices: August 2023
The Office for National Statistics has published a price index tracking the prices paid for renting property from private landlords in the UK. The index shows: Private rental prices paid by tenants in the UK rose by 5.5 per cent in the 12...
Mortgage arrears and repossessions in England
The House of Commons Library published an overview of current and past approaches to helping homeowners with mortgage debt, including information on trends in arrears and repossessions. For the paper, click here.
House price statistics for England and Wales: year ending March 2023
The Office for National Statistics has published data on house prices and the number of transactions for property sales in England and Wales, on an annual basis. The data show: Median house price for residential properties was £290,000 in England...
‘Net zero’ and renting
The National Housing Federation has announced that it had written open letters to both the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, and the Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Claire Countinho, to urge them to recommit to the...
Lib Dems want landlord licensing and rent controls
Whilst the Lib Dems party leader Sir Ed Davey made no mention of the party’s plans for the PRS in his speech on the final day of the conference, they did issue a policy paper ‘Tackling the Housing Crisis’ before their conference. In their policy...
Legal aid support for tenants
The Law Society Gazette has reported that the Law Society has warned the Ministry of Justice that its decision not to distribute physical copies of a leaflet promoting new legal aid support for tenants at risk of losing their home could undermine...
‘Government won’t meet target to end rough sleeping by 2024’
The Kerslake Commission, established by its former Chair, Lord Bob Kerslake, has published its latest report which makes clear that the Government will not meet its goal to end rough sleeping by 2024. It states that at the heart of rough...
Dear Polly Neate of Shelter – I agree with you!
Property118 has published an open letter from a landlord to the CEO of Shelter agreeing with their call for more social housing. It can be seen here, and says: Dear Polly Neate, It’s not possible to contact you directly as you, (Shelter), don’t...
Bank of England says landlords leaving sector leads to higher rents
The Bank of England has blamed higher rents on more landlords than usual quitting the private rental market within its detailed quarterly report on the economy. Its Agents’ Summary of Business Conditions report, which covers the period between July...
Survey shows many landlords were ready for the potential EPC rules
The Prime Minister scrapped the legislation that would have required landlords to ensure their rental properties had a minimum EPC rating of C. The mooted deadline was 2025 for new tenancies, and by 2028 for all tenancies. Now, a study by Shawbrook...
More landlords buying properties via companies in order to pay less tax
This is Money has run an article on the rise in landlords incorporating. It can be seen here, and says: Landlords are increasingly buying property via limited companies, rather than in their own personal name, in order to slash their tax...
Government U turn on landlord energy requirements
After substantial lobbying, including from iHowz (see here), the Government has substantially changed their energy plans. Under revised plans, the Government will: Scrap policies to force landlords to upgrade the energy efficiency of their...
Council forms partnership to combat ‘Rogue landlords’
City of York Council looks set to join forces with non-profit organisation Justice for Tenants to allow renters in the private sector to apply for a rent repayment order, which forces a landlord to pay a refund of up to 12 months’ rent....
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LATEST NEWS
We support leasehold reform but not abolishing it and leaseholders are served by ground rents, says the Residential Freehold Association
The Leasehold Charity is reporting on a meeting of the APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group) recently. It can be seen...
Make sure you don’t forget to apply for a licence
An agent in Enfield has been fined over £10,000 for not licensing in a Selective Licence area. Gracechurch Property...
New landlord licensing proposed
Wandsworth Council in London is seeking to introduce additional licensing for HMO's of 3, or 4 occupants, as well as...
Why are property prices falling in the UK and rising in the US?
Under the heading 'Need to Know: A tale of two housing markets' the Financial Times has examined why property prices...
Do HMOs Still Stack Up As An Investment?
Writing in Landlord Today, Richard O’Neill, Regional Lettings Director, Romans Estate Agents has examined the case for...