NEWS
Is your fire door legally compliant?
Ironmongery Direct have just published a blog entitled ‘Fire Door Hardware: Are You Compliant?‘ It can be seen here, and has the following 4 tips: Hinges Ensure the door closes correctly around all parts of the frame, and check for CE marked 30 or 60 minute fire door hinges. Also, check for suitable intumescent pads […]
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Housing Ministry renamed
The Government have made the following announcement: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will become the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities as the government delivers on its central mission to level up every part of the UK. See more details here.
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More UK expat landlords admit to avoiding tax
A growing number of UK ex-pats who own a buy-to-let property in the UK are continuing to approach HMRC to admit they have evaded tax, says national accountancy group, UHY Hacker Young. According to recent figures, 248 overseas investors in UK buy-to-let properties came forward to admit tax evasion in the last year. Many of […]
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Revealed – the cost of evicting a rogue tenant during the pandemic
The latest property market analysis by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed that the costs incurred by UK landlords who have been unfortunate enough to encounter a nightmare rogue tenant during the pandemic. During the COVID pandemic, measures to help those in legitimate financial trouble saw a ban on tenant evictions […]
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Protesters gather at Brighton Green Party office over licensing ‘backtrack’
PROTESTERS have gathered outside the Brighton and Hove Green Party offices to demand action on landlord licensing. Acorn, the Community Union, has taken against the Brighton Green party for “failing renters in the city”, as the council plans to “backtrack” on commitments to license landlords in Brighton. According to the union, an advanced report from Brighton and Hove […]
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Many landlords reporting a drop in rental arrears
A survey of nearly 4,000 landlords from buy-to-let specialist, Sequre Property Investment, has revealed that nearly one in five (17%) have experienced rental arrears as a result of the pandemic. For a third (27%), this has been a marginal inconvenience to the tune of one month’s rent. However, a further 23% have been out of […]
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Eviction to return to normal
The Government have confirmed that eviction periods will return to normal from October 1st 2021. They have published a Statutory Instrument* (SI2021 No 994) amending the original Coronavirus Act 2020 (Residential Tenancies and Notices) to suspend the extended notice periods that were introduced. Note that by suspending the notice periods, rather than removing them the Government […]
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New report from the DWP
The Department for Work and Pensions has published Economic activity of individuals aged 50 or over, trends over time, showing: Employment rate for those between 50 and 64 has fallen from 72.1% in 2020 to 71.2% in 2021 Number of over-50s working impacted by Covid Among those aged 50+, 600,000 jobs furloughed, equal to one-third […]
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Are we entering a new boom period for property investors?
Mortgage Introducer is running a piece stating that ‘ buy-to-let mortgage borrowing has recently reached a record high.’ The blog can be seen here.
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How landlords can save money on their properties: buy-to-let tax loopholes and tips
The Daily Telegraph are running a series of articles on saving money on tax bills for landlords. The first one can be found here the second here and the third and last here
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More landlords leave the market
A report by Vouch & Goodlord has found that a growing number of landlords are leaving the market, prompting a lack of rental properties. The report found that 83% of agents have seen landlords leave the sector in the past year and 64% believe the coming year will see more exit. The lack of rental […]
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New Housing Secretary appointed
Following a cabinet reshuffle, Michael Gove MP has been appointed as the new Housing Secretary. He replaces Robert Jenrick MP, who was the Housing Secretary since July 2019. The other Ministers in MHCLG remain the same, with Christopher Pincher remaining the Housing Minister. He will also take on “cross-government responsibility for levelling up” and retains […]
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Young landlord says there is no reason young people cannot buy a house
A student landlord in his 20s says there is no reason young people can’t buy their own homes – as long as they don’t ‘go drinking’ and ‘make the most out of living with parents’. Josh Parrott acquired his first property when he was just 19 years old by using cash he saved from two […]
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Good EPC won’t help when you sell
A new survey by Nationwide shows that there’s just a 1.7 per cent house price premium on homes with EPC ratings A or B compared to a D-rated property.Those homes rated F or G attract a 3.5 per cent discount compared to a similar D-rated property. “Decarbonising and adapting the UK’s housing stock is critical […]
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Barry Cocum
We are sorry to have to report Barry Cocum died peacefully in his sleep in August. Many of the long-term members, especially Brighton members, will remember Barry as being very enthusiastic board member, who was personally responsible for a large growth in the membership in the late 90’s/early noughties. We all remember Barry as being […]
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Tenant Fees Act barrier to renting with pets
A new Report and open letter have been sent to the Secretary of State for Housing to highlight the negative impact the Tenant Fees Act has had on renting with pets. The Letter, backed by a cross-party group of over 35 MPs, as well as leading pet charities, Propertymark, and landlord associations, accompanied the Report, which […]
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Why rent control isn’t working in Sweden
The BBC have just done an expose on rent controls, and the effect on the market. It can be seen here, and points out that tenants struggle to find properties, especially in Stockholm because of the lack of rental property due to the regulations designed to prevent owners from making long-term profits are also fuelling […]
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Tenancy disputes reduce during Covid, says TDS
The pandemic has had changed the private rental market in many ways, but one positive impact is that the number of tenancy disputes between renters and their landlord or agent has reduced. TDS says 0.7% or 26,907 of tenancies resulted in a dispute during the 2020/2021 pandemic months, down from 0.85% or 34,993 during 2019/20. […]
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One in five landlords plan to sell property due to financial impact of Covid-19
Property Reporter have just published a piece on the number of landlords planning to sell. It can be seen here, and claims that 21% are planning to sell, and that over half (51%) losing out on rental income due to Covid-19, with well over two fifths (47%) of landlords have already lost between £2,001 and £10,0000 […]
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New Tenants’ Rights Minister
Scotland has appointed a new Tenants’ Rights Minister. Patrick Harvie, the Green MSP for Glasgow will also hold portfolio for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel as well as the Tenants’ Rights Minister. Harvie will lead on delivering a new deal for tenants, and ensuring building standards are fit for purpose. Speaking on behalf of the […]
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LATEST NEWS
Increasing selected court fees and Help with Fees
The Ministry of Justice has just published the outcome of a recent consultation. It can be seen here, and in their proposal they stated:- The aim of this proposal is to: ensure that there is an efficient and effective courts system ensure access to justice, making sure those who need to access the courts can […]
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Maidstone Borough Council appeals for private landlords to help house Afghan refugees
A council is asking private landlords with empty properties that could be used to home Afghan refugees to come forward. Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) is looking for self-contained properties with at least a six-month tenancy to help fulfil their commitment to supporting Afghan nationals who have been assisting the British Government and Armed Forces in […]
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What is your view on a compulsory redress scheme?
The Negotiator Magazine has just published an article entitled – Estate agents have to be members of a redress scheme, so why not landlords? It can be seen here, and invites comments from all.
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Croydon to re-consider Licensing
Croydon Council says it is reviewing its option regarding property licensing, and will produce new proposals by October 1.In June Croydon council was on the receiving end of criticism from Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, who was reported to have denied the request for a new licensing scheme because the council allegedly failed to provide any evidence […]
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Update to to Right to Rent checks
The latest government advice for letting agents and landlords carrying out Right to Rent checks during the coronavirus pandemic confirms that letting agents can continue carrying out Right to Rent checks by video call until April next year, after the emergency measures were extended yet again. The temporary changes to Right to Rent checks, adapted […]
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