UK house prices fall as rent drops for first time in eight months
The average monthly rent in Britain has fallen for the first time in eight months, according to the latest Buy-to-Let Index from the UK’s largest lettings agent networks, Your Move and Reeds Rains. Monthly rents across England & Wales dropped 0.2% in November to average £768. However, rent is still on average 2% higher than […]
Buy-to-let landlords with older homes will be forced to install insulation and double-glazing or face a ban from taking tenants
Landlords who rent out properties built in the Victorian era and early part of the twentieth century may be forced to make upgrades to make them more energy efficient, under government proposals. Ministers are consulting on a change that would mean owners of properties which fall under the lowest energy efficiency categories would be forced […]
Landlords owed more than £800m in unpaid rent
A third (32 per cent) of landlords in the UK – approximately 500,000 – say they have experienced rent arrears in the last 12 months, according to research from the National Landlords Association. The research shows that a typical landlord faces £1,649 of outstanding rent each, totalling £850m worth of rent arrears across the UK. […]
Councils fight to limit right-to-buy home sales
Local authorities set up private rental companies to defend dwindling social housing stock from new rush of buyers. Councils are setting themselves up as private landlords to protect their diminishing housing stock from the rejuvenated right-to-buy scheme first introduced by Margaret Thatcher. The government’s increase in the discount offered to tenants has prompted a massive […]
Enfield Borough Council’s landlord licensing scheme quashed at the High Court following judicial review
A scheme which forces landlords to hold licences has been quashed by the High Court. The High Court today ruled that the judicial review called for by landlord Constantinos Regas challenging Enfield Borough Council’s licensing scheme was to be upheld. The council’s scheme would have required landlords to hold a £500 five-year licence from the […]
What should you do if your landlord dies intestate?
From the Landlord Law Blog. If someone dies intestate it means that they have died without leaving a will. So their ‘estate’ – ie everything they own at the time they die – will be dealt with under the intestacy rules. The main questions you will have as a tenant are, “do I still have […]
Government passes new ruling over tenancy deposits
The Government has decided to remove the need for residential landlords to comply with deposit protection laws for a second time if a fixed period tenancy rolls on past its end date. These rules require a landlord to pay the tenant’s deposit into an approved deposit scheme and provide that tenant with certain information within […]
Majority of Brits on good terms with their landlord
The majority of Britain’s renters are fond of their landlord, according to new research. Saga Home Insurance’s poll found that 77% of tenants rated their current landlord as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, with just 8% giving a ‘poor’ rating. The research also discovered the top gripes experienced by both tenants and landlords, with tenants most likely […]
Four letting agent tricks that can shrink buy-to-let returns
Out-of-control fees, bungled bills and poor service can eat into landlord investments. We expose the pitfalls to avoid when using a letting agent. The phenomenal growth of buy-to-let has brought a range of nasty practices by letting agents that both landlords and tenants should look out for. Profit-making tricks used by some letting agents, who […]
Stamp duty reform
An overhaul to the stamp duty system is set to benefit landlords, with changes announced in the autumn statement set to come into effect from midnight tonight. Stamp duty is now to be applied like income tax as opposed to the previous ‘slab structure.’ This had previously meant that there was a sizeable jump in […]