Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) Increases 1st June
On 1st June, the IPT, a tax on general insurance premiums, will increase from 10 to 12 per cent, meaning the tax has doubled in just 18 months. This increase will affect 27 million households, 17 million drivers and most businesses, potentially increasing their insurance premiums, according to the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA). When […]
Landlords raise rents as tax changes start to bite
Rental market outside the capital plateaus while London sees a ‘large drop’ in the supply of properties to rent, reports the Association of Residential Letting Agents. What’s the latest? Tenants are – as predicted – bearing the brunt of recent tax changes, with landlords hiking rents in response to adjustments introduced by the government. […]
How many bathrooms should a three-bed home have?
Estate agents reveal the perfect ratio of bathrooms to bedrooms and the value an en-suite can add to your property. An overwhelming majority of estate agents (70%) reckon a three bed property should have two or more bathrooms to maximise its desirability, according to Direct Line Home Insurance. New research from the firm also revealed […]
Rent Even Stupider Wales
A major housing company in Wales has complained after a controversial landlord registration scheme failed to list it SIX months later, The Eye can disclose. The housing firm has 400 properties across the UK, and completed the registration form for Rent Smart Wales (RSW) in November with the bank Direct Debit approval given in December. […]
Landlord body calls for housing court to speed up justice for landlords and tenants
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is calling for the introduction of a specialist new court to deal solely with housing issues to help speed up what it considers to be an existing ‘slow, complex, and underfunded’ court system. The aim of the new court would be to enable private landlords and tenants to access justice […]
How Small Businesses Can Prepare For The Rise of Ransomware
Ransomware is a growth industry – and it’s growing because it works. Attacks by hackers that lock up data unless a ransom is paid shot up an unbelievable 6000% worldwide in 2016 over the previous year. According to the FBI, hackers “earned” over a billion dollars in ransomware attacks in 2016, some five times over […]
Letting agent fees ban now promised in all three of the major manifestos
The Conservatives have pledged to bring in the ban on letting agent fees charged to tenants. It means that all three of the main political parties at Westminster would introduce the ban. While the Tory manifesto is detail-free on how “a Conservative Government will reform and modernise the home-buying process so it is more efficient […]
Brand new service from NetRent
We are delighted to announce the launch of a brand new free service for landlords and letting agents looking to advertise their residential rental properties to let. Lets Advertise offers all landlords and agents free online advertising of any type of residential rental property throughout the UK. In addition to free advertising on Let Advertise […]
Home Office faces legal challenge over landlord immigration checks.
Research suggests scheme encourages discrimination and foreigners and ethnic minorities. The Government is facing a legal challenge over its policy of forcing landlords to conduct immigration checks on their tenants. The so-called “Right to Rent” scheme was piloted in parts of the UK from December 2014 and came into force across England in February 2016. […]
Landlords spend £3,632 a year on each property
But the amount they pump into the economy is set to be slashed as they cut spending to offset tax hikes. The average landlord now spends £3,632 per year in running costs per individual property, before tax or mortgage interest, according to specialist mortgage lender Kent Reliance, part of OneSavings Bank. The sum accounts for […]