New Housing & Communities Secretary: James Brokenshire

Click here to view the original article ‘New Housing & Communities Secretary: James Brokenshire’   Sajid Javid moves on to the Home Office, James Brokenshire picks up the brief. Amber Rudd’s departure this morning from the Home Office has caused yet another round of musical chairs at the Government. Housing and Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid […]

The top five laws on disrepair and the condition of rented properties

Click here to view the original article ‘The top five laws on disrepair and the condition of rented properties’   1. Section 11 of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 This law sets out the legal obligations landlords have towards tenants as regards keeping the property in repair. They can’t be excluded by landlords (for […]

England and Wales house prices cost nearly eight times earnings, figures show

Click here to view the original article ‘England and Wales house prices cost nearly eight times earnings, figures show’   House prices cost nearly eight times earnings on average in England and Wales last year, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in 2017, full-time employees could typically expect to spend […]

BTL landlords urged to ‘embrace’ tax changes and ‘watch their portfolio thrive’

Click here to view the original article ‘BTL landlords urged to ‘embrace’ tax changes and ‘watch their portfolio thrive’’   A combination of tax reform and stricter regulation for landlords is slowing the growth of the private rented sector (PRS), but private landlords are being encouraged to accept the changes and focus on long-term gains. […]

Mortgage products for buy to let landlords have fallen since PRA changes

Click here to view the original article ‘Mortgage products for buy to let landlords have fallen since PRA changes’   The choice of mortgage options for buy to let landlords in the UK has fallen since the introduction of various recent changes by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA). PRA rules introduced at the end of […]

Landlords increasing rents to pay for extra regulatory costs

Click here to view the original article ‘Landlords increasing rents to pay for extra regulatory costs’   ARLA’s David Cox says number of tenants facing rent rises is beginning to increase once more as landlords seek to offset extra costs. The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) says the private rental market is ‘holding steady’ […]

Small-Scale Investors Looking To Exit Buy To Let Sector

Click here to view the original article ‘Small-Scale Investors Looking To Exit Buy To Let Sector’   Small-scale investors are looking to sell and exit the buy to let sector, according to research from Simple Landlords insurance. A new study from Simple Landlords insurance found that 30 per cent of small-scale landlords with a single […]

Landlords see costs rise in April

Click here to view the original article ‘Landlords see costs rise in April’   April may have come as a shock to many landlords for two reasons: the first is for anyone who bought a property on a two-year mortgage, ahead of the introduction of the additional 3% stamp duty two years ago. They are […]

What do renters look for in a rental property?

Click here to view the original article ‘What do renters look for in a rental property?’   For landlords, it is not always easy to guess what prospective tenants are looking for when getting a vacant property ‘rental ready’. From furniture and lighting to bedding and tabletop items, there is a lot that can be […]