Tenant sent landlords angry messages and threatened to kidnap daughters in rent row
A tenant sent a series of angry messages to his landlords in a dispute over rent and then threatened to kidnap and “place his daughter into prostitution”. Ian Broadbent, 43, had been living as a lodger at the man’s home and would regularly pay rent, but then ask for money to help tide him over. […]
House prices: UK’s property hotspots revealed
Bath has been named the biggest property hotspot across the UK, with increased competition pushing asking prices up by more than 15% over the last year. The average asking price in Bath jumped more than 15% to £555,018 last year, data from property site Rightmove (RMV.L) shows. Truro, in Cornwall, was the second biggest price […]
Private Tenancies Bill in Northern Ireland receives Royal Assent
New notice to quit periods are now effective for landlords and letting agents in Northern Ireland as the Private Tenancies Bill received Royal Assent, creating the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. Although the Act, effective from 5 May 2022, brings with it many potential adjustments to the PRS in Northern Ireland the only immediate […]
Are rising rents enough to tempt landlords back into the market?
Despite headlines over the last few years being largely dominated by record house prices, in some cases, the rental market has outpaced the sales market, a fact not missed by would-be landlords, according to Knight Frank. According to the latest market analysis from Knight Frank, the number of buy-to-let mortgages issued last year reached its […]
Renters staying put for longer and more landlords selling up, figures show
Renters are remaining in properties for nearly two years on average, according to an industry body. Figures from Propertymark, which represents lettings and estate agents, said renters are staying put for 23 months on average. It said a lack of available properties could be contributing to renters remaining in homes for longer periods, with just […]
Why has buy-to-let lending been falling since 2016?
The value of residential loans to individuals within the buy-to-let sector totalled £36.9 billion last year, analysis of mortgage lending data by Octane Capital has revealed. The figure represents an 8% drop on the £40.1 billion lent in 2016, following the 2015 Autumn Statement, which, according to Octane Capital, has seen “the government wage war […]
BTL landlord fined for electrical safety breach in landmark case
A buy-to-let landlord has been fined for failing to comply with electrical safety standards in what is thought to be the first prosecution of its kind. Coventry City Council issued a £1,600 fine after the landlord failed to provide an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) in respect of their property investment on Stoney Stanton Road […]
Stop Scaremongering! Landlords slams exaggerated Shelter claims
Shelter’s latest accusations about private landlords and evictions have been slammed as “scaremongering.” The charity claims that a private renter in England is handed a Section 21 eviction every seven minutes. It says almost 230,000 private tenants have been served with a S21 since the government first committed to scrap this form of eviction in […]
Sharp rise recorded in landlords seeking to recover rental debt
The number of landlords seeking to recover lost rent has soared according to eviction and housing law specialists, Landlord Action, who have seen a sharp rise in landlords requesting to use their debt recovery service. According to the firm, instructions for the last year, April 2021 to March 2022, were up 180% compared to the […]
What is the Renters’ Reform Bill and how will it change things for renters?
Renters are used to waiting – whether it be for a landlord to carry out repairs to their property or for the return of a deposit – but the wait for the Renters’ Reform Bill has been a long one. The bill was first proposed in April 2019 in a bid to remove some of […]