New safety regulations for rental properties
All landlords will have to provide additional protections for tenants under new rules covering the installation of life-saving smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in rental properties in England. From 1 October, as well as providing a minimum of one smoke alarm on every floor of a rental property where a room is used as living […]
Letting agents slam Government over ‘risky’ renting reform plans
A lettings industry group has called on the Government to think again before it bans Section 21 evictions and abolishes fixed-term tenancies, warning doing both will negatively impact shared households, lead to significant job losses in the sector and prejudice applicants who require a guarantor. In a detailed but blunt report, The Lettings Industry Council (TLIC) says […]
War! Landlords accuse Labour of creating charter for rent dodgers
Labour’s radical proposals for the private rental sector – including reducing landlords’ powers to demand arrears – have produced a dramatic response from the National Residential Landlords Association. Yesterday Labour’s shadow housing secretary Lisa Nandy told her party’s conference that if her party won power it would end Section 21 evictions; reduce eviction powers for […]
Landlords should act now to secure BTL mortgages and remortgages
It’s clear that financial markets are not sold on the tax cutting plans of the new Truss government and they don’t seem keen on the EU zone either. This has led to the pound and the euro diving against the dollar. All this has caused mortgage lenders to rush into a spate of withdrawals and […]
Lenders pull products as markets digest sterling’s fall
A host of lenders have announced product withdrawals today, with one of the most eye-catching being Halifax Intermediaries’ latest update. The lender says that by the end of Tuesday 27 September, all products in its homebuyer range that charge a fee – including shared equity and green products – will be removed. Additionally, Foundation Home […]
Labour Party plan to ban ‘no pet’ rules for renters and make evictions harder
Labour has laid out plans for sweeping housing reforms that would reduce landlord powers to kick out tenants or stop them keeping pets. Shadow Levelling Up secretary Lisa Nandy said the party’s Private Renters’ Charter would end no-fault evictions, give renters rights to make home alterations and stop bans on animals in rental properties. It would also enforce a […]
Landlords join Shelter in call for end to housing benefit freeze
More than a million private tenants saw their rent increased in the last month, a new poll has claimed. Housing charity Shelter, which published the findings, is warning that many renters will become homeless unless the Government steps in to help. The statistics from Shelter reveal that a third of private tenants, 2.6 million people, […]
Industry body calls out ‘major flaw’ in looming PRS regulation laws
Estate agency accreditation body safeagent has called on the Government to include membership of a client money protection (CMP) scheme in its plans to publish details of rogue agents. The recent A Fairer Private Rented Sector white paper, known as the renters’ reform bill, promises to establish a Property Portal that will make public details of landlords and agents […]
Stamp Duty change does nothing to help rental sector – claim
The euphoria caused by the stamp duty cuts announced just before the weekend has given way to a realisation that they do nothing to help improve supply in the private rental sector. The mini-Budget raised the threshold before stamp duty is paid to £250,000 and for first-time buyers to £425,000 – welcomed by most agents […]
Govt to unveil plans to ‘unlock homeownership’ for new generation
The UK government will set out its vision this autumn to “unlock homeownership” for a new generation by building more homes in the places people want to live and work and by getting our housing market moving, according to the Treasury’s 2022 growth plan. Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced in this morning’s mini budget that “a […]