Over the last decade, the proportion of people aged 24 to 64 living in their own home has fallen and the proportion renting privately has risen according to a new analysis. Currently 19 per cent of households rent privately, 35 per cent own outright, and 30 per cent have a mortgage. On average, mortgaged households spent 22 per cent of their household income on mortgage payments in 2021/22, whereas –… Continue Reading Tenants Renting Privately For Longer

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) today announces its new partnership with Crisis, the national charity for homeless people. With Crisis, the charity for homeless people, already working with many landlords in order to place individuals and families in accommodation, they now stand to benefit from the many advantages of NRLA membership. As a result of this new relationship, Crisis will be able to work more easily with private landlords… Continue Reading NRLA Partnership With Charity For Homeless People – Originally Posted by NRLA

New data published today by the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) reveals the extent of the misery communities now endure due to the failure of police and local authorities to tackle anti-social tenants in the private rented sector. The new data reveals that, of those private landlords who have served a repossession notice at some point, half have done so because of a tenant’s anti-social or criminal behaviour. The findings… Continue Reading Police And Councils Failing To Tackle Anti-Social Tenants – Originally Posted by NRLA

Data from fraud prevention database CIFAS a marked increase in both identity fraud and false lettings applications in the UK according to the verification service Credas. It says there have been increases of 34 and 45 per cent respectively in ID and lettings applications fraud respectively across the lettings sector over the last nine months.  Credas claims that ID fraud poses a significant risk to letting agents with previous research… Continue Reading Growing Fraudulent ID And Lettings Applications

The government is under new pressure to introduce a last minute new eviction ban to avoid private renters facing homelessness over Christmas. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey says thousands of renters and even homeowners who cannot afford mortgage payments are facing a “nightmare before Christmas”.  The Lib Dem proposals include a temporary ban on home repossession, between now and December 31, along similar lines to the bans in place… Continue Reading New Eviction Ban Call – Pressure From MPs

With winter around the corner, it’s a good time for landlords to prepare a property checklist for the risks that the colder months can bring. Taking time to draw up a property checklist for yourself and your tenants may help to ensure you have a trouble-free winter. Here are our tips to help tenants keep your property safe and in good condition. Making preparations in advance: There are certain steps… Continue Reading A Winter Property Checklist For Your Tenants – Originally Posted by NRLA

Agents have expressed their anger at the government effectively scrapping any meaningful house building targets. Housing Secretary Michael Gove scrapped the mandatory targets in a letter to Conservative backbenchers last week. Instead he said the objective of 300,000 homes a year by the middle of this decade would be “advisory” with local councils told they could reject housebuilding schemes for a range of reasons.  Timothy Douglas, head of policy and… Continue Reading Gove Scrapping House Building Targets

Liverpool Council would take almost 150 years to process applications for its landlord selective licensing scheme according to new data. The Council has hailed the importance of the scheme in addressing sub-standard housing across the city. But presenting figures to the Liverpool Landlord Forum, council representatives have said that since the Selective Licensing Scheme went live on 1st April, it has only granted 104 licences. This is despite an estimated… Continue Reading Landlord Selective Licensing Scheme A Waste Of Time – Originally Posted from NRLA

The government is to open a consultation on whether residential properties should require planning consent to be used as short lets via Airbnb and other platforms. It is also likely to introduce a registration scheme for short lets. The news has come in a package of concessions made by the Housing Secretary Michael Gove to Conservative backbench MPs who were angry over planning powers to build new homes. Those concessions… Continue Reading Residential Properties Planning Consent Under Consideration

The John Lewis Partnership has agreed a £500m multi-decade joint venture with global investment company abrdn to deliver around 1,000 new homes in three rental residential developments. The deal marks a milestone in the company’s plans to use its significant property assets to build rental residential developments and diversify its business. The joint venture will help the retailer to reach 10 percent of its ambition to build 10,000 new homes… Continue Reading Rental Residential Developments Details Revealed

Research released today by Legal & General, a player in the Build To Rent Houses sector, claims that renters are willing to pay far more for low-carbon homes. It claims renters are willing to pay a 13 per cent premium and buyers a 10.5 per cent premium for such Build To Rent Houses. With an apparent 34 per cent increase in tenant and buyer searches for eco-friendly homes online. Legal… Continue Reading Build To Rent Houses Will Cost More

The government is urging all overseas entities who own property in the UK to register at Companies House. The Register of Overseas Entities came into force in August this year and requires all entities in scope to register with Companies House before the deadline of January 31 2023. The registration process involved them declaring the beneficial owners and/or managing officers for properties in this country. As the deadline nears, Companies… Continue Reading Overseas Entities Register Comes Into Force

A senior Savills figure, who chairs the trade body known as The Lettings Industry Council, has issued a warning to the government not too further scare landlords away from the rentals sector. Theresa Wallace – The Lettings Industry Council chair and head of Savills’ lettings customer service division – has responded to a Daily Telegraph story, based on a freedom of Information request, which has revealed that thousands of landlords… Continue Reading The Lettings Industry Council Warns Government

Shelter claims government figures show 5,940 households were “threatened with homelessness” in England as a result of Section 21 evictions between April and June this year. This figure has risen by 76 per cent in a year following the end of the eviction ban in May 2021. To be classified as ‘threatened with homelessness’ by their council, Shelter says a household must be at risk of losing their home in… Continue Reading Households Threatened With Homelessness

Agents and landlords are to face even longer waits for eviction court cases following the spending cuts announced in the Autumn Statement, it’s feared. “The justice system is in crisis and facing systemic failure. Increased funding is vital to keep it functioning” says Nick Emmerson, Vice President of the Law Society of England and Wales. He continues: “In criminal justice, there are huge backlogs in the courts. Victims’, witnesses’ and… Continue Reading Eviction Court Delays Rise Due To Spending Cuts

The controversial Boiler Upgrade Scheme – which Propertymark say is so complex many people don’t think it’s worth applying to – is to be scrutinised by the House of Lords tomorrow. The controversial Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides grants for the installation of low-carbon heating systems in domestic and small non-domestic properties; home owners in England and Wales grants of £5,000 towards the cost of an air source heat pump, £6,000… Continue Reading Controversial Boiler Upgrade Scheme To Be Scrutinised

The overwhelming majority of people who live in shared rented properties say that the rising cost of household bills is likely to cause more arguments between them and their housemates. A survey by Comparethemarket shows that nearly three-in-five say that higher energy bills are already causing tension among renters in shared homes. Nearly half of people in shared rented properties believe their housemates use more than their fair share of… Continue Reading Shared Rented Properties Costs Warning

The number of long-term empty homes has risen in every region of the UK during 2022 according to new government figures. The UK-wide total rose some 20,000 or eight per cent to 257,331 – the highest since 2011. This excludes what are officially called ‘legitimate’ or ‘naturally occurring’ empty homes for example about 120,000 empty as a result of the owners’ death. Meanwhile an analysis of the same government data… Continue Reading Empty Homes And Holiday Homes Totals Rise

Following the publication of a letter by the Minister for the Private Rented Sector Felicity Buchan MP which was sent to the Levelling Up, Housing & Communites Committee, the NRLA has issued its own response to the Minister’s acknowledgement of the PRS supply and demand crisis issues currently impacting the market. In her letter the Minister states clearly “that demand is currently outstripping the supply of properties available to let”… Continue Reading NRLA Responds To PRS Supply And Demand Crisis – Originally Posted by NRLA

Although my ground rent is only going up by £40 per year, we’ve discovered that lenders are put off by the extra charge and regularity of review. Are we trapped in an unsellable home? William Perry, 33, is a project manager who lives with his partner and newborn son in Woolwich. He bought their flat as a new-build in 2017 and had planned to sell it last April. “Like many… Continue Reading Ground Rent Is Renewed Every Five Years