Propertymark has called on the government to retain the option of fixed-term tenancies in the private rental sector where it is mutually beneficial for both parties. Propertymark made the call at the committee stage of the Renters Reform Bill. Timothy Douglas, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Propertymark, presented evidence to MPs where he stressed the need for tenants to have more choice and “have the option to rent on… Continue Reading Fixed-Term Tenancies Mutually Beneficial

Landlords are extremely perturbed and exasperated with the pet policy measures in the Renters Reform Bill. Landlords are frustrated by the tenants with pets’ regulations included in the Renters Bill and many wish to cover themselves and properties by hiking up rents. The Bill states that tenants must be allowed to have pets in their rented ‘homes’ unless the landlord “reasonably refuses”, however landlords will be able to stipulate that… Continue Reading Pet Policy Gets Landlords Barking Mad

A new report suggests London’s Build To Rent quarter is being held back by a “stark inconsistency” from local councils in the capital. The report, by national consultants Lichfields, says planning policy across all London boroughs is mixed and “could do far more” to support the delivery of more BTR units.  It says a key finding highlights a stark inconsistency in how BTR is addressed in Local Plans: of the… Continue Reading Build To Rent Quarter Problems Highlighted

Update from the Ministry of Justice reveals that despite attempts to recruit more judges, landlords and rental agents still face huge delays with evictions. The courts are taking over half a year on average to process bona fide evictions by landlords and rental agents, official figures have revealed. Latest data from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) shows that repossessions by landlords are taking on average 29 weeks, while the Ministry… Continue Reading Landlords And Rental Agents Wait To Evict Tenants

Propertymark has told politicians that an additional homes tax surcharge will not succeed in increasing housing supply. Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, presented evidence to Members of the Scottish Parliament who are considering the Council Tax (Variation for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023. The draft regulations give councils discretionary powers to increase homes tax surcharge on second homes of up to 100 per cent and… Continue Reading Homes Tax Surcharge Will Not Succeed

The number of people falling behind and into mortgage arrears rose sharply over the summer months, figures from the banking sector show. Rising interest rates have put pressure on homeowners, with 87,930 in arrears said UK Finance, up 18% compared with July to September last year. Among landlords, the number in arrears doubled in a year. Home repossessions are rare, but lenders and charities urge people to act early when… Continue Reading Mortgage Arrears Up As Landlords Hit Hard

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has used his Autumn Statement to reveal measures affecting both the wider rental market and property industry. The Local Housing Allowance is to be increased next year to the 30th percentile of local market rents, as requested by numerous landlord and lettings agency groups. Hunt says this will help some 1.6m households currently renting in both the private and social rental market and property industry. It’s the… Continue Reading Rental Market And Property Industry Tax & Benefit Changes

Propertymark has welcomed the pledge by Housing Secretary Michael Gove not to introduce rent controls in England. The trade body says such rent controls in England discourage investment and are in any case ineffective at regulating rent levels. Propertymark says where rents have risen, the recent increases in costs and legislative requirements that landlords face, along with an array of tax changes have placed additional financial burdens on landlords. This… Continue Reading No Rent Controls In England & Tax Reforms

New data reveals a 68 per cent surge in reports of meter tampering and energy theft during winter. The data – revealed by Stay Energy Safe, an independent service operated by the charity Crimestoppers – is based on an average of 1,000 tip-offs a month between August 2022 and August 2023. The service says record levels of suspected energy theft were reported during the winter months and it forecasts more… Continue Reading Meter Tampering And Energy Theft Winter Rise

Rent control guidance as currently in force in Scotland and under consideration in Wales will not be put into effect in England, the government has made clear. In a letter from Housing Secretary Michael Gove to the all-party Select Committee on Housing, Gove rejects a call for Valuation Office Agency data to be made public so some form of assessment could be made as to what constitutes “a justified rent… Continue Reading No Rent Control Guidance In England

More Section 21 eviction details have emerged of what appears to be a sort of stay of execution for it’s powers. The abolition of Section 21 was arguably the centrepiece of the Renters Reform Bill, which has its Second Reading in the House of Commons this afternoon. On Friday it emerged that Section 21 eviction details would still be abolished but only when improvements were made to the way courts… Continue Reading Section 21 Eviction Details Given

The government has been warned by trade body Propertymark that the controversial Renters Reform Bill must fairly reflect the importance of letting agents. The Bill is scheduled to receive its Second Reading in the House of Commons today, with its main provision being the abolition of Section 21 eviction powers. A statement from Propertymark says it’s actively engaged with MPs on the content of the Bill throughout the summer and… Continue Reading Importance Of Letting Agents Must Be Enhanced

The National Audit Office says the government will soon have to take hard decisions on the future for the Homes For Ukraine scheme. The British public’s generosity enabled the government to move at speed to temporarily support Ukrainians seeking refuge from war, successfully supporting 131,000 Ukrainians arriving into the UK since March 2022 with £2.1 billion in funding. A new NAO report out today says the visas for the first… Continue Reading Homes For Ukraine Decisions On Future

Government data shows that as of 2022 some 15.29 per cent of homes in England are privately rented, with 14.9 per cent in Scotland and 14.0 per cent in both Wales and Northern Ireland.  London is the location with the most privately rented homes, with 20.81 per cent. The North East of England has the least, with 13.27 per cent. An analysis of this data and separate figures by the… Continue Reading Growth In Privately Rented Homes

MPs have given the UK Renters Reform Bill its Second Reading – a procedure which means it now continues into the Committee Stage, at which it will undergo line-by-line scrutiny. No vote was taken, as is common at the end of this stage of parliamentary business. Opening the debate Housing Secretary Michael Gove repeatedly spoke of the need to balance the needs of tenants and landlords in the progress of… Continue Reading UK Renters Reform Bill passes Second Reading

Propertymark has called on the government to reintroduce the Empty Homes Programme following the latest news that England has a growing empty homes problem. England used to have an Empty Homes Programme, which provided funds to bring empty homes back into use. The programme ran between 2012-15 but was not renewed after the Tories won an outright majority that year. Recent figures from property purchasing specialist House Buyer Bureau found… Continue Reading Empty Homes Programme Plea

Nearly half of tenants are struggling to make their monthly rent payments, Which? has claimed, urging those in trouble to seek help from their landlord for ‘temporary help’. A poll of some 4,000 households by the consumer advocacy group found widespread financial problems when paying for a roof over their head with 46% saying they were struggling, which equates to approximately seven million people. Although the poll included both mortgage… Continue Reading Nearly Half Struggling To Pay Monthly Rent Payments

An estimated seven million UK households are struggling to keep up with their mortgage or rent payments, Which? warns, with millions more at risk of tipping into financial difficulty by the end of 2024. A Which? survey of 4,000 people found 46 per cent of households with mortgages or who are renting have been struggling to keep up with their housing payments – which equates to an estimated seven million… Continue Reading Huge Numbers Struggle With Mortgage or Rent Payments

Police are urging letting agents and landlords to act swiftly if they think one of their let properties is being used as a cannabis factory. Cannabis factories cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to the let properties in which they are housed and can pose a serious risk to the local community due to the bypassing of the electrical supply. Rented properties – both commercial and domestic – are… Continue Reading Let Properties Urged To Smoke Out Cannabis Farms

Westminster’s Labour controlled council is stepping up its war on Airbnbs and other short-term rentals. It was a mandatory registration system for short-term rentals, would like powers to impose its own overnight levy on users, and make AirBnb landlords pay higher council tax. In a speech in London the council’s leader, Adam Hug, describes the proliferation of short lets as an ‘enforcement nightmare’. And he points out that in one… Continue Reading Westminster Wants To Tax Short-Term Rentals