A £2bn funding boost for new homes in England was announced this week ahead of today’s spring statement but the housing market’s problems run deep. Here’s an overview of where we are and how we got there London is at the epicentre of the UK’s housing affordability crisis. It is a crisis 40 years in the making but one that has crescendoed over the last decade. Even the most peripheral… Continue Reading London’s housing crisis is harming generations — so how could we fix it?

There’s been a three per cent drop in buyer demand as the increased cost of moving bites It was good while it lasted but London’s property market is now facing a spring hangover as the effects of the end of the stamp duty holiday take effect. The end of the discounted rate, introduced by the Conservative government, means that first-time buyers in London could owe several thousands more than planned if they… Continue Reading Stamp duty hangover hits London as 80 per cent of first-time buyers face higher tax from April

NRLA has told Liz Kendall that ongoing Local Housing Allowance rates ‘freeze’ is causing extra poverty among benefits tenants, although it will also be driving higher rent arrears too. The Government has been warned that its ongoing refusal to ‘unfreeze’ its official Local Housing Allowance rate for private renters in receipt of benefits is causing extra poverty and rent hardship for many people. So says the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), which… Continue Reading Landlords warn benefits Minister over rent affordability ‘gap’

Nearly two-thirds of developers surveyed by lender are ‘confident’ the UK can meet the Government’s ambitious housebuilding target. Planning reforms such as mandatory housebuilding targets for councils, grey belt policies, the recruitment of 300 new planning officers, and ‘golden rules’for development have boosted developers’ confidence that the Government will hit its 1.5m new homes target, says Shawbrook MD Terry Woodley (pictured). Increase in housebuilding Analysis of the lender’s survey data reveals that… Continue Reading Developers say hitting Labour’s 1.5m new homes target ‘easy’

Brent Council is introducing a new HMO licensing scheme and a Council Tax premium on second homes at the same time. North west London borough Brent is the latest to crack down on HMOs and landlords, and in a double attack on property owners, is also targeting second homes. The council’s new plans to make landlords get HMO licences are an extension of a previous programme that ran for five… Continue Reading Big council in double attack on landlords and second homes

Mortgage firm claims a third of landlords to expand their portfolios this year and that most are untroubled by Renters’ Rights Bill. Landlords are much more optimistic than expected about the BTL market in 2025 with 36% planning on expanding their portfolios and just 9% expecting to reduce them says Market Financial Solutions‘ CEO Paresh Raj (pictured). The specialist lender’s survey also found that 43% of the landlords surveyed said that… Continue Reading ‘Landlords worried mostly about rent arrears, not reforms’

Amy Reynolds of London agency Anthony Roberts reveals why she thinks persuading vendors to get more prepared for a sale will speed up sales. An estate agency boss has urged the Government to bring in a ‘MOT’ style system for homes coming to market in the UK which, she claims, will help speed up the house sales process. The comments by sales director Amy Reynolds of London agency Anthony Roberts… Continue Reading AGENT: Property MOTs ‘best way to break conveyancing logjam’

Less than one in ten rental properties currently listed on the market are pet-friendly according to Zero Deposit. Landlords are not changing their ‘anti-pets’ habits despite the Renters’ Rights Bill making dog and cat refusal much more difficult, says Zero Deposit CEO Sam Reynolds (pictured). This is because landlords and letting agents will no longer be able to ‘unreasonably’ refuse tenants’ pets in a rental home – but despite this… Continue Reading Landlords still refusing pets ‘en-masse’ despite looming reforms

While nature defenders have criticised the Planning and Infrastructure Bill as it enters parliament, the property industry has welcomed it. Labour’s legislation to shake-up the planning system and deliver the 1.5 million homes it has optimistically promised to build before the next General Election entered parliament yesterday. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill promises to speed up the system of approval for newbuilds and, while allowing local residents to have their say, also… Continue Reading Industry lauds Labour’s radical planning overhaul

The number of arrears disputes has reached a higher level than during the pandemic, says AML compliance firm FCC Paragon. More than one in five of all lettings disputes are caused by rent arrears, the highest proportion for five years says FCC Paragon’s MD Bekki Leaves (pictured). Her firm’s figures reveal that last year an estimated 47,405 disputes were lodged by tenants across the private rental sector based on data taken… Continue Reading REVEALED: Big jump in rent arrears disputes within PRS revealed

Propertymark is calling on politicians to undertake what it calls “a targeted review” of anti-social behaviour in the housing sector. Following publication of the Independent Working Group on Anti-social Behaviour in Scotland – which looked at all aspects of anti-social behaviour – Propertymark has revealed that in its evidence to the group it claimed that decisions by Scotland’s First Tier Tribunals on anti-social behaviour cases for the private rented sector… Continue Reading Anti-Social Behaviour – some tenants play the system, claims Propertymark

This week the government published its Commonhold White Paper and announced plans to bring the sale of new leasehold flats to an end. Legislation to the effect is expected later this year.  Mark Chick of the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners has produced information on the matter for agents.  What is Commonhold?  Commonhold is a form of property ownership in England and Wales that allows homeowners to own their individual… Continue Reading What Is Commonhold? – what agents need to know

New government figures have revealed a net loss of 7,723 social homes in England last year, as Right To Buy sales and demolitions continue to surpass the number of homes built.  The figures show that 17,589 social homes were either sold or demolished last year in England, yet just 9,866 social homes were built – a net loss of 7,723 homes.  In the past ten years, there has been a… Continue Reading Right To Buy removes thousands of homes from housing stock

As part of Electrical Safety Week this week, Propertymark is supporting this year’s campaign to raise awareness about the fire risks associated with white goods. Last year 1,140 accidental electrical fires involving common household white goods, such as tumble dryers and washing machines, occurred in areas across England – the equivalent of three fires per day. Propertymark stresses the important role that letting agents play in ensuring private rented homes… Continue Reading Fire risks in white goods in lettings properties – agents back awareness campaign

A new analysis by Propertymark throws new light on an old problem – just who should be responsible for garden upkeep: tenants or landlords/agents? Three-quarters of landlords and letting agents believe that tenants should be responsible for garden upkeep. However, nearly half do not provide tenants with specific guidance on their responsibilities, relying instead on tenancy agreements to set expectations. Propertymark is now warning that a lack of clarity in… Continue Reading New guidelines in bid to avoid garden upkeep rental disputes

The Government is being urged to allow more time and provide more funding clarity on its energy efficiency ambitions. Plans were announced last month to introduce a new requirement for rental homes to have a minimum Energy Performance rating of C, with an ultimate deadline of 2030 for compliance. To achieve this, landlords will be expected to pay up to £15,000 per property for improvements.   But the National Residential Landlords… Continue Reading More time and money needed for EPC changes – claim

In a move that may or may not be welcomed by agents, lenders say all homes, not just those being sold or rented, should have an EPC. In response to the Government’s consultation process on changes to EPCs, mortgage trade body UK Finance is calling for all homes to have an EPC rating which could help reduce estate agents’ bureaucratic burden. The trade body says that although significant progress has… Continue Reading Big mortgage lenders call for all homes to have EPCs

A lettings agency set up by a council to buy properties on the open market and let them at open market rents has failed. Reading’s Labour council blames “changes to local authority lending rules, the housing market, interest rates on borrowing, and other external factors have in recent years affected the viability of the company.” Homes For Reading has written to its tenants – who pay rents in line with… Continue Reading Council bid to run private lettings agency ends in failure

Consumer organisation Which? claims there are some 1,000 reports of rental fraud scams a month at this time of year. It says the start of the academic year sees a scramble to secure accommodation from students making last-minute choices on iniversities and colleges.  Which? calculates that this leads to £2.7m lost as prospective tenants pay deposits or so-called viewing fees to fake landlords, often advertising on social media and then… Continue Reading Prospective tenants lose millions through rental scams

Average arrears rose from £1,802 to £2,597 last year which is a rise of 44% says deposit alternative firm Reposit. Rent arrears have increased significantly recently by 44% as tenants struggle for a variety of reasons to pay their rent, new data shows. Reposit has found that the average cash deposit during the last three months of last year was £1,228 and with those tenants in arrears typically owing £2,597,… Continue Reading Deposits firm reveals shock 44% jump in rent arrears