Private rented sector reforms will be unworkable unless the Government provides clarity. That’s the warning from The Lettings Industry Council ahead of the Lords debating the Renters Rights Bill on July 1. TLIC chair Theresa Wallace, in a letter to the Minister in the Lords, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, points to outstanding concerns which the government has failed to address during the Bill’s passage through Parliament. Despite pledging last year… Continue Reading Private Rented Sector Reforms Unworkable At Present

Figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government, show council tax arrears have increased by over £600m, now standing at a total of £6.6 billion. Now a charity, StepChange, claims these figures point to a broken system. It says its own polling shows that of those earning under £35,000, close to the median UK salary, 41% are worried about meeting tax payments. Amongst the charity’s own clients, just… Continue Reading Council tax arrears warnings make tenants ‘scared’ claims charity

Older people living in the North East or the East Midlands are six times less likely to be living in fully accessible homes compared to people living in London, new analysis from the Centre for Ageing Better reveals.   Only one in 25 homes (4%) headed by someone aged between 55 and 64 in the North East or the East Midlands have all four accessibility features compared to almost one… Continue Reading No real progress on plight of disabled seeking accessible homes

Agents have pleaded with government to make the Boiler Upgrade Scheme practical and affordable for landlords. In its response to proposals from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Propertymark has stressed the concerns of property agents that landlords are struggling to afford energy efficiency improving measures. Propertymark estimates that 48% of homes in England are lower than EPC C, with an even higher percentage in Wales.  A large… Continue Reading Boiler Upgrade Scheme Must Be Affordable And Practical

New legislation has just come into effect, marking the biggest update to the UK’s digital data laws since Brexit, according to Propertymark. The digital data laws ‘Data (Use and Access) Act 2025’ amends, but does not replace, the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). The trade body says that for agents, this presents an opportunity to streamline processes and embrace innovation,… Continue Reading Digital Data Laws Mark Biggest Update

It’s been revealed that the House of Lords’ so-called Report Stage for the Renters Rights Bill will now be on July 1. It is expected to have a non-controversial Third Reading in the Lords on the same day, meaning that the Bill will then follow tradition and return to the House of Commons. In theory the Commons and Lords, if in significant disagreement, could bat the Bill to and fro… Continue Reading Report Stage for the Renters Rights Bill

Private rented sector reform unworkable unless the Government provides clarity. That’s the warning from The Lettings Industry Council ahead of the Lords debating the Renters Rights Bill on July 1. TLIC chair Theresa Wallace, in a letter to the Minister in the Lords, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, points to outstanding concerns which the government has failed to address during the Bill’s passage through Parliament. Despite pledging last year to ensure… Continue Reading Private Rented Sector Reform Unworkable At Present

The government has given details of what it considers to be an appropriate Decent Homes Standard for the private rental sector. It closely mirrors proposals for the social rental sector, too, where such a standard has existed for many years. The government is consulting on the new Decent Homes Standard for the private rental sector which will be introduced in principle as part of the Renters Rights Bill, when that… Continue Reading Decent Homes Standard For The Private Rental Sector

Hundreds of thousands of extra homes will be delivered thanks to a government-backed ‘housing bank’. The government claims the National Housing Bank will unlock billions in private sector investment to “turbocharge housebuilding.” The National Housing Bank will be publicly owned and backed with £16 billion of financial capacity, on top of £6 billion of existing finance to be allocated this Parliament, in order to accelerate housebuilding and – the government… Continue Reading 500,000 Homes Through New Housing Bank

A lettings industry supplier claims the government has refused to publish the Justice Impact Test for the Renters’ Rights Bill – a document the Bill’s impact on the courts and tribunals system. Reapit has been in correspondence with the government regarding the Renters’ Rights Bill and requested access to the relevant Justice Impact Tests. Departments proposing changes with a potential court impact are required to complete a form to enable… Continue Reading Justice Impact Test for the Renters’ Rights Bill

Agents are being advised to update the inventories they use to better reflect the wear and tear incurred by tenants who work from home. Propertymark is suggesting to members that they communicate with tenants at the start of the tenancy to set clear expectations and then apply wear and tear guidance fairly and consistently.  “We encourage members to provide detailed check-in and check-out reports, ideally with photographs, to support clear… Continue Reading Update Inventories to Reflect Working from Home Wear & Tear

A £2bn funding boost for new homes in England was announced this week ahead of today’s spring statement but London’s housing crisis 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. London’s housing crisis has been 40 years in the making but one that has crescendoed over the last decade. Even the most… Continue Reading London’s Housing Crisis Is Harming Generations

London’s property market has seen 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’s property market could owe… Continue Reading London’s Property Market Sees Three Per Cent Drop

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 benefits tenants is causing extra poverty and rent hardship for many people. So says the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), which reveals within new research… Continue Reading Benefits Tenants Driving Rent Arrears

Nearly two-thirds of developers surveyed by lender are ‘confident’ the UK can meet the Government’s ambitious new homes 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. Increase in housebuilding Analysis of the lender’s survey data… Continue Reading Developers Say hitting New Homes Target Is 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 HMO Licensing And Council Tax Premium On Second Homes

Mortgage firm claims a third of UK BTL market 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. The specialist lender’s survey also found that 43% of the landlords surveyed… Continue Reading UK BTL Market Worried About Rent Arrears

An estate agency boss has urged the Government to bring in an Property MOT system for homes coming to market in the UK which, she claims, will help speed up the house sales process. Amy Reynolds of London agency Anthony Roberts reveals why she thinks persuading vendors to get more prepared for a sale will speed up sales. The comments by sales director Amy Reynolds of London agency Anthony Roberts… Continue Reading Property MOT System Best Way To Speed Up Sales

Less than one in ten rental properties currently listed on the market are pet-friendly homes 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. 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 Pet-Friendly Homes Refused By Landlords

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 Planning and Infrastructure Bill Lauded By Industry