Housebuilding Target Central Housing Group

Housebuilding Target Miles Away

Connells boss Jason Willetts says the PM’s plan is no ‘silver bullet’, and the Government is still ‘miles away’ from hitting its housebuilding target. LAND & NEW HOMES UK’s biggest agency pours cold water on Sunak’s housing plans Connells boss Jason Willetts says the PM’s plan is no ‘silver bullet’, and the Government is still ‘miles away’ from hitting its housebuilding target.  Connells has poured cold water on PM Rishi Sunak’s…

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Housing Courts Central Housing Group

Housing Courts To Counter S21 Removal

Propertymark is urging the Sunak government to introduce specialist housing courts with expert Judges who can expedite cases and create a consistent standard of judgments. This would reduce the pressure on County Courts, improve access for both landlords and tenants and speed up the processing of claims, says the trade body. Research on the current system from Citizens Advice found just 23 per cent of tenants feel confident applying to…

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Disabled Facilities Grant CHG

Disabled Facilities Grant – Ministers Backtrack

According to the BBC, the Government is no longer committed to increasing the Disabled Facilities Grant, the amount disabled people in England can claim to adapt their home. The fund, known as the Disabled Facilities Grant, is used to cover the costs of adaptations which those with disabilities may need to help them live independently. The maximum amount a person can claim from the DFG is £30,000 in England which…

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Rental Licensing Schemes CHG

Rental Licensing Schemes For 2024 Rising

A survey of local council private rental licensing schemes says 19 selective and additional licensing schemes and consultations will be taking place within the first four months of 2024. Already this year six new rental licensing schemes have begun – they’re in Greenwich, Nottingham, Islington, Warwick, and Luton. London takes the lead with active consultations starting in Haringey, Lambeth, Waltham Forest, and most recently Bexley, all indicating council objectives to…

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Buy To Let Mortgage Arrears Soar CHG

Buy To Let Mortgage Arrears Soar

Propertymark wants the Bank of England to cut interest rates following data showing repossessions and buy to let mortgage arrears soar. Lenders trade body UK Finance says buy to let mortgage arrears of 2.5 per cent or more of the outstanding balance increased to 13,570 in the last three months of 2023 – the latest data. Some 500 buy to let mortgaged properties were taken into possession in Q4, which…

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Dangers Of Selective Licensing Schemes CHG

Dangers Of Selective Licensing Schemes

A legal firm that specialises in helping landlords has issued a warning about the dangers of selective licensing schemes that many local authorities in the UK are implementing. Selective licensing schemes aim to improve the quality and management of private rented properties in areas with low demand or high antisocial behaviour. However, Landlord Licensing & Defence claims that the dangers of selective licensing schemes are ineffective, unjustified and costly for…

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Tenant Security Central Housing Group

Tenant Security And Landlords At Risk

A property expert is warning that the Renters (Reform) Bill, which aims to end no-fault evictions and improve tenant security, will have negative consequences for both tenants and landlords. Chris Daniel, who has more than 20 years of experience in the property sector, said that the Bill will make it harder for landlords to regain possession of their properties in cases of rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, or damage. He says…

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Landlords In The UK Central Housing Group

Landlords In The UK Failed By Court System

Landlords in the UK are struggling to regain their properties from tenants who have breached their tenancies or stopped paying rent, due to inefficiencies and backlogs in the court system, a leading tenant eviction specialist says. The situation is expected to worsen with the potential abolition of Section 21, which allows landlords in the UK to evict tenants without giving a reason, under the Renters (Reform) Bill. Recently, Property118 highlighted…

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EPC System Central Housing Group

EPC System Requires Reforms

One charity is calling for major reforms to the EPC system saying the current system is “not fit for purpose”. The Building Research Establishment (BRE) demands reforming the EPC system to be net zero-ready claiming it will help decarbonise UK homes. The charity is calling on the government to cut the validity of EPCs from ten to five years. All make our homes better A report by the BRE argues…

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Renting Out Properties Central Housing Group

Renting Out Properties Drives 18% Rise In Repossessions

The cost of renting out properties and high interest rates have pushed up the number of buy-to-let (BTL) mortgages in arrears. UK Finance reports that while homeowner mortgages in arrears increased by 7% to 93,680 in the last quarter of 2023 compared with the previous quarter, buy-to-let mortgages in arrears increased by 18% to 13,570. It classifies this as when arrears reach 2.5% of the outstanding balance. As a result,…

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Licensing Schemes Launched CHG

Most Landlord Licensing Schemes Launched

This year is on track to break 2023’s record for the most additional and selective licensing schemes launched across the UK. Geospatial tech company Kamma reports that 11 new schemes are set to launch by April while there are eight active consultations, suggesting that 2024 will surpass last year’s 32 new schemes. Already this year, six new licensing schemes have launched in Greenwich, Nottingham, Islington, Warwick, and Luton. London takes…

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Awaabs Law Central Housing Group

Private Renters Most In Need Of Awaabs Law

Private renters are most in need of Awaabs Law due to the frequently worse conditions of mould in their homes, says Labour MP Fleur Anderson, who hopes to instigate stricter rules for the PRS. Her private members’ bill – Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (Amendment) – has its second reading in the Commons on 1st March and would make it mandatory for private landlords to fix problems including mould. Her…

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Evictions Process CHG

Evictions Process Now In Crisis

The evictions process is in crisis with many landlords who are seeking to remove problem tenants facing huge court delays, it has been claimed. Paul Shamplina, founder of Landlord Action, says landlords are experiencing frustratingly long waits just to secure a court date, let alone obtain possession orders. Once possession is granted, further delays occur in receiving the crucial sealed court order necessary to proceed with bailiff eviction. And bailiffs…

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Energy Efficiency of Landlord Properties

Energy Efficiency of Landlord Properties

The Government must use ‘carrot’ as well as ‘stick’ policies as it attempts to improve the energy efficiency of landlord properties, a leading mortgage broker as claimed. Ben Thompson, Deputy CEO of Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB), warns that landlords’ concerns must be listened to when forming residential housing policy and that their approach should be more collaborative. “For example, looking to refund Stamp Duty once a property has been retrofitted…

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Self-Assessment Returns CHG

HMRC Warning Self-Assessment Returns

HMRC has sent out a stark warning that its data shows that 3.8 million people have so far failed to send in their self-assessment returns before the January 31st deadline, and many thousands are understood to be private landlords. HMRC states it is expecting 12.1m plus self-assessment returns to be filed for 2022/23 tax yearalong with payments for the owed tax. Earlier this week by Wednesday January 24th HMRC received…

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Stamp Duty For PRS Landlords CHG

Scrap Stamp Duty For PRS Landlords

A director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies since 2011 Paul Johnson is calling for the government to scrap stamp duty for PRS landlords. Johnson is used by many news organisations to provide his views as an independent analyst of economic policy, writing in The Times and on the Institute’s website, he says: “Not only do prospective landlords have to pay extra stamp duty, they pay far more tax on…

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Short Term Let Platforms CHG

Short Term Let Platforms Detrimental

Prominent MPs from the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties have renewed their onslaught on Airbnb and other short term let platforms. Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, a Lake District MP and long-time campaigner about what he sees as the detrimental impact of short lets, told MPs in a debate: “The government have failed to act to counter the collapse of the long-term rented market into Airbnb properties. We have…

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New Homes Built Central Housing Group

New Homes Built On Flood Plains

New analysis by insurance giant Aviva reveals that one in every 13 new homes built in England in the last decade sit in a flood zone – the equivalent of almost 110,000 properties. Aviva says that since 2013/14, some 1,355,330 new homes have been completed in England with eight per cent – or 109,017 – built in areas categorised as national flood zone three, which represents the highest risk from…

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PRS Industry Central Housing Group

PRS Industry Support Needed For RRB

The Renters Reform Bill cannot succeed without PRS industry support from letting agents and landlords, Propertymark argues. According to a Freedom of Information request submitted by Propertymark, 52 per cent of local authorities in England have not had a landlord forum since 2021. The purpose of landlord forums is for local authorities to engage with landlords and property agents about new legislation, share best practice and to receive feedback on…

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Over 50 Year Old First Time Buyers CHG

Over 50 Year Old First Time Buyers Increase

There were 12,000 over 50 year old first time buyers in the UK in 2022, the latest figures available. This means that the number of first time homeowners over the age of 50 has increased by 30 per cent over the past five years, making it one of the fastest growing segments of the first time buyer market – and it comes at a time that home ownership in the…

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