Propertymark is advising agents to prepare for potential changes in rent collection processes and consider implementing “supportive measures” to assist struggling tenants facing financial difficulties. This is as a result of a shake up in benefits next month. From April the Universal Credit Fair Repayment Rate will drop from 25% to 15% next month, reducing the amount available to service an individual’s monthly debts, including housing payments. Furthermore, the Department… Continue Reading Agents To Help Struggling Tenants On Benefit Changes

The average number of new tenancies agreed per lettings agent branch climbed to around eight in the first month of this year, a new report has revealed. The research by industry body Propertymark highlighted the increase from seven during the previous month, in December 2024. It also found that demand continues to outstrip supply, with the average number of applicants per member branch reaching around nine people for each available… Continue Reading Number Of New Tenancies Agreed Increases

New buyer enquiries and agreed sales in the housing market are dipping into negative territory according to RICS’ latest report. Changes in Stamp Duty and geopolitical and international economic uncertainty are creating a ‘less favourable climate for the housing market,’ says RICS Chief Economist Simon Rubinsohn. His comment are within the latest RICS Residential Property Survey which has revealed that buyer demand has weakened, with a net balance of -14%… Continue Reading The Housing Market Losing Momentum As Stamp Duty Deadline Looms

The RICS market latest snapshot points to rising rents, despite little movement in the lettings sector. The monthly RICS market study is a sentiment survey, rather than dealing in hard data, but surveyor respondents suggest that tenant demand recorded a figure slightly below zero for a fourth month in a row,. Consequently, this is longest stretch without a positive reading for this indicator since RICS began this measure in 2012.… Continue Reading RICS Market Update – Rents Will Rise Sales Losing Momentum

Online property auction house, Bamboo Auctions, has appointed former Reapit CEO, Gary Barker, and experienced fintech specialist, Rob Barnett to its board. Together with CEO, Robin Rathore, and Chairman, Nicholas Leeming, the pair will help advise and guide property auction house Bamboo Auctions’ strategic direction as it continues to increase its market share of the online auction sector as well as expanding its product offering into the wider property market.… Continue Reading Property Auction House Boosts Board

Small landlords with one or two properties could end up being replaced by larger portfolio or corporate landlords as part of the Government’s push to improve standards, according to a top property lawyer. Justin Bates, barrister at Landmark Chambers, believes the Government is worried about the “amateur” PRS, as it thinks it makes it harder to drive up standards. However, he said the Government isn’t inherently anti-landlord. “This is a… Continue Reading Small Landlords Could Soon Be Replaced

Many holiday lets sector owners are concerned about the impact recent and upcoming regulatory and tax changes will have on their businesses – especially in the context of other rising running costs. Sykes Holiday Cottages conducted a survey of 500 holiday lets sector owners to understand their attitudes to the industry and views on recent changes. Almost half (45%) of UK owners say they’ve already been affected by regulation changes,… Continue Reading Tax Worries Hit Holiday Lets Sector

An estate agency boss has urged the Government to bring in a Property 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 follow the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s announcement that it wants to digitise the conveyancing process, and ongoing efforts by Trading… Continue Reading Property MOT Best Way To Break Conveyancing Logjam

Tenants are being urged by the housing minister to challenge unfair rent increases. Matthew Pennycook’s comments were in response to a question to the Government about the impact of unfair rent increases on the number of tenants being evicted. He called on tenants to challenge any increases deemed above the market value. He said: “The Government recognises that paying rent is likely to be a tenant’s biggest monthly expense. “The… Continue Reading Tenants Urged To Challenge Unfair Rent

Disputes with tenants over rent arrears account for over one in five rental disputes, the highest percentage seen over the last five years. FCC Paragon analysed rental disputes data across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, looking at what proportion of total disputes lodged across the UK rental market were related to rental arrears. The figures show that last year an estimated 47,405 disputes were lodged by tenants across the… Continue Reading Arrears Lie Behind One In Five Disputes With Tenants

Hounslow Council is running a consultation on its proposed extension of its mandatory licensing requirements to include all smaller HMO’s which it hopes will help it tackle anti-social behaviour. Councillor Tom Bruce, Cabinet Member for Assets, Regeneration and Development at Hounslow Council says, with around a third of residents living in the private rented sector across the borough, HMOs are an important, much-needed source of accommodation. Difficult to manage However,… Continue Reading Big London Council Gets Tough On HMO’s And Anti-Social Behaviour

Tenants lodged an estimated 47,405 tenant disputes across the PRS in 2024, a 13% increase on the previous year and the highest number in the past five years. Based on UK-wide data from TDS, lettings platform FCC Paragon estimated that some 9,784 of these tenant disputes involved rental arrears, again the highest figure in the last five years, while also marking a huge 80% year-on-year increase. Disputes involving rental arrears… Continue Reading Tenant Disputes Reach Highest Level In Five Years

The auctioneers’ wing of Propertymark is warning of what it calls the ‘unintended consequences’ of High Street Rental Auctions powers given to local councils. The Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHLCG) has confirmed that more vacant shops and other empty premises will be transformed as councils use their new powers to revive high streets throughout England. High Street Rental Auctions powers, which provide local councils the power to… Continue Reading Propertymark warns of downside of High Street Rental Auctions

Charitable arm of TDS has held parliamentary event to herald My Housing Issue Gateway, which helps renters unhappy with their landlord or letting agent. The charitable arm of deposits scheme TDS has launched its promised website that will help tenants make raise complaints about errant landlords and letting agents. Called My Housing Issue Gateway, it was heralded in April last year but is being official launched today at a parliamentary… Continue Reading My Housing Issue Gateway Helps Tenants Raise Complaints

Prospective short let tenants have been warned by Airbnb not to be fooled by scammers using Artificial Intelligence to “airbrush” properties, improving their appearance online. Research from Airbnb and Get Safe Online found that the average amount lost to fraud is now £1,937. The lettings platform fears tenants are falling for AI-style scams after a study found that nearly two thirds were unable to differentiate AI-generated images from the genuine… Continue Reading Short Let Tenants Warning Over AI Scams

Tenants cite lazy landlords as the main reason for repairs and maintenance not being done in their rental homes. Housing satisfaction data in the English Housing Survey for 2022/23 reveals that just under two-thirds of renters and owner occupier leaseholders were satisfied (63%) with the repairs and maintenance provided by their landlord or freeholder, while 10% were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied and 28% were dissatisfied. Generally, households in non-decent homes… Continue Reading Tenants Blame Lazy Landlords For Poor Property Repairs

The HMO Network now exceeds 30 members who are all specialist letting agents and property managers, just two years after being founded. The UK’s only national network of independent letting agents and property managers specialising in houses in multiple occupation (HMO) management has reached a major milestone, welcoming its 31st member. Just two years after its founding, HMO Network members now manage approximately 13,000 tenancies nationwide and oversee the collection… Continue Reading HMO Network For Letting Agents Hits 13,000 Tenancies

Croydon council is exploring reintroducing a selective rental licencing scheme for the private sector. A statement from the council says the private rented sector is an important part of Croydon’s housing solution, and the majority of landlords provide homes that are in a decent condition. But the statement continues: “However, the Council recognises that some privately rented properties in Croydon have serious issues, including damp, mould, fire hazards, and structural… Continue Reading London Council Poised To Reintroduce Rental Licencing

Gravesham Council is looking into a possible planning breach after studio flats were advertised for rent at a disused Premier Inn. The authority says the site in Hever Court Road, Gravesend, is still listed as a hotel and not a residential building, reports Kent Online. The company behind the proposals, Alder Design and Build, says it was given “erroneous advice” and posted the listing slightly prematurely. The hotel was sold… Continue Reading Premier Inn Rooms Advertised For Rent

Landlords will collectively have to spend more than £20 billion making improvements to their rental properties to meet proposed new energy efficiency standards, according to some estimates. EPC changes, what’s coming and what do you need to do? The government put out a press release on 7 February announcing its plans to improve the tenants’ lot: “Warm homes and cheaper bills as government accelerates Plan for Change”. The government is… Continue Reading Landlords Hit With A £20bn Energy Efficiency Standards Bill