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… Continue Reading Landlords In The UK Failed By Court System

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… Continue Reading EPC System Requires Reforms

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,… Continue Reading Renting Out Properties Drives 18% Rise In Repossessions

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… Continue Reading Most Landlord Licensing Schemes Launched

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… Continue Reading Private Renters Most In Need Of Awaabs Law

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… Continue Reading Evictions Process Now In Crisis

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… Continue Reading Energy Efficiency of Landlord Properties

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… Continue Reading Scrap Stamp Duty For PRS Landlords

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… Continue Reading Short Term Let Platforms Detrimental

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… Continue Reading New Homes Built On Flood Plains

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… Continue Reading PRS Industry Support Needed For RRB

A law professor has dismissed a Labour call for letting agent qualifications as “eye poppingly silly” and “snobby.” Labour’s shadow housing minister Matthew Pennycook has tabled an amendment to the government’s Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill retiring the regulation of all agents.  Specifically, Pennycook wants to prohibit anyone from working as an agent without at least one A-level, or managing an agency unless they have a degree. Now Andrew Tettenborn,… Continue Reading Letting Agent Qualifications Is Laughable

Seventeen housing organisations have sent an open letter to the government rejecting its idea of prioritising British families when it comes to housing lists. The letter is signed by some of the country’s leading housing organisations and experts from the likes of the Chartered Institute of Housing, National Housing Federation and Local Government Association, along with vocal critics of many landlords and letting agencies such as Shelter and Generation Rent.… Continue Reading Housing Organisations Send Open Letter

New research shows there are 36,210 long-term vacant homes across London – that’s around one in every 100 properties. The borough in which vacant units make up the largest proportion of local stock is the City of London. While there are just 261 empty properties, they equate to 3.4 per cent of all dwellings.  Southwark is home to the second highest proportion of long-term empty homes, accounting for 2.0 per… Continue Reading Long-Term Vacant Homes Slammed

The Building Research Establishment – which undertakes research, advice, training, testing, certification and standards-setting for the housing sector – is calling for a major rethink of Energy Performance Certificates. A new BRE report – Energy Performance Certificates: Enabling the Home Energy Transition – is published this week, just as the government is consulting on a new Home Energy Model to replace the Standard Assessment Procedure, currently used to assess and… Continue Reading Building Research Establishment EPC Rethink

Stamp duty receipts dipped four per cent to £2.4 billion in Q3 of last year – no less than 25 per cent lower than the same period a year earlier. HMRC data shows that the number of stamp duty receipts in the fourth quarter of 2023 was in total only one per cent down on the previous quarter although there was a larger dip in the transaction volumes of those… Continue Reading Stamp Duty Receipts Blow For Chancellor

Private rented sector landlords will not come under the Awaab’s Law which will be introduced solely for social housing landlords. Last week the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government started it’s consultation on targeting rogue social landlords who are failing to ensure they provide safe homes. It suggests the introduction of far tougher time limits for social housing providers to act swiftly in rectifying life threatening hazards such as… Continue Reading Social Housing Landlords New Law

Figures released by HMRC show that the Treasury raked in £5.7 billion in inheritance tax receipts in the nine months from April to December 2023. This is £400m more than in the same period a year earlier, continuing a long-term upward trend. One in every 25 estates pay inheritance tax, although the proportion of families affected is higher, and the freeze on inheritance tax thresholds paired with decades of house… Continue Reading Huge Rise In Inheritance Tax Receipts