Tenants and first-time buyers could be left worse off if the government continues to squeeze the private rental sector, industry leaders have warned. The warning comes amid reports that the Chancellor is coming under increased pressure to hike taxes on landlords to balance the books. Tax experts have suggested that landlords could be forced to pay National Insurance on rental income at a future fiscal event. However, speaking at a… Continue Reading Tenants and First-time Buyers Worse Off

Fewer than half of UK tenants have contents insurance take-up in place, a new YouGov survey claims. The survey of over 1,000 private tenants was commissioned by PropTech Paymentshield and shows the volume of private tenants surveyed with contents insurance take-up dropping from 51% in 2023 to 46% now. The Renters Rights Bill as originally envisaged gave landlords the right to require tenants with pets to take out suitable insurance.… Continue Reading Low Level of Contents Insurance Take-up By Tenants

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