Average arrears rose from £1,802 to £2,597 last year which is a rise of 44% says deposit alternative firm Reposit. Rent arrears have increased significantly recently by 44% as tenants struggle for a variety of reasons to pay their rent, new data shows. Reposit has found that the average cash deposit during the last three months of last year was £1,228 and with those tenants in arrears typically owing £2,597,… Continue Reading Deposits firm reveals shock 44% jump in rent arrears

New government figures have revealed a net loss of 7,723 social homes in England last year, as Right To Buy sales and demolitions continue to surpass the number of homes built.  The figures show that 17,589 social homes were either sold or demolished last year in England, yet just 9,866 social homes were built – a net loss of 7,723 homes.  In the past ten years, there has been a… Continue Reading Right To Buy removes thousands of homes from housing stock

Concern is growing over the one-size-fits-all  government demand for energy efficiency improvements in the private rental sector.  Last week the government confirmed that all private rental properties must be EPC rates C or higher by 2030 with a cost cap of £15,000 for landlord spending on each property.  Now The Property Institute says the initiative does not address the issue of tall blocks of leasehold flats. Jaclyn Mangaroo of TPI… Continue Reading Concerns grow about Labour’s EPC private rental clampdown

As part of Electrical Safety Week this week, Propertymark is supporting this year’s campaign to raise awareness about the fire risks associated with white goods. Last year 1,140 accidental electrical fires involving common household white goods, such as tumble dryers and washing machines, occurred in areas across England – the equivalent of three fires per day. Propertymark stresses the important role that letting agents play in ensuring private rented homes… Continue Reading Fire risks in white goods in lettings properties – agents back awareness campaign

Propertymark says the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 needs to be reframed to reflect current challenges like Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for non-domestic property, It also needs to be updated to consider greater protections for tenants against unfair claims of upkeep in England and Wales.   When it was implemented, the 1954 Act aimed to provide security of tenure for tenants while addressing the right of landlords to manage their… Continue Reading Call to reform 60-year-old law surrounding commercial property

A Labour council is contacting its social housing tenants to report their repair problems to their landlord and not through lawyers. York council says the plea is being made because legal firms are allegedly targeting social housing tenants in the city – with one example leaving the renter almost £8,000 out of pocket. ‘No win, no fee’ legal firms press tenants to make claims against the council for failing to… Continue Reading Council warns social tenants not to use lawyers to chase repairs

The government’s latest English Housing Survey, giving a snapshot of the private rental sector in 2023, says the problem of mould and damp is growing. In 2023 some 5% of homes in England had a problem with damp, higher than in any of the last five years and this was more prevalent in the private rented sector (9%) compared to the social rented sector (7%) and owner-occupied sector (4%). The… Continue Reading Mould and damp a growing problem in private rental sector – figures

The latest edition of the English Housing Survey reveals precisely how relatively rarely Section 21 is used. Data from the survey analysed by Propertymark shows that in 2022-23, some 63% of private renters who had moved in the previous 12 months stated they ended their tenancy by choice. Job-related reasons were the most common driver, followed by wanting a larger property or to live in a better area. Only 9%… Continue Reading Section 21: Only small proportion of renters evicted, official data shows

Propertymark hopes the House of Lords can provide a last-minute reality check on the government’s flawed Renters Rights Bill. Second Reading of the Bill takes place in the Lords tomorrow – and if it’s not changed it will drive up rents insists Propertymark. In the House of Commons last month, amendments were tabled by the government including a limit on how much rent a landlord can request in advance with… Continue Reading 200 letters sent to Lords explaining Renters Rights Bill dangers

Data gathered by Propertymark suggests that 50% of surveyed property agents are specifically concerned about the Renters’ Rights Bill.  Overall, Propertymark believes change is needed in the sector and supports many of the greater protections that the Renters’ Rights Bill will provide renters with. However, there are specific areas of the proposed legislation that the industry body believes will have wider implications across the sector.   The professional body believes that… Continue Reading Half of agents worried about Renters Rights Bill – Propertymark

Over 250 letters and emails have been sent to Peers from Propertymark members with a series of so-called ‘sensible amendments’ to the Renters Rights Bill. This is ahead of the Bill going into the Lords’ Committee Stage in the coming week. Propertymark has been lobbying throughout the passage of the Bill as well as meeting ministers, MPs, UK government officials and more recently briefing members of the House of Lords.… Continue Reading Agents bombard politicians demanding changes to Renters Rights Bill

The government has confirmed that it wants tough new EPC clampdown targets for the private rental sector. It says that up to 500,000 private rental households will be “lifted out of poverty” by 2030, with tenants “£240 better off per year.” Ed Miliband’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero has this morning launched an official consultation on proposals to mandate all private landlords in England and Wales to meet… Continue Reading EPC Clampdown On Private Rental Sector

Legal concerns continue to mount following the launch of Labour rent reforms, with growing worries about how the court system will cope. Greg Simms, Real Estate Disputes Partner at large firm Addleshaw Goddard, says: “As widely reported, the Labour rent reforms remove the ability of landlords to serve section 21 notices. “The consequence of this will be that Accelerated Possession Proceedings without a court hearing will be a thing of… Continue Reading Labour Rent Reforms Create Worse Court Delays

Following the Prime Minister’s comments that he does not consider those who earn income from property as ‘working people’, TV star Paul Shamplina has said he does not agree, pointing out that many landlords work hard – and rarely for the ‘millons’ some activists claim they do. Shamplina, who is the founder of evictions firm Landlord Action, told Ian Collins’ Talk TV show that 30% of landlords also have full… Continue Reading TV star says PM wrong over his ‘not working people’ landlord claims

Propertymark says it’s met with government officials and a minister to press its concerns about aspects of the Renters Rights Bill, which goes for its second reading in the Commons next week. Officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) joined Propertymark’s Regional Executives for a forum where member feedback was presented on aspects of the Renters Rights Bill. A statement from the trade body says it… Continue Reading Aspects Of The Renters Rights Bill Are Wrong

Figures from the National House Building Council show that housebuilding is currently running at only half the rate the new Labour government needs to meet its new homes targets. The NHBC says 29,281 new homes were registered to be built in Q2 2024, down 23% on the same period last year. Some 33,847 new homes were completed in the same period, 6% down on Q2 2023. Quarter-on-quarter, NHBC’s new housebuilding… Continue Reading Latest Housebuilding 50% Of Labour Figures

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… Continue Reading HMRC Warning Self-Assessment Returns

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… Continue Reading Over 50 Year Old First Time Buyers Increase

A third of landlords say that the scrapping of Section 21 is more of a concern to them than Stamp Duty Surcharge or loss of Tax Relief, a specialist buy-to-let broker. The poll found that 33 per cent of landlords were worried by the reform of Section 21 as part of the Renters Reform Bill. Under government plans, landlords are set to lose the right to evict tenants at short… Continue Reading Stamp Duty Surcharge More Worrying Than Section 21

Campaigners say it is ‘outrageous’ that 111 pages of changes to the Renters (Reform) Bill are tabled now. Ministers are again under attack for the way looming reforms to renting are being handled. Campaigners have hit out after 111 pages of changes to the Renters (Reform) Bill were added as MPs are looking at the bill in detail. Earlier this week, housing minister Rachel Maclean, who was in charge of… Continue Reading Beleaguered ministers under fire over renting reform changes