Not-for-profit accreditation scheme safeagent wants the government to help tenants clear Covid-related arrears through an overhaul of Discretionary Housing Payments. Enhancing these payments – which can be made to tenants in need by councils – would be the most effective way to support those who are in arrears as a result of the pandemic, it claims. This marks out safeagent from most industry bodies, which have recently united to call…

Propertymark is telling politicians to stop demonising letting agents and landlords. The unusualy bluntl message has come in response to the latest delay in reinstating normal eviction powers in Wales. The Coronavirus Act 2020 includes a range of powers for Welsh Ministers including the ability to extend existing pandemic-specific evictions rules. For the past 12 landlords and agents have had to give six months’ notice; this was first due to run out…

Councils across Scotland have been given £10m to provide grants to tenants who have Covid-related arrears and risk eviction. The grants will help tenants who are struggling financially as a direct result of the pandemic, allowing them to reduce or pay off arrears. They will be available in both the private and social rented sectors. This is part of a package of measures available to local authorities to prevent homelessness, alongside…

The House of Commons Library, an independent body not controlled by government, has published a detailed history of the many measures undertaken to help landlords and tenants during the Coronavirus pandemic. It may be of use to agents facing criticism from others, especially renters’ pressure groups, suggesting that little has been done during the Covid period. The 55 page document is authoritative and covers the extended notice periods for tenants…

The rush for space to work and relax at home will still dominate the rental market for the short term at least, despite the pandemic appearing to ease in most of the country. That’s the view of Savills which has surveyed its predominantly-upmarket client tenants to discover that despite more workers back at their desks, private outdoor space (72 per cent) and space to work from home (66 per cent)…

A lettings agent has branded an ever increasing band of tenants, as ‘professional crooks’ who are using the pandemic’s law changes to get away with not paying their rent. The director of a leading agent, Marc von Grundherr says: “The situation for landlords throughout the pandemic has been shocking and while eviction notice periods have now been reduced to four months, many continue to lose thousands in rental income every month due to…

The letting agents’ trade body has issued a warning to landlords that short lets may provide quick profits – but they have hidden costs too. Latest figures from ARLA Propertymark have demonstrated the lack of rental stock available across the UK, with some of that drought put down to landlords quitting the long term letting sector and moving their properties to Airbnb and similar short let platforms.  However, ARLA members…

There is a growing demand for adapted properties. With an ageing population, and an increased share of total housing stock, private landlords need to be ready to cater for a wider range of needs than they traditionally have.  The NRLA launched its  adaptations campaign to raise awareness and to assist landlords in adapting properties. This included the release of our guidance for landlords that can support landlords in better managing tenant requests for home adaptations.   Last month, the…

Failure to address COVID rent debts shows Government has given up on those struggling through no fault of their own. PRIVATE renters and landlords across the country face a cliff edge as the end of furlough coincides with cuts to benefit support. With the Bank of England warnings indicating  that renters are more likely than any other group to have lost their jobs or been furloughed, the National Residential Landlords…

The latest research by Birmingham estate and lettings agent, Barrows and Forrester, examines the true impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on landlords due to rent arrears among private rental tenants in England, revealing that the total amount of arrears during the initial wave of the pandemic was dwarfed by arrears during the second. There are 4.8 million private rented households in England. During wave one of the pandemic restrictions figures from the…

The latest property market analysis by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed that the costs incurred by UK landlords who have been unfortunate enough to encounter a nightmare rogue tenant during the pandemic. While the vast majority of tenants are respectful and treat their rented homes with great pride and care, rogue tenants remain a professional hazard for landlords. Utilising every trick in the book, they…

Tenants are paying almost £70bn of rent to landlords a year, research claims. Buy-to-let specialist Sequre Property Investment has found the best regions for rental income in for landlords in relation to the local gross domestic product (GDP). It found that across the UK, the average tenant pays £12,636 in rent each year equating to total rental income in excess of £69.4bn across the 2.2m privately rented homes. When compared…

An estate and lettings agent has analysed how the level of rental arrears has grown between each wave of the pandemic. The research by Barrows and Forrester found that, during wave one of the pandemic restrictions, figures from the ONS estimated that 7% of the 4.8 million private rented households in England were at least one month behind on their rent payments. This equated to some 335,860 homes. The average rent in…

Private tenants and landlords across the country face a cliff edge as the end of furlough coincides with cuts to benefit support, according to a leading trade body. The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has said that the failure to address Covid rent debts shows the government has given up on those struggling through no fault of their rent. Following Bank of England warnings suggesting that renters are more likely…

Build to rent providers are taking the lead against private rental sector homes by advertising developments as pet-friendly.  Research by furnishings provider Manor Interiors has found that 47 per cent of the build to rent developments actively being listed state that they are pet friendly.  The company said this is in direct response to increasing frustration felt by tenants as private landlords continually fail to adapt to the UK’s increasing…

Homes and businesses will be made greener as low-carbon energy is today placed at the heart of the latest round of funding for heat network projects across England. The new £270 million Green Heat Network Fund, announced by the government today (Tuesday, 7 September), will only support low-carbon technologies like heat pumps, solar and geothermal energy in the roll out of the next generation of heat networks which will enable more…

More than a quarter of UK residents don’t have carbon monoxide detectors installed in their current homes, according to new research. For Gas Safety Week, taking place from the 13th to 19th September 2021, the online boiler company BOXT surveyed 2,000 UK residents to reveal how gas safe the public are. In the study, 12.3% of respondents admitted to never testing their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and another 7.8% didn’t…

Research by central London estate agency, Bective, has revealed areas of the prime London market that have been most active in 2021 based on both price threshold and location. Bective’s analysis of Land Registry sold price records dissects the market based on the number of transactions seen at £1m-£3m, £3m-£5m and £5m+ across each borough. The research shows that across all segments of the prime market, 3,381 transactions have taken…

Average UK property price now £262,954, highest on record Annual house price inflation slows further to 7.1% Wales remains strongest region or nation, London continues to lag Average price: £262,954 Monthly change: +0.7% Quarterly change: +1.2% Annual change: +7.1% Housing activity HMRC monthly property transactions data for UK home sales decreased in July 2021. UK seasonally adjusted residential transactions in July 2021 were 73,740 – down by 62.8% from June’s figure of 198,420 (down…

The lettings agents’ group Propertymark has told Chancellor Rishi Sunak that unless the private rented sector is overhauled many landlords will quit, rents will rise and there will be a drought of stock. The organisation, in its formal submission to the Treasury ahead of Sunak’s Budget and spending review later this month, says the rental market is already falling behind on supply, with government policies set to make the situation worse. …