In a bid to cut the number of rogue landlords operating in the UK, the government has proposed a mandatory standard of 6.52 square meters for a bedroom in a shared house. The room size would apply to any bedroom, irrespective of whether a couple or an individual was living there, so bunk beds are […]
There are just weeks to go before the Rent Smart scheme in Wales comes into effect, yet only 25% of Welsh landlords have registered. The Residential Landlords Association fears that the low take-up of the registration means many landlords are put off by the hassle of registration and have therefore decided to get out of […]
A property management company in Manchester has been fined a whopping £100k for breaking HMO management regulations and putting its tenants at risk. Numerous Problems Council housing inspectors found a host of problems when they went to inspect the properties on Clarendon Road in the city.
Landlords will shortly be hit by newly restrictive lending criteria when they apply for a buy to let mortgage. Flourishing Buy to Let Sector Could Cause a Crash The Bank of England, concerned that the booming rental sector is affecting the country’s financial stability, has once again tightened its stranglehold on eligibility criteria for buy […]
The National Landlords Association is warning that Coventry landlords will have no choice but to raise rents in the city if the council goes ahead with its plans to introduce a landlord licensing scheme.
According to the Daily Telegraph, fake landlords are raking in around £775 million a year from would-be tenants. Police have also reported a rise in the number of scams reported to them, although experts suspect these cases are only the tip of the iceberg, as many victims are too embarrassed to report it when they […]
Pressure group, Dlighted, is bemoaning the amount of ‘useless’ money tied up in tenancy deposit schemes in London. Research has revealed that there is almost £2bn held in bank accounts on behalf of tenants and landlords, 97% of which will be returned at the end of a tenancy agreement.
Landlords who provide accommodation for students are exempt from paying council tax and their properties are exempt from business rates. However, if plans proposed by two Liverpool councillors go ahead, this could soon change.
Increasing numbers of landlords are setting up limited companies in a bid to avoid paying more tax. In effect, landlords are selling properties to themselves, even though there are some hefty up-front fees to set up a limited company. Buy to let landlords have had a tough time of late.
According to Citizens Advice, there has been an increase of letting agent problems reported by tenants. The organisation offered advice on rental problems to 6,500 tenant and letting agent problems between June last year and July of this year. This is a rise of 14% on the previous twelve months.
Whilst 69% of people trust teachers and 56% of people trust engineers, bankers, estate agents – politicians are way down on the list. However, although only 7% of people trust what politicians have to say, landlords do not appear on the Which? List of least trusted professions.
Adrian Malone from One Savings Bank spoke to an industry panel at the Financial Services Expo in London. The debate covered a number of key issues affecting the private rental sector, most notably recent government changes, which include extra stamp duty for second homes and a loss of mortgage interest tax relief. All agreed that […]
The mayor of Newham has criticised Alan Ward, chairman of the Residential Housing Association. In an article published in Inside Housing, Sir Robin Wales says landlord licensing has made a tangible difference and greatly improved the private rental sector in Newham.
A BBC Scotland report has claimed vulnerable families in the Govanhill area of Glasgow are being exploited by rogue landlords. Reporters say families are forced to live in sub-standard accommodation in the First Minister’s constituency, but are too afraid to complain.
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