Archive

Labour’s shadow housing secretary has branded “outrageous” moves by landlords and letting agents to demand multiple months of rent upfront.  Lucy Powell...

Politicians of both major parties have voiced concern over former council houses being used as Airbnb and other short lets in...

A website has lifted the lid on how many MPs in the current parliament are landlords. Open Democracy - which describes itself...

The pandemic has made future prospects for renters worse, according to a new survey.  Four out of 10 tenants questioned by the...

Landlords require help in the shape of an emergency package to assist tenants clear Covid-related arrears. That’s the view of Propertymark, which...

The National Residential Landlords Association says it’s going to submit a report to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak, and...

Labour councils in London have backed the initiative from Mayor Sadiq Khan to buy back ex-council houses now in the private...

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has said No to a plea by a south east council to renew...

London’s Labour Mayor, Sadiq Khan, and the Baroness leading the Generation Rent campaign have called for powers to control rents. Khan claims...

Landlords in the holiday let market in Wales look almost certain to face hefty new barriers under proposals being considered by...

Labour MPs have quizzed junior housing minister Eddie Hughes over the effects of the ending of the eviction ban. At the regular...

A Labour Party pressure group has tweeted the message: “All landlords are bastards.” The tweet, from Labour Tenants United, is the latest...

A council says it’s “on the side of tenants” against landlords. The London borough of Tower Hamlets has renewed its Selective Licensing...

The resumption of bailiff-enforced evictions, banned for over a year until just days ago, could be “catastrophic” for one of the...

Former Labour Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has spoken out against what he calls “the greed of the mega-landlords.” The veteran MP -...

A Labour MP is proposing legislation which would mean that landlords who offer accommodation in exchange for sexual favours could be...

Tenant activist group Generation Rent says it’s working with five councils to find out more about private renters in those areas. The...

Rebecca Long Bailey, a left wing MP sacked in controversial circumstances by party leader Sir Kier Starmer, has spoken up for...

A little-known group called Labour Tenants United has criticised the party’s new housing spokeswoman. Initially the group welcomed the appointment to the role...

Labour’s new housing spokesperson is the experienced MP Lucy Powell, who until last weekend was shadow business and consumer affairs minister.  She...

The private rental sector is in slow retreat according to a new analysis by Nationwide-owned specialist lender, The Mortgage Works. Nationwide chief...

A landlord has been convicted and ordered to pay more than £11,500 in fines and legal costs for the offence of...

Greater Manchester’s Labour Mayor, Andy Burnham, wants to introduce a £1.5m Good Landlord Charter This would work in partnership with the city’s...

The Momentum group on the left of the Labour Party has outlined a three-stage campaign to secure a longer term ban on...

The main landlords’ trade body has hit out at a bid by London Mayor Sadiq Khan to secure powers to impose private...

The Momentum movement on the left wing of the Labour Party is staging a series of protests this weekend targeting landlords...

Many landlords awaiting the hearing of possession cases will hardly need reminding, but new figures from the Ministry of Justice give...

Only 39 rogue landlords and letting agents have been hit with banning orders in the first three years of their existence. The...

The landlords’ trade body has backed a call from MPs demanding a clear exit strategy at the end of the latest...

A Labour housing pressure group has made strong public criticism of the party’s shadow housing spokeswoman, Thangam Debbonaire. Labour Tenants United was...

A council says it’s on the hunt for landlords letting properties with EPCs below the minimum standard.  Working with Exeter Community Energy,...

News reports suggest the government may be about to step in and use commissioners to take over Liverpool council, which has...

A council has now approved plans for two of the country’s largest licensing schemes - one is so large it needs...

Activists are aiming to make the eviction ban a central theme in this spring’s local elections. In early May there are elections...

A Labour-controlled council says it’s confident a huge new licensing scheme for one of Britain’s most high-profile cities will be voted...

Activists from the Acorn campaign are pressing a council to get tough on landlords. Acorn has waged anti-landlord and anti-letting agent campaigns...

Labour wants the government to change its Coronavirus guidance to end the internal reading of electric and gas meters during lockdown. The party claims...

Labour has accused Chancellor Rishi Sunak of prioritising a tax break for landlords over the need for affordable housing or help for...

A second attempt by Labour to halt in-person property viewings during the pandemic has been batted away by the government. Labour’s shadow...

Labour MP Stephen Timms has asked Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick to commit to five measures to tighten controls on the private...

The leader of the Generation Rent campaign group has joined forces with tenant activists to demand the Chancellor gives financial support...

London Mayor Sadiq Khan is to keep a call for rent controls in the capital as a major plank of his...

One of the country’s best known Labour politicians wants the eviction ban extended yet again. Currently there is a moratorium on bailiff-enforced evictions...

A Labour MP has written to private landlords asking for a rent reduction or release from a tenancy for students prevented...

The Generation Rent campaign wants public cash in a Covid Rent Debt Fund to clear rent arrears for tenants who have run...

The House of Lords has narrowly voted for a low-key motion expressing regret that the current eviction ban measures do not offer more...

An influential all-party committee of MPs and members of the House of Lords is calling for a new council tax fund...

The government has revealed that it has no plans to introduce a national licensing scheme for landlords. Housing minister Chris Pincher MP...

A tenant organisation has written to almost 130 politicians asking them to do more to protect renters - especially lone females -...

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband, now the shadow energy secretary, says the green homes grant scheme is in chaos. Media reports in...

The Scottish Labour Party has written to the SNP government of that country to demand more protection for private tenants. Labour housing...

Both Labour and the Scottish National Party have spoken out over online platforms carrying advertisements from landlords seeking sexual favours in...

It’s regarded as extremely likely that Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick will announce an extension to the eviction ban in England today. Pleas...

A Labour MP is demanding action against unscrupulous predator landlords who demand sex from tenants in lieu of rent. The Daily Mail...

A councillor has called for all new HMOs to be created with en suite bathrooms, and not shared bathrooms. The call came during...

London Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan wants a £3 billion one-off windfall tax on private developers to fund replacement cladding on affected...

A Labour housing politician is accusing the government of using Coronavirus as an excuse for dragging its feet over scrapping Section...

One of the candidates for next year’s London Mayoral election wants to put pet-friendly tenancies for the private rental sector as...

The Labour-controlled Greater London Authority and 18 other groups of activists, charities and students have formed a new pro-renter coalition. Called the...

A leading officer in a Labour council which has in the past taken landlords to court says this process is so...

A warning has been issued that a bid to curb private rental sector rents in Scotland could well backfire with more...

London Mayor Sadiq Khan says landlords in the capital could  discriminate against EU citizens living in the UK capital if those...

Labour politicians, union leaders and Shelter are amongst those writing to Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon demanding an eviction ban. The protest...

Labour MP Steve McCabe has introduced a 10 Minute Rule Bill into the House of Commons to address the problems of HMO’s being...

Pressure groups attacking landlords and letting agents are usually on the other side of the fence from property industry professionals but...

London’s Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan has launched a new tool for tenants to check on their landlords - and possibly claim...

The Labour-controlled Swansea council in south Wales is being asked by a landlord body to rethink its licensing proposals. The authority is...

The former leader of the Labour Party in Scotland has joined the board of Shelter, the campaigning charity that has often...

Generation Rent is calling for a furlough-type scheme aimed at helping tenants. The group says that following news of the four week...

South Tyneside council is considering a selective licensing in two areas of South Shields - and looks likely to ignore its...

A council wants to introduce private rental sector licensing as part of a pledge made back in 2018. Plymouth’s Labour controlled council pledged...

A Labour activist claiming to represent tenants is putting the squeeze on party members who are also landlords. An article on the Labour...

Labour wants to see a tenant loans scheme in England similar to one now operating in Wales. Easington Labour MP Grahame Morris...

Sadiq Khan’s proposal to introduce rent controls in London risks reducing the number of private homes available for rent, as landlords...

As the UK went into lockdown, most people were either furloughed or forced to work from home where they can, and...

The London Renters Union (RLU) will hold a day of action next week demanding that the government acts to protect renters,...

A Labour MP has called for the ban on evictions to be extended until next year, as renters fear a sharp...

The recent decision to abolish The Fair Rents (Scotland) Bill demonstrates the difficulty of introducing lettings regulation amid ongoing uncertainty, while...

The government’s decision not to remove the cap on Universal Credit for all claimants and increase housing benefit to cover local...

Labour has criticised the government’s decision to introduce a stamp duty holiday, claiming it offers a “huge bung” to those buying...

The new £2bn grant scheme in England for projects such as insulation, unveiled yesterday by the chancellor Rishi Sunak as part...

A Labour MP has called for the ban on evictions to be extended until later in the year, as renters fear...

The government is being urged to increase housing benefits and remove the benefit cap to help support more tenants, especially in...

A survey of tenants suggests around one in eight private sector tenants have fallen behind with housing costs since the coronavirus...

The Chancellor’s decision to extend the existing furlough scheme until the end of October will prevent mass redundancies and help millions...

A number of buy-to-let landlords face financial hardship because of the coronavirus crisis, especially if the existing ban of tenant evictions...

Labour is calling on the government to unveil new measures to protect renters beyond June after the Bank of England warned...

The UK economy is losing £2.7bn a day in absolute terms due to the existing lockdown, a new report has revealed.  According to UK Powerhouse...

New Labour leader Keir Starmer finalised his shadow cabinet appointments yesterday, with Thangam Debbonaire securing the role of shadow housing secretary. Debbonaire,...

Labour is urging the government to permit private tenants who are struggling to pay their rent due to the coronavirus epidemic to...

The government’s decision to bring forward emergency legislation to protect private renters from eviction has been warmly welcomed by ARLA Propertymark.  Many...

Labour’s proposals to introduce rent controls in London risks reducing the number of private homes available for rent, as landlords look...

Given that the number of people living in private rented accommodation has grown, doubling in the past three decades, renters are...

A proposed Bill to protect private sector tenants by introducing measures to limit rent increases could drive many buy-to-let landlords out...

It is common knowledge the UK is facing an undersupply of housing. Unfortunately, this is not a sudden phenomenon – the...

Towards the end of last year, I wrote an article for Landlord Today outlining the difficulties many landlords in the UK...

With just one day until voting day, each of the main political parties has outlined its plans for the country, including for...

With the general election just over a week away, each of the main political parties has outlined its plans for the...

Which party will win the landlord vote?  Given that the mainstream parties all have policies that appear to work against BTL landlords,...

The main political parties have laid out their blueprints for government ahead of what is likely to be one of the...

Labour’s general election manifesto promises to “transform” the UK with what some commentators view as the most ambitious - and most...

Labour’s proposals to introduce rent controls risks reducing the number of private homes available for rent, as landlords look to exit...

Labour has pledged to clampdown on rogue landlords and restrict rent hikes in England if it wins next month’s general election.  A...

Labour has launched its general election manifesto, promising to “transform” the UK with what some commentators view as the most ambitious...

Landlords have welcomed the news that Labour has dropped its proposed ‘right to buy’ policy that would have allowed long-term tenants...

Ahead of next month’s general election, the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is warning that any potential proposal to introduce rent controls...

The government’s plans to scrap Section 21 notices to evict tenants could potentially pave the way for the introduction of open-ended...

Private landlords in Newcastle have slammed the Labour Party’s proposed ‘right to buy’ policy that could see long-term tenants acquire buy-to-let...

Direct Line for Business has launched new landlord emergency cover, which includes call-out charges, costs for labour and materials up to...

Labour’s plan to introduce a rent cap has been slammed by ARLA Propertymark.  Labour has proposed capping rents and with Labour’s conference...

Transport for London (TfL) has finally bowed to pressure from campaigners and announced a ban on adverts that promote short-term letting...

Hundreds of buy-to-let landlords have expressed concerns for the future of the buy-to-let industry if Labour comes into power.  Boris Johnson is...

The Labour Party’s planned ‘right to buy’ policy could cost landlords almost £50bn, an average of £18,400 each, according to calculations...

The prospect of a general election is looming large after Boris Johnson signalled his determination to trigger a snap vote on...

The Labour Party’s proposed ‘right to buy’ policy would have a devasting impact on the private rented sector and lead to...

As a general election surely looms, Benham and Reeves has undertaken some research that could potentially help you decide who to...

Portsmouth City Council is controversially planning to introduce a landlord licensing scheme in the city without potentially allowing around half of...

The next prime minister, Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt, will almost certainly face a housing crisis if the government does not...

Private landlords would be banned from above-inflation rent rises if Labour wins power after the next general election, according to a...

The Scottish government is consulting on introducing rent controls north of the border with a view to protecting private sector tenants...

Renters would stop paying council tax under radical plans being considered by the Labour Party. A Labour-commissioned report calls on the party...

Hostmaker, which specialises in managing London properties put on to Airbnb and other short-let platforms, has apologised for causing controversy over...

More than 8,300 Londoners have called on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to ban adverts ‘encouraging’ landlords to abandon long-term tenants for...

Controversial short-lets managing agents Hostmaker has defended its latest advertising campaign after once again sparking outrage among some industry professionals for...

A Labour government would aim to address what it sees as a ‘power imbalance’ between landlords and renters by introducing “indefinite”...

Buy-to-let landlords in London are being encouraged by property management firms to break strict short-term letting laws in the capital, an...

Despite government cuts, a new report claims that buy-to-let landlords in the UK claimed £17.7bn in tax relief last year, up...

The mayor of London Sadiq Khan is developing rent control proposals as part of his 2020 re-election bid in the hope...

Ever since Margaret Thatcher declared her belief in a ‘property-owning democracy’ and introduced Right to Buy in 1980, the UK was...

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has warned that growing speculation the mayor of London Sadiq Khan is considering introducing rent controls...

Private landlords across the UK collectively earned £33.8bn from their buy-to-let investments in the year from 5 April 2017 to 2018,...

The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) has backed the Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable’s calls for a halt...

The government’s attempts to clampdown on rogue landlords have been branded ‘weak and pathetic’, partly due to the vast and complex...

Croydon Council has become the first local authority to support calls to scrap the so-called ‘no fault’ evictions in order to...

Philip Hammond is coming under increasing pressure to reverse draconian tax changes applying to buy-to-let landlords. A number of landlords have been...

Labour’s plans to scrap legislation permitting private landlords to evict tenants without reason has been slammed by a leading letting agency...

Labour plans to abolish legislation permitting private landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason. Section 21 notices, which have been in...

Going by press headlines, it would be easy to imagine that buy-to-let landlords in the UK are struggling to keep going...

Landlords and tenants across Scotland will be consulted over plans to impose rent restrictions north of the border. Scottish Labour wants to...

Plans to create ‘healthy homes zones’, as part of an effort to reduce housing-related health inequalities, have been proposed by the...

The tenancy security deposits that tenants leave with landlords or their letting agents should be capped at a maximum of three...

Industry experts have joined forces to launch a campaign urging policy makers to create legislation on appliance testing in rental properties. It...

A buy-to-let landlord has been found guilty of exploiting six vulnerable tenants by bullying them into working for him without pay. Hargit...

A Labour councillor tasked with clamping down on rogue landlords has found herself in hot water after failing to declare a...

For landlords, it is not always easy to guess what prospective tenants are looking for when getting a vacant property ‘rental...

Labour has once again called for rents to be capped in Scotland after fresh data revealed rent increases were outstripping wage...

Rogue landlords in Milton Keynes are being put on notice as the local council announces a new ‘tough approach’, including the...

Councils are being urged to do more to crack down on rogue landlords who are leaving thousands of tenants living in...

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard has unveiled proposals to control rents and limit the power of private landlords, despite concerns that...

Many people with pets still find it difficult to find a rental property, and that is largely due to the potential...

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is seeking greater clarification from the Labour party after it put forward new proposals this week...

Private rental prices paid by tenants continued to slow last month suggesting that rent controls may leave tenants worse off. Rent paid...

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has accused the Tory government of intentionally not fixing the housing crisis after revelations that thousands of...

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has expressed its support for new legislation that will help ensure rented homes are safe and...

A Private Members’ Bill put forward by Labour MP, Karen Buck, which offers tenants the legal right to take action against...

Tenants will be given the right to take legal action against landlords who offer properties that are not ‘fit for human...

Ever since Margaret Thatcher declared her belief in a ‘property-owning democracy’ and introduced Right to Buy in 1980, the UK was...

Working as a landlord involves dealing with the occasional less-than-calm phone call in the middle of the night about a broken...

A continuous increase in the number of cranes, hoardings and skyscraper frames around Manchester’s inner ring road is visual proof of...

Labour’s symbolic victory over the rollout of universal credit on Wednesday night will have been welcomed by many buy-to-let landlords. Tory MPs were...

A Camden councillor who was prosecuted last year by the council he works for in north west London after failing to...

A new licensing system in the West London neighbourhoods of Hammersmith, Shepherd’s Bush, Fulham, Chiswick and Ealing aims to protect landlords...

Jeremy Corbyn has vowed to give cities the power to introduce rent controls under a Labour government. Yesterday was the last day...

Richard Leonard, the Scottish Labour leadership candidate backed by supporters of Jeremy Corbyn, has called for ‘stringent’ rent controls to be...

Rogue landlords receive in the region of £2.5bn a year for renting out ‘non-decent’ properties, which includes homes that are unsafe,...

Private landlords are being urged to only instruct letting agents that adopt a modern approach to rent payments so that they...

The Scottish government is being urged to set a higher benchmark for the energy efficiency of private rented homes to help...

We all know that investing in buy-to-let property is a potentially great way to supplement our income, and so it is...

An MP’s bid to make homes in the rented sector ‘fit for human habitation’ has received support from the Residential Landlords...

The Queen’s Speech was unsurprisingly dominated by Brexit, with a host of proposed new laws designed to prepare the UK for...

Property investors looking to invest in the buy-to-let market may wish to consider buying property in Luton, which currently offers the...

The fire that engulfed a 24-storey tower block in west London yesterday, tragically killing several people when flames tore through the...

With only a few hours left of voting in the general election, the balance of power will have a major impact...

Labour has pledged a “consumer rights revolution” which will introduce legal minimum standards for all rental homes because people currently have...

Having long provided mega double-digit returns for investors, investment in buy-to-let continues to outperform other major asset classes, including bonds, cash...

There was good news for landlords and tenants yesterday after the government took measures to prevent rogue letting agents stealing your...

Labour MP and gas safety campaigner George Howarth has tabled an early day motion (EDM) calling on landlords and social housing...

With a growing number of buy-to-let landlords in London now using short-term letting platforms like Airbnb to breach the rules for...

Philip Hammond’s failure to reverse the previous chancellor George Osborne’s deeply unpopular tax reforms will have far-reaching implications for the buy-to-let...

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is urging landlords to lobby their local MP over taxation changes announced by the now former...

The short-term letting industry, which includes the likes of Airbnb, joined local authorities and community groups at City Hall yesterday to...

A growing number of buy-to-let landlords are looking to boost rental profits to help cope with pending tax hikes by converting...

Private landlords north of the border have received more than £2bn in housing benefit over the past five years, new figures...

Don Valley MP Caroline Flint is calling for selective licensing to be extended across the borough, after visiting Newham in London,...

Four out of five buy-to-let landlords believe that client money protection (CMP) should be made compulsory when they use a letting...

Our new Chancellor, Philip Hammond, looks like a considered man and one hopes that he will be able to ‘kick away’...

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has hit back at accusations made by Jeremy Corbyn in his Labour conference speech that private...

The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks is calling on landlords as well as letting agents to respond to the government's outstanding...

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has set out plans to introduce a new Tenants’ Rights Charter to increase protection for tenants in...

The government is considering its options when it comes to increasing protections for private landlords and tenants’ cash against fraud and...

Andy Burnham, former Labour leadership candidate and now the party's candidate for Greater Manchester Mayor, has put forward a number of...

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s plans to introduce rent controls and secure tenancies in the private rented sector (PRS) if elected prime...

Over-extended student homes are not just an eyesore, but they are also ‘destroying family homes’ and creating ‘misery for local residents’, according...

Success in the letting industry hinges largely on the ability to find good tenants. And while it may be obvious what...

Plans to stop letting agents charging tenants for an inventory check could see costs passed on to landlords, warns the Association...

With just hours remaining until the polls close, the outcome of the EU referendum is too close to call. The sense of...

A radical proposal initially put forward by the leader of the Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, to extend the Right to Buy...

With just a few hours until polls close in London, housing remains the main issue that may help determine who gets to run the...

A new scheme designed to expose and punish rogue landlords in Derby could be in operation before the end of the...

Proposals by the Bank of England to curb buy-to-let lending are “premature” according to the Residential Landlords Association (RLA). As Landlord Today...

Labour's London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan has launched his election manifesto and pledged to help the capital’s two million renters. Khan’s election...

A Camden councillor has been prosecuted by the council he works for after failing to carry out improvement works to a...

Conservative MPs have defeated a Labour amendment to the government’s housing and planning bill to require landlords to ensure their properties...

A Conservative MP has been widely criticised in the press for saying the proposed law for landlords saying they need to...

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has hit out at claims made by the new Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell.   During his speech...

Labour leadership hopeful Jeremy Corbyn would introduce right-to-buy for private tenants if he came to power. Corbyn has a published his proposed...

A flat sharing website has claimed that London is on the verge of a labour crisis as low-paid workers are unable...

The council which became a standard bearer for so-called ‘landlord licensing’ - Enfield in north London – appears to have abandoned...

Rent controls and similar policies which are thought to work well in other countries cannot be easily replicated in the UK’s...

A member of Labour’s London Assembly has warned that “Boris Johnson’s system of voluntary self-regulation is failing private renters in Tower...

Three in ten (32%) ARLA letting agents reported that rents increased in April, according to the Association of Residential Letting Agents...

Victorious housing campaigner Lindsey Garrett from the New Era Estate in Hackney is taking on Labour and the Conservatives for the...

As David Cameron announced his cabinet, Brian Murphy of the Mortgage Advice Bureau has said that the new Government will make...

After months of campaigning and deliberating, polling day is now behind us. With all the election stories doing the rounds, we...

Property insiders mostly celebrated the Conservative election victory, but tenants’ groups complained of being ignored. As David Cameron enters a second term...

Property industry figures opposed to Labour plans to impose three year tenancies and rent caps should lobby candidates in a bid...

Landlord support for Labour and the Liberal Democrat Party has halved since the 2010 General Election because of their interventionist policies...

Labour’s plans for private rented sector rent controls have been widely condemned by housing and landlord groups. Landlord Today reported yesterday how...

The Labour party has announced plans to reform the private rented sector should it come to power. It would introduce legislation to...

The National Landlords Association (NLA) has launched an initiative to enable tenants to check if their landlord is accredited.   Tenants can check...