Archive

It is possible that licensing regimes operated by local councils could cut the fees they impose on landlords. The House of Commons...

The average water bill has risen by 6% in England and Wales in recent days, which could see households having to...

The controversial proposal for permanent rent controls in Scotland, published just ahead of the Easter holiday, doesn’t go far enough for...

The Scottish Government’s Housing Bill allows SNP and Green politicians to create rent control areas, triggered by local authorities, and this...

Changes to empty home council tax rates could generate an additional £540m from Monday, a lettings agency claims. Since April 2013, billing...

Supporters of council selective licensing start rearguard action  Some of those involved in local councils have started a campaign to save selective...

A council is reminding prospective tenants about the importance of making sure their next shared rental is licensed as a house...

Housing Secretary Michael Gove’s proposals to restrict Airbnb-style short lets do not go far enough, a group of activists has said. Yesterday...

The Generation Rent activist group says the government must “make it clear that landlords and letting agents can let homes to...

The all-party Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee of MPs is looking into housing for disabled people.  It’s considering how the government, local...

A building society is calling upon politicians, government, the Bank of England and local councils and other bodies to cooperate on...

There is to be no comparable law for private landlords, following the introduction of Awaab’s Law. Earlier this week the Department of...

A building society says it is considering ending its policy of lending to buyers of holiday lets. Martese Carton, the director of...

The National Residential Landlords Association wants to show the government that some local councils still advise tenants served with a valid...

Letting agents’ trade body Propertymark has issued a warning to the rental sector about scams based on energy efficiency measures.  An increase...

A lack of Energy Performance Certificate enforcement is putting tenants at risk from high energy costs or cold homes, according to...

Christmas goodwill towards landlords seems in short supply from activist group Generation Rent.  It has this week issued a statement saying the...

Recent data from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities show that 24,260 households served a valid Section 21 notice...

The Renters Reform Bill could end up with landlords going bankrupt, a housing law specialist is warning. Des Taylor, director of compliance...

New directives issued by the government put the emphasis firmly on private landlords to take responsibility for issues of damp and...

Trade bodies and short let landlords have made a last-ditch appeal to politicians to stop new rules which could see the...

Owners of short-term let properties are being urged to apply for a licence under Scotland’s short-term licensing scheme before the October...

A prominent accountant is warning that the upcoming Renters Reform Bill, when it becomes law, will be used by HMRC to...

There have been several examples of local councils asking private landlords to help find accommodation for refugees - but now the...

A long-standing and respected property firm has slammed the government for presiding over the “mess” of taxes applied to holiday lets...

A leading buying agent says changing planning priorities amongst London councils are likely to mean that large lateral apartments will maintain...

An area has been identified for a two-year study of the impact which second homes, Airbnbs, other holiday lets and empty...

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, wants new powers to impose higher tax on empty homes - and even seize them...

The body representing local councils is backing the government’s Renters Reform Bill - even though Labour dominates most local authorities. Councillor Darren...

TV property expert Phil Spencer has called for a radical simplification of the rules surrounding landlord licensing, fees and other regulations. In...

Housing Secretary Michael Gove says the long-awaited Renters Reform Bill, first promised in 2019, will finally be introduced into Parliament next...

The government is proposing to slash the regulations on HMOs used to house asylum seekers.  Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004...

Six in 10 landlords support minimum property standards for the private rented sector, Paragon Bank research has found. The government has pledged...

There have been no fewer than 10 different enquiries into selective licensing of landlords or rental properties by local councils -...

According to the most recent statistics there are 676,452 vacant properties in England, nearly half a million of which have been...

Activist group Generation Rent is demanding that the government tighten regulations on damp and mould - and is tying this to...

Campaigners behind the National Empty Homes Week - running until March 5 - are accusing some second home owners of “flipping”...

Last week it was announced that North Devon's second homeowners could pay double the amount of council tax after one year...

There’s been something of a love-in on a local authority in a popular tourist area of the UK - with second...

A review platform which describes itself as a TripAdvisor for tenants is using a left-leaning blog to seek business from councils. Marks...

The government’s proposed tenancy reforms - including the banning of section 21 evictions - could be undermined by delays in the...

A £50m scheme to bring more empty homes back to life in Wales - but private land are excluded from applying. The...

Trafford council is believed to be the first to have signed up to a scheme created by Greater Manchester Labour Mayor...

There’s a warning that the next 12 months could be even worse than the last for the private rental sector in...

The agents’ trade body Propertymark says it wants the Welsh Government to do more to support landlords letting in tourist hotspots. The...

Landlords are being hit with record fines as growing numbers of local councils launch licensing schemes.  PropTech firm Kamma, which monitors council...

The government is to open a consultation on whether residential properties should require planning consent to be used as short lets...

Landlords in England are being encouraged to contact their local council to find out if they are eligible to access government...

The current system of so-called ‘exempt rental accommodation’ has been condemned by MPs as “a complete mess” which wastes taxpayers’ money...

An organisation that describes itself as ‘politically independent and a charity’ is launching a probe into how further regulation could help...

More enforcement is required if the government is to introduce the scale of reforms it has called for in its recent...

The government has outlined how a new ‘portal’ will carry the rogue landlords database and be available to the general public. In...

The Scottish Government’s dramatic immediate introduction of a rent freeze and eviction ban could mark the beginning of the end of the...

The National Residential Landlords Association and the Generation Rent activist group both give evidence today to MPs as they begin a...

Rising numbers of young people going to university and a relatively low supply of new student housing means that by 2025...

The new academic year is just around the corner, so many landlords will be thinking about student housing sector to diversify...

London Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan wants private landlords letting ex-council properties to consider selling the properties to local councils.  Since launching in...

A Freedom of Information request by a newspaper has unveiled the almost complete lack of activity by local councils when it...

Letting agents have come out with figures to back up an argument that landlords have been making for some time  -...

Government plans to ban Section 21 evictions could push up rents and reduce rental stock, a property dispute expert is warning. Lee Pearce...

The Baroness leading a renters’ pressure group wants to work with councils to push tenants’ rights.   Baroness Alicia Kennedy, director of Generation...

The architects of the Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper have been housing minister Eddie Hughes MP, Housing Secretary Michael Gove...

A group delivering tenant relations training claims thousands of illegal evictions are made possible because many local councils have no trained...

Details have been released of a scheme seeking to encourage private landlords to lease their properties to local councils. The scheme in...

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has made a sweeping attack on the conditions of homes run by private landlords. In a statement backing...

This is the entirety of the detail given by the government about the Renters’ Reform Bill, confirmed in yesterday’s Queen’s Speech. --- Renters Reform...

A Labour MP in the westcountry appears to be winning support for a campaign he has launched called First Homes, Not...

A council is calling on landlords of empty properties to take the necessary actions to get their homes back into use...

Approaching one in four private landlords have suffered income losses as a result of the pandemic. As a result the sector’s trade...

Bromsgrove is a classic rental market. The Worcestershire market town is enveloped by green space but is just a thirty-minute commute...

A council is appealing to landlords to reach out if they are having problems with a tenant - instead of possibly...

A warning has been issued to landlords about a crackdown on compliance issues surrounding property management. No Letting Go, the country’s largest...

The landlords’ trade body wants more co-operation between the private rental sector and local councils as tenants’ needs change thanks to...

There is growing momentum for local councils to freeze their plans for landlord licensing while the pandemic continues. Lettings agency trade body...

Momentum is building against councils pushing ahead with licensing schemes despite the pandemic. Earlier this week ARLA Propertymark, the letting agents’ trade...

The government has been slammed for missing out landlords in proposals to enforce new energy efficiency regulations. Propertymark - the trade group...

The Rent Smart Wales quango, now five years old, has been sharply criticised by the National Residential Landlords Association.  A report commissioned...

Councils in North Wales want to find out how the Coronavirus pandemic is affecting private tenants. Nearly one in five households in...

Generation Rent activists are back on the warpath, this time accusing councils of not doing enough - and sometimes nothing -...

The government’s decision to extend the ban on evictions in England and Wales by a further two months has left victims...

The government’s decision to invest an additional £4m in funding for local councils to tackle criminal landlords and letting agents has...

When it comes to investing in property, it pays to know about the latest property hotspots and up-and-coming areas whether you...

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

Fresh funding for local councils in England to tackle unscrupulous landlords has been made available, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local...

A buy-to-let landlord has been ordered to pay almost £6,000 after the council was unable to determine if his property in...

Tenant eviction specialist, Landlord Action, reports that up to half of Section 21 cases they handle are as a consequence of...

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...

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

Six months on from the introduction of licencing that regulates Homes for Multiple Occupation (HMOs), and awareness of the new laws...

Buy-to-let landlords are “getting away with murder” according to Advice4Renters, after new figures revealed that just two out of almost 2,000...

Close to £2.4m of additional funding designed to clampdown on unscrupulous landlords will be made available for more than 50 councils...

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

Trading standards will almost certainly need help from consumers to help police the ban on letting fees, according to PayProp. As part...

Citylets has adopted blockchain technology to help track and store rental data in Scotland.   The Scottish property rental portal has teamed...

Buy-to-let landlords who operate houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in Cheshire East will face new licensing fees after the local council...

Rogue landlords in Ashford will now face fines of up to £30,000 after Ashford Borough Council voted to adopt new rules...

Buy-to-let landlords are having an adverse impact on home ownership, according to new research. Fresh analysis by Onward suggests that the government...

The government yesterday announced a review to look at how selective licensing is used across the private rental sector in order...

Celebrate the shows 5th Birthday and 57th event to date in the Landlord Investor Lounge with a glass of prosecco with...

New ‘Home Safety Guidance’ has been released by the Electrical Safety Roundtable (ESR) to help landlords meet their obligations and ensure...