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1083 articles
Private rented sector predicted to double in next six years
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Private rented sector predicted to double in next six years

According to new research from Your Move, investment within the PRS (private rented sector) could potentially double to £75 billion in 2025, a record-breaking figure. Due to the desire for lifestyle flexibility and affordability pressures, investment in the UK PRS market is predicted to grow, alongside a decline in home ownership. There are currently approximately […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 27, 2019 3 min
Surge in UK and foreign students positive news for market, agency explains
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Surge in UK and foreign students positive news for market, agency explains

Knight Frank’s student accommodation partner has given its approval to new figures which suggest that there is a current surge in domestic and overseas students applying for undergraduate degree courses in the UK. The student partner, Neil Armstrong, explained that 38.2 per cent of Britain’s 18 year olds have applied for a full-time undergraduate degree […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 26, 2019 3 min
Could a property portal ever be bigger than Rightmove?
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Could a property portal ever be bigger than Rightmove?

Rightmove features heavily in our day-to-day modern life, especially for homeowners and those looking for a new property. Parents scour its pages to find out if a home is located in a catchment area for a good school, neighbours check the prices of nearby homes for sale or to see if a home has been […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 25, 2019 3 min
Could fees ban be less dire than once feared?
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Could fees ban be less dire than once feared?

Could fees ban be less dire than once feared? A large-scale franchise agency has stated that its preparation work in anticipation of the tenants fee ban has resulted in a less drastic impact than once feared. Within a trading statement given to the City and shareholders, The Property Franchise Group explained that in the year […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 22, 2019 3 min
Tenant Fee Ban – What next for Inventory providers?
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Tenant Fee Ban – What next for Inventory providers?

Finally; we now have the confirmed date (1st June) for the implementation of the tenant fee ban; it’s ‘really happening’. And so, for many, this this where the real work begins especially for letting agents who now have to think about how they will manage the impact on their businesses and mitigate the loss of […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 21, 2019 7 min
Landlords increasingly forced to use Section 21 due to Section 8 delays
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Landlords increasingly forced to use Section 21 due to Section 8 delays

Landlords increasingly forced to use Section 21 due to Section 8 delays. More than half of landlords are going through the no-fault eviction Section 21 process due to rent arrears, with many choosing this route instead of Section 8. This is because of the unpredictable results and unreasonable amount of time it takes for a […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 21, 2019 3 min
UK becomes one of the worst European countries for buy-to-let investment
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UK becomes one of the worst European countries for buy-to-let investment

Due to a wide range of measures including increased regulation, hikes in stamp duty and higher taxes, the UK has been placed among some of the worst countries within Europe for buy-to-let investors. New research released by the Daily Telegraph has shown that in the course of the past year, the UK has fallen ten […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 20, 2019 3 min
How to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning in rental homes
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How to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning in rental homes

According to a recent study from Energy UK, one in three UK residents do not have carbon monoxide alarms fitted in their homes, leaving them at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. The findings are astonishing when taking into account that from the 2,000 people questioned for the survey, 94 per cent claimed they were aware […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 19, 2019 3 min
A housing court would be a positive move for landlords
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A housing court would be a positive move for landlords

Landlord associations such as the RLA (Residential Landlords’ Association) are calling for serious changes to the current legal system, in order to provide tenants and landlords with efficient access to justice. The RLA has stated that it considers the current system to be unfit for purpose. Any housing issue is currently dealt with through a […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 18, 2019 3 min
New proptech platform promises to solve short-term let breaches
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New proptech platform promises to solve short-term let breaches

British start-up firm, Lavanda, has developed a new app that it hopes will provide a compliant solution for both tenants and landlords in the event of a short-term let. The property specialist is launching Europe’s first platform focusing on short-term rentals for tenants within the private rented sector, in an effort to resolve tenancy breaches […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 15, 2019 3 min
Compulsory redress scheme likely for private landlords
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Compulsory redress scheme likely for private landlords

James Brokenshire, Communities Secretary, has announced an overhaul of the housing complaints system, which is likely to come at a cost for private landlords. Calling the system “broken”, the Communities Secretary is planning for the compulsory registration of all private landlords to a redress scheme, which would operate in a similar way to schemes already […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 14, 2019 3 min
Ban on tenant fees could affect Section 21 notices
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Ban on tenant fees could affect Section 21 notices

Letting agents have been issued with a warning to review tenancy agreements already in place, in order to ensure they are fit for use before the ban on fees takes effect from June 2019. In particular, by completing a review, agents could potentially minimise the impact of the Bill on Section 21 notices. Andrew Turner, […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 13, 2019 3 min
Councils are selecting the harshest punishments for landlords
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Councils are selecting the harshest punishments for landlords

An increasing number of local councils are choosing to implement selective licensing and introduce harsh penalties for private landlords which go beyond the government’s mandatory licensing rules, according to research. According to a study from law firm, Kirwans, the legislation, which was introduced within the Housing Act of 2004 to tackle anti-social behaviour, irresponsible landlords […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 12, 2019 3 min
Lack of rental properties leading to rising rents
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Lack of rental properties leading to rising rents

Lack of rental properties leading to rising rents. Data from property portal, Rightmove, has shown a continuing trend in fewer numbers of property investors purchasing rental properties, which is leading to record-breaking rental prices, as well as a lack of available buy-to-let properties. This is leading to increased competition among prospective tenants who are searching […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 11, 2019 3 min
How energy efficient is your rental property?
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How energy efficient is your rental property?

How energy efficient is your rental property? With an increasing focus on climate change, maximising the energy efficiency of your buy-to-let property can be hugely beneficial. With the introduction of more legislation, meeting the minimum standards in energy proves your commitment as a responsible landlord. So how can you ensure you property complies with legislation? […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 10, 2019 3 min
More money given to councils if they deal with rogue landlords
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More money given to councils if they deal with rogue landlords

More money given to councils if they deal with rogue landlords. An extra £2.4 million of funds has been allocated to the campaign to tackle rogue landlords. Heather Wheeler MP, the Housing Minister, announced that the extra funds are a reaction by the government to recent reports that local councils are failing to do enough […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 8, 2019 3 min
Mandatory electrical inspections to be introduced
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Mandatory electrical inspections to be introduced

As the result of a government consultation last year, there was an announcement in July 2018 that regulations will be introduced that will require all private sector landlords to carry out annual safety checks on electrical installations situated in their residential properties. Now, the Government has also added that any electrical inspector that landlords enlist […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 6, 2019 3 min
Guide powered by AI enables buy-to-let landlords to find the best deals
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Guide powered by AI enables buy-to-let landlords to find the best deals

A new and innovative tool, which uses Artificial Intelligence to help buy-to-let investors find the best deals, has been created by a newly launched investment company. The website, created by One & Only Pro, took two years of data analysis and algorithm development before being officially launched, and contains data on around 100,000 properties within […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 5, 2019 3 min
The winners in the clash of the property portals
Blog

The winners in the clash of the property portals

One of the most popular and frequently used home search methods, the online property portal industry is dominated by a few websites. It is unsurprising that a rising number of estate agents are allocating significantly more of their money into maintaining an online presence, which goes beyond the simple listing of properties on their own […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 4, 2019 3 min
A new record penalty for buy to let landlord of £450,000
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A new record penalty for buy to let landlord of £450,000

Although fines given to landlords for breaking national or council laws make frequent headlines, a sum of almost £450,000 may be the highest fine ever handed to a buy to let landlord. The landlord, located in Southall in West London, was given the colossal fine for continuously disregarding the local council’s orders for letting accommodation […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe February 1, 2019 3 min
How to conduct an efficient and effective pre-tenancy process
Blog

How to conduct an efficient and effective pre-tenancy process

Today’s tenants expect the application process for renting a new property to be conducted at their convenience online, like many other services. Everyone expects services to be digital these days, which makes a variety of processes much more efficient. The majority of processes outside the industry are conducted online, and it is believed that letting […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 31, 2019 3 min
Could letting agents bounce back from lettings fee ban?
Blog

Could letting agents bounce back from lettings fee ban?

A recent report from Fixflo, the proptech firm, has discovered that the lettings fee ban could decimate some letting agents’ profits, with around half of agents predicting that they could lose between 10 and 30 per cent of their revenue. Around 10 per cent of those questioned in the survey claimed they could lose at […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 30, 2019 3 min
Selective licensing across the UK
Blog

Selective licensing across the UK

Additional and Selective Licensing Schemes continue to be adopted by local councils across the UK, despite evidence suggesting that they do not work. Recent licensing schemes have been implemented in Hackney, from 1st October after a consultation, and Nottingham, where it was introduced in August. Newcastle upon Tyne is expected to implement new schemes for […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 29, 2019 3 min
Councils given £2 million to tackle rogue landlords
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Councils given £2 million to tackle rogue landlords

Councils will now be able to bid for a portion of a £2 million fund, intended to help local authorities boost enforcement action to fight rogue landlords, the government has announced. According to new figures from the government, there are over 4.5 million homes in the private rented sector located in England, with 82 per […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 28, 2019 3 min
Compliance & legislation

Compliance and legislation updates

Follow practical updates and explainers on legislation, housing standards and compliance-related inspection workflows.

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