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1083 articles
Tenants confused about how to make housing complaints
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Tenants confused about how to make housing complaints

Nearly seven out of every 10 tenants are confused by the system for making complaints about housing. The Ombudsman Services, which resolves complaints between parties, has been asking for opinions about how complaints within the housing sector should be dealt with. From the responses, 69% of people were confused by the system set up to […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe June 27, 2018 3 min
Proptech investors tracks property portfolios
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Proptech investors tracks property portfolios

A new proptech company has found a way to use artificial intelligence to track the licensing regulations of all properties in the UK in real time. This can be used to make sure property portfolios are compliant with the law. It is being developed by proptech company, GetRentr. This will be of great benefit to […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe June 26, 2018 3 min
Rental housing costs and lack of decent properties affecting businesses
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Rental housing costs and lack of decent properties affecting businesses

The housing crisis continues to have a negative impact on the economy. Now high rents and a lack of decent rental properties in London are affecting companies trying to recruit or even retain staff. The latest CBI/CBRE London Business Survey shows 66% of people surveyed said that availability of properties and housing costs are having […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe June 25, 2018 3 min
Landlords must ensure compliance with new regulations
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Landlords must ensure compliance with new regulations

New regulations have recently come into force which will affect landlords regarding the information they keep about their tenants. The General Data Protection Regulation came into effect on May 25, so landlords will need to make sure they are ready to comply with the regulations by then. Basically, it means more rights for people whose […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe June 18, 2018 3 min
Selective licensing working in landlords’ favour
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Selective licensing working in landlords’ favour

Selective licensing to combat antisocial behaviour in areas of low housing demand does have its benefits. Many landlords have viewed selective licensing in certain areas of a borough as another piece of administration to deal with, as well as another financial burden. Professional landlords have to pay for a licence for each property within the […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe June 14, 2018 3 min
Buy-to-let investors look at holiday rentals for top yields
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Buy-to-let investors look at holiday rentals for top yields

Holiday rental properties are now enjoying higher yields than residential buy-to-lets, according to new research. Second Estates, which is a real estate fund for people investing in UK holiday properties, shows holiday rentals are among the highest returning assets in the property sector. Its study found that holiday property yields have been 1.1% higher than […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe June 13, 2018 3 min
Landlords ready to quit over problem tenants
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Landlords ready to quit over problem tenants

Problem tenants are causing massive problems for landlords, with one in three thinking of quitting the buy-to-let sector because of them. National online letting agent for tenants and private landlords, MakeUrMove, has warned that one-third of landlords are considering moving out of the private rental sector because of ‘challenging’ tenants. Difficulties include tenants who do […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe June 12, 2018 3 min
Rents rise in most UK regions
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Rents rise in most UK regions

Rents have risen in three-quarters of UK regions, with the average rent for a new tenancy now standing at £918 a month. Rents rose by 1.5% in April, compared to the same time in 2017, according to figures from the HomeLetRental index. If London is excluded, the average monthly rent is £761, which is a […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe June 11, 2018 3 min
New legislation having adverse effect on rental sector
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New legislation having adverse effect on rental sector

New rental legislation from the UK and Scottish parliaments are already having a knock-on effect in the buy-to-let sector by deterring many people from investing further in properties. It is having an effect on landlords throughout the UK, potentially leading to fewer rental properties, which would only exacerbate the housing crisis. Buyers in Scotland who […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe June 8, 2018 3 min
One in four landlords are not properly insured
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One in four landlords are not properly insured

A quarter of all landlords do not have the right insurance and so could find themselves out of pocket should they need to make a claim. Buy-to-let investors need the appropriate landlords’ insurance to protect themselves, their properties and their tenants. This is different to a standard home insurance policy, which some landlords have inadvertently […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe June 7, 2018 3 min
Property prices may increase as forecasts make buy-to-lets an attractive investment
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Property prices may increase as forecasts make buy-to-lets an attractive investment

Buy-to-let investments remain a sound business, despite changes to mortgage relief, stamp duty and new regulations. Investing in bricks and mortar is still more reliable than the volatile stocks and shares market. Although yields may not be as strong as a few years ago, property prices continue to rise, which makes it a good long-term […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe June 6, 2018 3 min
New online firm set to further shake up rental sector
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New online firm set to further shake up rental sector

A new company is set to shake up the way that people find properties and landlords find tenants. This is totally in tune with the majority of today’s tenants who want quick and easy ways to view and book their next rental properties online. The traditional high-street letting agents and property firms are facing fierce […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe June 5, 2018 3 min
One in five landlords ‘selling up’
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One in five landlords ‘selling up’

One in five landlords is planning to offload properties onto the market this year. Figures from the National Landlords Association show that 19% of buy-to-let investors are planning to sell property. Of these 380,000 investors, 45% are planning to sell apartments, while 33% are looking to offload terraced properties. Only 7% of those surveyed say […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe June 4, 2018 3 min
Building regulations found to be broken
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Building regulations found to be broken

Britain’s building regulations are felt to be in tatters, according to a government review ordered following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. In June last year, 71 people died in the fire which engulfed the 24-storey social housing building in London. The cladding is believed to have been one reason why the fire took hold so quickly. […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe June 1, 2018 3 min
Choice widens in buy-to-let mortgages
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Choice widens in buy-to-let mortgages

Landlords have much more choice in buy-to-let mortgages and loans, compared to a year ago. Despite mortgage relief being phased out and tighter regulations regarding landlords’ borrowing, there is now more choice than ever. Data from Moneyfacts shows there are 2,022 buy-to-let financial products on the market, which is 29.8% more than this time last […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe May 30, 2018 3 min
Rogue landlord register proves to be a capital idea
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Rogue landlord register proves to be a capital idea

All London boroughs have shown their support for the capital’s Rogue Landlords and Letting Agents checker. All 33 of them have signed up to the scheme, says London Mayor, Sadiq Khan. He said his campaign to name and shame rogue and unscrupulous landlords has now reached a significant milestone. When the database was launched in […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe May 29, 2018 3 min
Technology improving the rental industry
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Technology improving the rental industry

Award-winning British law firm, Mishcon de Reya, is putting its faith in technology since launching the MDR LAB programme for startups. In this, its second year, the programme will enable six companies to work alongside Mishcon de Reya’s legal and business operations teams for 10 weeks. The companies will gain access to the law firm’s […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe May 28, 2018 3 min
Landlords fined over Right to Rent checks
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Landlords fined over Right to Rent checks

More than 400 fines have been issued since the Right to Rent immigration checks were introduced two years ago. Under the scheme, landlords and agents have to find out if a tenant has a legal right to be in the country. Effectively, it means landlords are doing the jobs of immigration officers. Up to the […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe May 25, 2018 3 min
What perks would make a tenant pay more rent?
Blog

What perks would make a tenant pay more rent?

Whilst location is still the key when it comes to getting the right buy-to-let investment, it seems there are other factors to consider when marketing your rental property. Tenants are willing to pay more for features and facilities that add value to them. LSL Property Services recently quizzed more than 3,000 tenants to find out […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe May 24, 2018 3 min
Tenants work for four months a year to pay their rent
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Tenants work for four months a year to pay their rent

Apparently, full-time employees work until the beginning of May just to pay their year’s rent. BBC News analysis shows that someone on a middle income in England would have to work 86 days to pay off the annual rent on an average two-bedroom property. This is five more days than in 2011. Tenants in Scotland […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe May 23, 2018 3 min
What do tenants really look for in a property?
Blog

What do tenants really look for in a property?

When investing in a property, or decorating or upgrading one, it’s obviously important to bear in mind the needs of the new tenants. But it can be difficult to second-guess exactly what a tenant needs or is looking for in a home. Once you know what is top of a tenant’s wish-list, then you can […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe May 22, 2018 3 min
More professional landlords emerging into the sector
Blog

More professional landlords emerging into the sector

Professional Landlords holding portfolios of 6 to 60 buy-to-let properties in the UK have increased in the first quarter of 2018. The figures have been used to show that confidence remains strong in the sector. Despite the recent changes to regulations, taxes, stamp duty on second homes and mortgages for buy-to-lets over the past few […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe May 18, 2018 3 min
Buy-to-let investors hit record high
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Buy-to-let investors hit record high

The UK now has a record number of buy-to-let investors, with 2.5 million landlords in the latest tax year. Research by London estate agent, Ludlow Thompson, has revealed the record high, which is up 5% from the previous tax year. Over the past five years, the number of landlords has risen by 27% – there […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe May 17, 2018 3 min
Register of rogue landlords set up
Blog

Register of rogue landlords set up

Rogue landlords are to be added to a database which will be shared with local authorities. The register has been set up by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as yet another measure to crack down on rogue landlords. It is another way to try to force landlords who let illegal or substandard […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe May 16, 2018 3 min
Compliance & legislation

Compliance and legislation updates

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