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1083 articles
Landlords wary of tenants without British passports
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Landlords wary of tenants without British passports

Tenants without a British passport could find it harder to rent a property in the UK. Research by the Residential Landlords Association shows 42% of landlords say they are reluctant to rent to anyone who does not have a British passport. Following the findings, the RLA has called for a review of the Right to […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 26, 2018 3 min
7 out of 10 landlords do not want students as tenants
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7 out of 10 landlords do not want students as tenants

Students are finding it tough to find rental properties as 70 percent of UK landlords have said that they would not take them on as tenants. Those who took part in the survey by student lettings app SOCE said they do do not trust students or are worried that they will damage their property. More […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 25, 2018 3 min
Young people are now being priced out of the rental market
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Young people are now being priced out of the rental market

Whilst it has been widely reported that young people cannot afford to buy property in the UK because of the high prices, it now looks as though many cannot afford to rent either. About 700,000 people aged between 18 and 34-years-old cannot even set foot on the rental ladder, research from credit report provider Noddle […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 24, 2018 3 min
Time to look at your property portfolio
Blog

Time to look at your property portfolio

Traditionally, the end of the year is a good time to look over your property portfolio, see which are performing well and whether others need an upgrade or to be sold. It is also an ideal time to work out the strategy for the following year, analyse the forecast income and expenditure for each property […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 23, 2018 3 min
More rental properties will need HMO licences
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More rental properties will need HMO licences

More properties are to be classed as Houses in Multiple Occupancy, which means they will come under the mandatory licensing scheme. New rules, which have been approved by Parliament, mean that properties of any height which are occupied by five or more people from at least two different households will need the mandatory licence. At […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 22, 2018 3 min
Council launches £429,000 campaign against rogue landlords
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Council launches £429,000 campaign against rogue landlords

Rogue landlords who let their properties on a short-term let basis, flouting the 90-night limit, or those that have too many tenants under one roof, are facing a crackdown in the borough of Westminster. This London authority has launched a £429,000 crackdown, with four investigative officers to tackle irresponsible or unlawful letting. The campaign will […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 21, 2018 2 min
How landlords can make a profit in 2018
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How landlords can make a profit in 2018

It’s not been the best year for buy-to-let landlords, with tax increases and stamp duty hikes, along with increased regulation. It may not seem like a great investment and some landlords are selling up. However, demand for rental properties is growing faster than the supply of homes. So it’s still a worthwhile investment, if you […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 20, 2018 3 min
Landlords face repair bill hike
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Landlords face repair bill hike

Landlords are being advised to carry out a winter check on their properties or face hefty repair bills from over the festive fortnight. Research by TheHouseShop.com shows landlords in the private sector could be landed with bills up to 50% higher than usual for any emergency callouts during the Christmas period.   The company asked […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 19, 2018 3 min
Bristol tops the charts in the best places to invest in buy-to-lets
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Bristol tops the charts in the best places to invest in buy-to-lets

Whilst tax changes and new licensing regulations for HMOs bring new challenges for landlords in 2018, the rental market remains a solid investment option.   More people are either having to rent while they save up for a deposit to buy a property of their own, or are realising that they will never afford to […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 18, 2018 3 min
Buy-to-let clampdown boosts Airbnb listings
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Buy-to-let clampdown boosts Airbnb listings

More landlords are starting to offer properties for short-term lets through Airbnb because of the clampdown on buy-to-lets. Research from the Residential Landlords Assocation’s research lab PEARL showed a 199 percent increase in the number of short-term lets on Airbnb between 2015 and 2017. This year, there were 213,934 listings. The RLA used data from […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 16, 2018 3 min
New Year rings in changes for landlords – make sure you’re up to speed
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New Year rings in changes for landlords – make sure you’re up to speed

Landlords may have to be registered with HMRC for tax purposes to be able to get a licence for Houses in Multiple Occupancy. The British tax office has revealed plans that means landlords will not get an HMO licence if they are not registered. This is a twofold clampdown, on both expat landlords who are […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 12, 2018 3 min
Reforms to Give Greater Security for Tenants
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Reforms to Give Greater Security for Tenants

Tenants in Scotland will be given greater security than those in England as sweeping reforms come into force. The new tenants’ rights have been welcomed by housing campaigners. The most significant change is that anyone starting a private let will also sign a private residential tenancy which gives much-improved rights to renters. This tenancy gives […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 12, 2018 3 min
Rent rises forecast for the next five years
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Rent rises forecast for the next five years

Rents are forecast to steadily rise over the next five years, according to forecasts by Knight Frank. The property consultancy predicts that rents will rise nationally by 1.2% this year, 2.5% in the next five years, and then 3% in 2021 and 2022. Altogether, this adds up to a total rise of 14.7%. For London, […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 12, 2018 3 min
Lettings Fee Ban to be held off until Spring 2019
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Lettings Fee Ban to be held off until Spring 2019

The newly named Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) lead by Sajid Javid, confirm the ban is more than a year away. The newly formed Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) have confirmed they no not expect the lettings fee ban to be implemented until Spring 2019. MHCLG has announced that […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 11, 2018 2 min
InventoryBase celebrate a successful year of growth
Press

InventoryBase celebrate a successful year of growth

Market leading cloud-based property inspection software providers, InventoryBase, look back on a successful year of growth and development. Originally launched back in 2012, InventoryBase was designed to maintain and safeguard the rental property. In order to maintain and protect properties and those associated with them, the software was built with tenant, landlord and inventory clerk […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 11, 2018 2 min
Landlords change investment plans after tax relief cuts
Blog

Landlords change investment plans after tax relief cuts

Tax relief is currently the biggest influence on landlords looking at their investment strategy, with one-in-four landlords making it their primary concern, ahead of increased stamp duty and changes to capital gains tax. This research from Simple Landlords shows that tax relief and government legislation are the biggest influences on landlords’ decision-making, while unoccupied property […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 10, 2018 3 min
Further action needed on poor housing
Blog

Further action needed on poor housing

Calls are being made for further action to be taken on poor housing to make sure properties are safe and not a danger to health. A report from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health shows strong support for the current Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) To be reviewed and updated. The HHSRS was […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 8, 2018 3 min
Making a clear-cut case for mandatory inventories
Blog

Making a clear-cut case for mandatory inventories

Mandatory inventories – how much would they benefit both landlord and tenant?Wear and tear is one of the main causes of discrepancies between landlords and tenants. It is a grey area as to what constitutes wear and tear? What one person might feel is normal, everyday wear and tear, another may feel is overuse, damage […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 2, 2018 3 min
Major Changes Forecast in the Housing Market for the New Year
Blog

Major Changes Forecast in the Housing Market for the New Year

Bold moves to fix the broken housing market are among the New Year resolutions for the British government. Communities Secretary Sajid Javid told a group of housing professionals in London about the need to build new homes. He also mentioned that a single housing ombudsman could be introduced for homeowners, buyers, landlords and tenants. A […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 1, 2018 3 min
Ban on agents’ fees could see deposits soar
Blog

Ban on agents’ fees could see deposits soar

There are fears that deposits could soar when agency fee’s are banned. Before the draft Tenants’ Fees Bill has even gone through Parliament, fears are being raised that it could lead to increased costs for tenants. Whilst the bill will see letting agents’ fees banned, there are concerns that renters could still face increased costs, […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe December 31, 2017 3 min
Buy-to-rent sector is ‘hottest property niche’
Blog

Buy-to-rent sector is ‘hottest property niche’

The private rental sector has become of the hottest property niches, according to the ‘Real Estate: A Game Of Two Halves’ report by City analysts Peel Hunt. The report examines listed property companies, giving a ‘buy’ rating to the UK’s largest landlord Grainger. The report asserts that both UK and North American funds are showing […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe December 28, 2017 2 min
Look north for the most attractive buy-to-let properties
Blog

Look north for the most attractive buy-to-let properties

Property is still a good investment in the UK, but the best locations are not always so easy to find. Many property investors would think London and the South-East are top areas for buy-to-let properties because of the high demand and high rents. However, the rental yields can be very low, because of the high […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe December 26, 2017 3 min
Landlords need to protect themselves against accusations of retaliatory evictions
Blog

Landlords need to protect themselves against accusations of retaliatory evictions

UK laws covering the issue of retaliatory evictions are due to be expanded from next year, which means landlords need to have basic procedures in place to protect themselves against any allegations or accusations. It is feared that many landlords are exposing themselves to legal claims of retaliatory eviction and properties not being repaired, because […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe December 22, 2017 2 min
More control on the cards for landlords
Blog

More control on the cards for landlords

New controls and regulations for the private rental sector are expected to be introduced, which could mean more of a landlord’s time is spent dealing with bureaucracy rather than the day-to-day running of the business. More details of exactly what is in store is expected to be revealed during the Budget on November 22. However, […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe December 20, 2017 3 min
Compliance & legislation

Compliance and legislation updates

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