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1083 articles
Blog

Technology set to shake up the way people buy property

Technology is already having a major influence on the way in which people buy, sell and rent property. Online portals have thousands of properties which people can view on their desktop, laptop or mobile. They can find out all about the property; take a virtual reality tour of the rooms; and then check out the […]

S Sarah Marshall April 27, 2016 3 min
Blog

Raving about review websites for agents

Just as TripAdvisor has done for travel and tourism, rating and review websites are set to shake up the world of property lettings and sales. Now property lettings and estate agents are being marked for their performance with clients giving ratings and making comments about the service provided. Both sellers and landlords can leave reviews […]

S Sarah Marshall April 25, 2016 3 min
Blog

Landlords risk court action for breaking regulations

Landlords now have a long list of rules and regulations with which they must comply – or risk facing hefty fines. Professional landlords will be more than willing to abide by the regulations as it means that their tenants are not placed at risk because of inadequate fire alarms, obstructions to emergency exits or dangerous […]

S Sarah Marshall April 22, 2016 3 min
Blog

Tenants can request their landlords go green

Tenants can now ask their landlords to be more green-minded and to make energy-saving improvements to their properties. Under the Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015, landlords are unable to refuse consent for any such requests as from April 1st. The rights are subject to the tenant finding suitable funding for the […]

S Sarah Marshall April 20, 2016 3 min
Blog

Property technology bubble shows no signs of bursting

Property technology continues to shake up the property market, making it easier for buyers and tenants to search for homes. Start-ups are attracting substantial investment from the major players as these new ventures create ever easier ways in which to access properties. For example, start-up Movebubble has just received a further £1.1 million funding from […]

S Steve Rad April 17, 2016 3 min
Gnomen launches integration with InventoryBase
Blog

Gnomen launches integration with InventoryBase

We’ve this week announced the launch of a new partnership with property management software, Gnomen, to offer an ‘add-on’ Gnomen customers can purchase via their marketplace. With Cloud-based Gnomen property software you can access your property management business at any time, from any device, anywhere in the world. Agents always stay on top of their call-backs, diary, […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe April 6, 2016 2 min
Blog

Property prices are forcing more young people to rent

Soaring property prices are causing more young people to believe that the future lies in renting. Some three in four young people in Britain feel that it is highly unlikely they will ever afford to buy their own home and will rent for the rest of their lives. An Ipsos MORI survey for Shelter and […]

S Sarah Marshall April 1, 2016 3 min
Blog

Raising the roof for rent a room allowances

Homeowners with a spare room to let out have been benefiting from an increase in the tax free Rent-A-Room allowances which was raised from £4,250 to £7,500. The move was widely welcomed, not just by home owners who could potentially offset some of their mortgage repayments by taking in a lodger, but also by rental […]

S Sarah Marshall March 30, 2016 3 min
Blog

Generation Rent deserves quality properties to rent

The number of people renting properties in the UK is set to soar in the next few years as ever-increasing property prices put the option of buying out of the reach of even more households. As property prices rise at a faster rate than wages, more people are being locked out of the property market […]

S Sarah Marshall March 28, 2016 2 min
Blog

UK property market continues to be buoyant with a lively start to 2016

The average price of a property in the UK has increased by 6.7 per cent in a year and now stands at £288,000, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). England enjoyed the highest rise with the average price of a home standing at £301,000 – an increase of 7.3 per cent. […]

S Sarah Marshall March 25, 2016 3 min
Blog

Internet site up a gumtree over fraudsters posing as landlords

The internet has opened up the property world, allowing buyers and tenants to view homes ‘virtually’ from the comfort of their home. They can browse the web to find property, compare prices and even research the neighbourhood before deciding whether to book a viewing. However, the internet is also susceptible to some sophisticated – and […]

S Sarah Marshall March 23, 2016 3 min
Blog

Technology innovations continue to shake up the property industry

Technology is changing the way in which people conduct business in virtually all markets. People no longer have to visit or phone a restaurant to order a takeaway. Now they tap in to an online service such as Just Eat and order their meal. Holidaymakers no longer have to head for the travel agents to […]

S Sarah Marshall March 7, 2016 3 min
Blog

No Win No Fee legal cases to blame for rise in property claims

No Win No Fee cases are cropping up ever more frequently in all areas of public life. Colloquially referred to as ‘ambulance chasers’, firms specialising in No Win No Fee cases are opening up the legal system to more people who may not have been able to afford to take legal action in the past. […]

S Sarah Marshall March 4, 2016 3 min
Blog

Why leaving your home empty could cost you money

Stark statistics show that there are more than 635,000 empty homes in England with about 200,000 of these standing empty for more than six months. A report in the Mirror indicates that there are nearly 61,000 households in temporary accommodation which equates to 10 empty homes for every homeless family in England. Although that is […]

S Sarah Marshall March 2, 2016 3 min
Blog

Businesses are getting with IT in property technology

Business is increasingly being managed remotely, particularly in the property world. People can search online for properties to buy or rent. They can look at the area via Google Maps and find the location of the nearest shops or schools; how well the public transport system runs; and even what the crime rate is like. […]

S Sarah Marshall February 25, 2016 3 min
Blog

More councils should launch Boris’s boiler cashback scheme

Calls have been made for additional councils to offer incentives for landlords to replace ageing boilers. London Mayor Boris Johnson launched the London Boiler Cashback scheme on February 2, 2016, to provide £400 cashback for replacing an old and inefficient boiler. It needs to be a gas, LPG, solid fuel or oil-fuelled boiler. The scheme […]

S Sarah Marshall February 23, 2016 2 min
Blog

Legionella death in care home reinforces need for strict measures

A great, great grandfather died from exposure to legionella in a care home operated by Reading Borough Council, which led to the local authority being fined £100,000 with £20,000 costs. The untimely death highlights the importance of effective control measures for all landlords or agencies. Otherwise another tragic incident such as that in Reading could […]

S Sarah Marshall February 19, 2016 3 min
Blog

Hidden cost of renting with Airbnb

Airbnb has become quite a phenomenon for travellers or business people who want to rent accommodation anywhere in the world and is proving equally popular with people who have a spare room, villa or other accommodation to rent out. More than 60 million guests have stayed in more than 34,000 cities across 190 countries since […]

S Sarah Marshall February 17, 2016 3 min
Blog

Calls for a special housing court to be set up

Calls are being made for a special housing court or tribunal to be set up solely for legal disputes concerning property and housing. The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) made the call in response to an investigation into procedures for dealing with disagreements between landlords and tenants. The Civil Justice Council’s Property Disputes Working […]

S Sarah Marshall February 15, 2016 3 min
Blog

Cherie Blair takes up the fight against buy-to-let taxes

Landlords affected by the increase in taxes on buy-to-let properties have a new and powerful ally in the form of barrister Cherie Blair. Cherie Blair QC is planning to use European human rights legislation in her bid to quash the property tax which is due to come into effect in April. Under the proposed changes, […]

S Sarah Marshall February 12, 2016 3 min
Blog

Further boost for legitimate landlords with £5m govt funding

Legitimate landlords and property management companies or rental agencies are facing a tough start to 2016 with new regulations being passed which mean that they have to scrutinise their potential tenants more closely, in addition to meeting new safety regulations. It may have seemed as though landlords who abide by the law are actually being […]

S Sarah Marshall February 10, 2016 3 min
Blog

When does wear and tear become damaged property?

A common dispute between letting agencies and tenants centres upon the definition of wear and tear. At the end of a letting period and during the check-out process, tenants have to leave the property as they found it. The law states that the property needs to be as it was in the check-in inventory, allowing […]

S Sarah Marshall February 8, 2016 3 min
Blog

Companies investing in buy-to-let in a bid to beat the taxman

More companies are investing buy-to-let properties with mortgage applications soaring in the past few months. Registered companies now account for more than one-third of applications for buy-to-let mortgages, according to the latest figures. In October, their share of the market stood at just 15 per cent, so this is a significant rise. The increase comes […]

S Sarah Marshall February 5, 2016 3 min
Blog

Where’s the best place to invest in buy-to-lets in the UK?

Property is hot news in the United Kingdom with prices continuing to rise. This is not just good news for home owners who are sitting on assets which are increasing in value far more than the rate of inflation and giving them a better return on investment than savings accounts. Rental companies and large-scale, buy-to-let […]

S Sarah Marshall February 3, 2016 3 min
Compliance & legislation

Compliance and legislation updates

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

Renters' Rights Act Damp and mould Awaab's Law HHSRS Building Safety Act Legionella Fire safety Deposit evidence Fair wear and tear
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