Archive

There’s been a big boost to the movement towards deposit alternatives in the private rental sector following a survey released this...

One of Britain’s most experienced lettings experts has condemned the government for “almost singlehandedly destroying the traditional lettings market.” Lisa Simon -...

Rental values in prime London show early signs of bottoming out, says Savills, with the annual rate of falls now at...

Who are you? I’m the Director of Sales for both the well-known industry leading Today publications and The ValPal Network. Leading publications: Estate...

A flat-share website claims typical rents in some 38 per cent of London are now so high they render the areas...

Continued political and economic uncertainty is likely to fuel increased tenant demand in the private rented sector, says Haart.  The company’s latest...

The party conferences of the two main political parties threw up some interesting developments with regards to housing and the rental...

Rental sector experts are expressing growing fears that the relatively low-key Budget announcements made on Monday could herald something more dramatic...

The agency industry has reacted in a broadly downbeat way at the relatively few housing-related proposals that were announced in yesterday’s...

The Guardian says the government is committed to making a datebase of rogue letting agents and landlords available to tenants. The newspaper quotes...

The number of tenants seeing their rents rise continues to go up according to the latest market snapshot produced by the...

The proportion of buy to let investors looking to remortgage is now at an all-time high according to respected specialist mortgage...

JLL says its London offices saw increased demand in the third quarter of the year, underpinned by the student sector. Lonres data...

A newspaper claims landlords who ‘game’ the current tax regime for short term lets and lodging may be in the firing...

Croydon council is reported to have become the first local authority to back the scrapping of Section 21 of the 1988...

There has been limited support given from some parts of the lettings industry to a proposal offering Capital Gains Tax relief...

Media speculation over the weekend has suggested that the government may be about to give tax breaks to landlords agreeing to...

The shock findings of a new survey suggest that 32 per cent of landlords would be less likely to buy new...

The first of the industry trade bodies to issue a series of demands for this month’s Budget is the National Landlords Association...

Here’s a date which the private rental sector may want to make a note of…even if it is with some nervousness. The...

The Haart agency is calling on the government to give the private rental sector a break in the autumn Budget, as...

Three London lettings sub-markets performed relatively weakly according to data just released by Knight Frank. Wimbledon’s rental values fell 1.5 per cent...

Belvoir says more landlords are selling up and fewer newcomers are investing in the private rental sector because of increased legislation...

The government should be more ambitious when it comes to ensuring the private rented sector becomes increasingly energy efficient. That’s the message...

Opposition is growing fast to the threat of another stamp duty attack on the buy to let sector, rumoured to be...

A newspaper in warning that the beleaguered buy to let sector may be under attack yet again with the government considering...

One of London’s leading letting agencies says in the current neutral rental market, buy to let owners must work hard to...

Some 18 per cent of properties let in the first half of 2018 were registered in the name of a company...

There has been strong support for an e-petition calling for the scrapping of the stamp duty surcharge on buy to let...

A local authority has started a one-year trial of a ‘social lettings agency’ which aims to match those at risk of...

The government has announced that it is to formally consult on proposals for longer tenancies in the private rental sector. Although there...

Time to put the gloom and doom about buy to let to one side - a new analysis shows that a...

The industry has reacted angrily to the announcement yesterday that the Tenants’ Fees Bill is now formally starting its progress through...

Proposals to cap security deposits for private rented housing to six weeks rent risk creating a charter for rent cheats warns...

The government says that later this year it will allocate a further £1.4m to PropTech firms looking at how tenants’ rent...

A trade body says new figures released by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility show that the government’s recent tax increases...

An analysis of data released by HM Revenue and Customs shows that 1.9 million people earned money from property in 2015-16...

An accountancy trade body, the Association of Accounting Technicians, is advising the government to investigate what it calls “the questionable tax...

One of the lettings sector’s biggest lenders, Santander, is allowing its buy to let landlord borrowers to offer assured shorthold tenancies...

Government proposals to ban letting agent fees levied on tenants next year are unlikely to make renting cheaper as new research...

Prime minister Theresa May has repeated that the current government will not introduce rent controls in the private sector. The issue of...

The government is offering £2m to budding PropTech and financial technology entrepreneurs who can develop an application that will enable Britain’s 11...

Changes to Universal Credit have made it easier for claimants to rent homes but the government needs to do more to...

The House of Lords has given the Creditworthiness Assessment Bill its second reading and a step forward to ensuring that tenants’...

A change to the operation of Universal Credit has been welcomed by a trade body which has described it as good...

It’s been discovered that a Capital Gains Tax measure buried in the small print of the Budget is likely to hit...

The industry is awaiting details of the latest government consultation concerning the private rental sector which will consider longer tenancies. The consultation...

Stamp duty reform for first time buyers has taken pride of place in the Budget speech of Chancellor Phillip Hammond.   From today,...

Over two thirds of landlords are reluctant to invest in new properties as a result of the stamp duty surcharge on...

One of the senior figures in the UK’s burgeoning Build To Rent sector has called on the Chancellor to help this...

After the series of anti-buy to let measures contained in recent Budgets, it is perhaps unsurprising that a survey of landlords...

Mandatory Client Money Protection for lettings agents - currently the subject of a formal government consultation - will contribute towards making...

A trade body says there are 15 formal government consultations going on within the private rental sector - and now it’s...

The will exists in the private rental sector to provide the longer term tenancies advocated by the government, says a trade...

Letting agents and landlords are being urged by a trade body to sign a petition calling on the government to make...

A leading accountancy and business advice consultancy says residential landlords who want to downsize their portfolios because of recent tax changes...

Agents have until November 24 - two days after the next Budget - to submit evidence to the latest probe into...

The rental market in parts of prime central London is becoming increasingly dominated by well-funded overseas students, according to a leading...

The Association of Residential Letting Agents has issued a 10 point guide for tenants - with the emphasis very much on...

There’s been another large increase in the number of buy to let mortgages sought by limited companies - they accounted for...

A leading buy to let expert is calling on agents to work more closely with landlords and tenants to improve communications...

The Conservatives have used their annual conference in Manchester to unveil a raft of new controls and regulations applying to the...

A trade body says the expanding Build To Rent sector will never be large enough to meet tenant demand and as...

The National Landlords’ Association appears to be first off the starting blocks with its submission to government ahead of the next...

Now you have a rare opportunity to tell Phillip Hammond and Treasury civil servants exactly where they are going wrong with...

A council claims that up to 13,000 private landlords are “of interest” to HM Revenue and Customs, where there are alleged...

A lettings agency that already operates an Airbnb management service has now launched an additional ‘interior styling service’ for landlords who...

Prime central London is seeing the rise of the micro-apartment, according to new research, as squeezed accommodation budgets have seen singles...

Rightmove is testing an experimental Facebook Messenger bot in the London lettings market.    For the unitiated a bot is software that can...

The BBC’s reality programme The Week The Landlords Moved In should act as an eye-opener for the lettings industry when it...

The government has revealed that it has received over 4,700 responses to its official consultation over the proposed ban on letting...

Paragon Mortgages says its most recent survey of buy to let investors makes it clear that the vast majority want the...

**The free photography course for estate agents (part one) offer has now expired. It is still available in special circumstances so...

An analysis by investment specialists London Central Portfolio reveals that in areas of central London swamped with new builds coming to...

The fall in rents across prime central London’s lettings market are slowing according to Knight Frank. It claims rents have dropped 4.9...

The Residential Landlords Association has spotted small print from the Budget that may suggest the government is about to review Rent...

The number of new landlords instructing agents is at its lowest for two years - and with worse to come thanks...

A trade body claims that vulnerable tenants are finding it harder to access rented housing because of tax changes being introduced...

There was a sigh of relief amongst the lettings industry that yesterday's Budget introduced no new property taxes - but concern...

The campaign against the phased reduction in landlords' mortgage interest tax relief is continuing with the opening of a new website,...

Chancellor Phillip Hammond has introduced no new property taxes in his Spring Budget - but a clampdown on those setting up...

As the industry awaits the delivery of today's Spring Budget, the National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS) has called on the government...

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is writing to the Office for Budget Responsibility asking it to provide clarification on controversial tax...

A Conservative MP has launched a scathing attack on some landlords in his own constituency following a local council initiative to...

The Residential Landlords Association has listed key MPs in marginal constituencies who should be lobbied ahead of the March 8 Budget...

The Chartered Institute of Housing wants the government to introduce a raft of new measures including significantly greater regulation of letting...

A trade group has commissioned a firm of economists to look at how the government’s mortgage interest tax relief change -...

Letting agents and landlords are urged to step up their awareness of rip-off maintenance contractors.   The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks is warning...

The government should think again about punitive tax changes to the private rented sector after receiving greater-than-expected revenue from the three...

The Residential Landlords Association has been quick off the mark to issue what it calls a seven point wish list to...

The National Landlords Association is making only three demands on the government for its next Budget, because it recognises further reforms...

Figures from investment company London Central Portfolio suggest that re-lets of older properties to new tenants showed a fall in rents...

The government has published a new set of guidelines for organisations, companies and individuals to lobby the Treasury ahead of the...

The campaigners against planned changes to mortgage interest tax relief - set to come into effect from April, phased over four...

Some of the property professionals behind the campaign against the changes to buy to let landlords’ taxation have compiled a comprehensive...

The Welsh Government - which now has additional fiscal powers allowing it to be more independent from Westminster - has chosen...

The attempt to seek a Judicial Review of legislation reducing the mortgage interest tax relief for landlords has failed. The case was...

Kevin Hollinrake - the founder of franchise agency Hunters and now a Conservative MP - is calling for a cut in...

Belvoir is calling on the government to reverse its punitive tax policies against buy to let and introduce incentives to make...

There are now 60,139 Build To Rent units constructed or in the pipeline across the UK according to the British Property...

The Residential Landlords Association says the build up to the new government‘s Autumn Statement - effectively its first budget - is...

Before new London mayor Sadiq Khan has had his first working day in office, his proposals for a private rental sector...

Private landlords’ confidence is at the lowest level since late 2006 according to market research company BDRC Continental, thanks to anti-buy...

The British Property Federation says George Osborne’s stamp duty surcharge will threaten the success of the Build To Rent sector, which...

The Bank of England has released new buy to let mortgage underwriting standards which are expected to set out stricter borrowing...

The new stamp duty surcharge on buy to let properties coming into effect next Friday will increase rent costs for tenants...

A Conservative peer has criticised the government's ongoing attacks on the private lettings industry saying that the Cameron administration should be...

Yesterday George Osborne delivered his eighth budget as chancellor, announcing an extra £3.5 billion in spending cuts by 2019-20. The Office for...

Later today chancellor George Osborne will make his latest budget speech. It has been speculated that the announcement could include new measures...

Almost a third of landlords surveyed by property crowdfunding platform Property Partner have little or no awareness of the raft of...

Some 66% of landlords predict more rental sector turbulence in this week's Budget, according to research by property crowdfunding platform The...

The proportion of landlords in central London who intend to sell property has quadrupled since last year’s Budget, according to the...

So you’ve decided to advertise on Rightmove, Zoopla or another online property listing agent. You’ve agreed the budget, made the bold...

The Residential Landlords Association is warning private investors not to be lured by firms offering schemes which allegedly promise to help...

Landlords’ confidence in the buy to let sector has collapsed to an all-time low and is now “worse than levels witnessed...

The legal challenge to Chancellor George Osborne’s controversial buy to let tax change is underway with a letter sent to HMRC...

There’s been an angry reaction from letting agents and landlords to the shock news that an additional three per cent stamp...

The head of a landlords’ association has warned the Conservative government not to demonise buy to let investors who typically have...

Franchise letting agency giant Winkworth is warning that London’s tenants face higher rents as some landlords sell investment properties in the...

The outgoing chief of Whitbread PLC has made a scathing attack on Airbnb and the government for its approach to what...

A prominent buying agent active in prime central London says the capital’s high end buy to let market will become less...

The online petition opposing the proposed tax changes for buy to let landlords has now reached 35,000 signatures - but is...

The online petition against the government's proposed tax changes for buy to let investors is "a waste of time" according to...

A columnist on FT Adviser - an online service for financial advisers and clients - says buy to let investors have...

The government is ruling out any re-think on its proposals to reduce buy to let tax breaks from next year. The Financial...

A web portal which radically changes the way investors search for their next investment property has signed up 5,000 agents, less...

As the Conservative Party conference continues, a leading Tory has warned that "there is much further to go" on removing buy...

There has been a sharp and rapid rebuttal of comments made by new shadow chancellor John McDonnell suggesting that private sector...

Over 60 per cent of private sector landlords face being pushed from the basic to higher rates of income tax as...

The Daily Telegraph has undertaken an interesting exercise which effectively challenges Chancellor George Osborne’s assertion that buy to let tax changes...

The chief executive of Zoopla has thrown his weight behind opposition to the government’s proposed restrictions on buy to let tax...

Over half the private rental sector tenants on housing benefit have experienced delays over its payment from their local council. Research by...

The country’s biggest buy to let landlord is to raise rents by up to 33 per cent, and puts the blame...

Opponents of the government’s attempt to end tax breaks for the buy to let sector now have a new opportunity to...

If supporters of Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget restrictions on tax breaks for buy to let landlords thought opposition would die off...

A firm of specialist solicitors claims that one in five landlords say they will be “out of business due to government...

The rise and rise of Airbnb - the global online short-lets system that could be used by landlords to short-circuit letting...

The petition against the proposed tax changes outlined by Chancellor George Osborne in last month’s Budget has now achieved 20,000 signatures. This...

Franchise agency Belvoir is urging landlords to budget and plan for mandatory changes to the energy efficiency of rental properties, coming...

A petition to oppose the proposed change in buy to let landlords’ tax breaks is nearing the 14,000-signature mark - but...

A London letting agency is playing down the impact of Chancellor George Osborne’s proposed changes to buy to let tax breaks,...

The founders of the website saynotogeorge.co.uk have stepped forward to explain why they have founded the campaign.  Two Peterborough-based property developers are...

No one likes to be called and told, your boiler has broken down or a burst pipe has caused damage to...

Around 47 per cent of landlords will be affected by changes to the annual wear and tear allowance. That’s the result of...

A new website - www.saynotogeorge.co.uk - has been set up as a nucleus for opposition to Chancellor George Osborne’s proposals to...

New figures from a landlords’ organisation show that mortgage repayments are easily the biggest outgoing for a large proportion of landlords.  The...

A campaign group protesting against the government’s Budget proposal to limit the tax breaks for buy to let investors has been...

The Residential Landlords Association has launched a new campaign ‘toolkit’ to enable opponents of the proposed buy to let tax changes...

An online petition demanding the reinstatement of buy to let landlords' tax breaks has broken the 10,000 signatures mark which means...

An online petition demanding the reversal of the revisions to buy to let landlords' tax breaks announced in the Budget last...

A survey suggests that renters are worried that landlords who have to pay more tax as a result of changes in...

An online petition demanding the reinstatement of buy to let landlords' tax breaks has so far attracted 6,300-plus signatures. The petition, which...

A critic of the suggestion that buy to let landlords could set up companies to ‘beat’ the ending of tax breaks...

A letting agent is urging landlords to try to circumnavigate tax changes aimed at the buy to let sector by incorporating...

A survey for a lettings organisation has confirmed the belief that the government’s removal of tax breaks on landlords will almost...

HMRC has revealed the scope of its proposed changes to the wear and tear allowance, as announced in George Osborne’s Budget...

An accountancy firm is warning that there are pitfalls in trying to avoid the higher taxation which will result from the...

The specialist buy to let mortgage sector is set to be an unexpected victim of the buy to let tax changes...

The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies has described the justification given by Chancellor George Osborne for curbing tax breaks for buy to...

Changes announced to the amount of money ordinary home owners can secure, tax-free, from letting out rooms in their homes have...

One of Britain’s senior letting agents says the people likely to be hit hardest by changes of the buy to let...

In case we didn’t learn the lesson last time around, we appear to be on the brink of a refresher course...

Wednesday’s budget proved a grim viewing for those who have worked in the rental sector for some time and watched the...

This week the Chancellor, George Osborne, delivered the first Conservative Budget for almost 20 years. While Mr Osborne claimed that it marked...

Watch the latest weekly video round-up of news from Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today, featuring stories on George Osborne's...

There has been no let-up in the anger expressed by sections of the buy to let sector after Chancellor George Osborne...

The changes to tax relief for landlords comes on top of a blizzard of new health and safety requirements, regulations and...

Agents have expressed their disappointment at the decision by the government to restrict mortgage interest relief for Buy To let investors...

Chancellor George Osborne has announced that mortgage interest tax relief for buy-to-let homebuyers are to be restricted to basic rate of...

Chancellor George Osborne has been warned that rents in the private rented sector could rise if he scraps the tax-deductible status...

Bournemouth council has set up a private sector rental company which will see it buy properties and then let them.  The decision...

Debate over spending cuts and taxation is increasingly asking whether landlords should continue to receive an estimated £10 billion - or...

Anyone who doubts the enormity of the marketing budget for global short-lets firm Airbnb may have to think again - for...

The Residential Landlords Association is calling for better enforcement of existing laws and regulations to protect tenants in private rented housing. In...

The National Landlords Association says it is to lobby Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne on private rental sector tax issues...

The Residential Landlords Association says it has “deep concerns” over the Panorama programme broadcast early this week claiming that landlords were...

Gareth Styles of Grants Independent Estate Agents, Woking writes: When considering opening a new office in Woking Surrey I met with several...