Archive

Michael Gove’s Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities hit back overnight at critics of the government’s Renters Reform Bill. The Bill...

There’s a huge number of amendments to the Renters Reform Bill, which has its Third Reading in the House of Commons...

Propertymark says it will continue lobbying government for the implementation of the Regulation of Property Agents - even though the government...

Recent substantial fines issued by HMRC are a harsh reminder to agents to ensure that their Anti-Money Laundering policies are up...

A major agency has told the government to get on with ensuring the Renters Reform Bill is passed into law as...

The chief executive of one of Britain’s largest franchise agency chains is warning that rents may no longer be able to...

A government-supporting newspaper says the Renters Reform Bill will be back in the House of Commons next week. Observers have been expecting...

A lawyer says radical rental reforms proposed for Scotland - which could be a model for change in England and Wales...

The ESTAS awards event in October has a new principal partner. It’s Landmark Information Group, which includes Landmark Estate Agency Services, Searchflow,...

Propertymark wants HM Land Registry to provide more accessible and affordable services to its members.  HMLR launched a consultation last month as...

An influential Labour website says a raft of proposed reforms for the private rental sector will be unveiled next month -...

Tenant groups and charities reacted angrily over the Easter weekend to the proposed changes to the Renters Reform Bill being advocated...

The government has written to Conservative MPs promising changes to the Renters Reform Bill to ease concerns over its anti-landlord bias. Jacob...

Agents have expressed their anger at permanent rent controls proposed by the SNP and Green Party politicians running the Scottish Government. The...

Propertymark has issued a no-holds-barred plea to the politician who has been named as the new housing minister in Wales -...

Propertymark says its Lettings Helpline for agent members in England and Wales has become “an essential membership benefit for dealing with...

For first time buyers, renting is cheaper than buying in most of the UK according to new data from the Halifax.  London, the...

What appears to be another government housing policy U-turn - this time on ground rents - is being hailed as “a...

England’s county councils want the next government to set out a long-term plan for housing, as a new report claims there’s...

The new Labour leader in Wales, Vaughan Gething, has received an early shot across the bows from Propertymark. Gething was elected Welsh...

Latest data from agency Chestertons reveals a 125 per cent increase in the number of landlords choosing to reduce asking rents...

Tenant reference and tech supplier The Lettings Hub claims 25 per cent of fraudulent documents submitted by would-be tenants were identified...

The Chancellor has one last chance to come good on the election promise of lowering the burden of business rates –...

Nationwide has taken the unusual step of using its buy to let lending arm - The Mortgage Works - to make...

A network uniting so-called ‘ethical agents’ launches today with a promise to be different from the rest of the industry. The Ethical...

Labour has waded into the increasingly-fractious debate over the Renters Reform Bill. Activists in groups such as the Renters Reform Coalition and...

Aldermore has named Bristol, as the best city for landlords to invest in for 2024.  Manchester, Coventry, Brighton and London make up...

Birmingham’s Labour council is considering closing its social housing waiting list to new applicants - and this is likely to trigger...

According to the BBC, the Government is no longer committed to increase the amount disabled people in England can claim to...

The government has done a U-turn on its original policy to relax HMO regulations on private rental properties used by asylum...

The ESTAS Group says its 2024 Best in Postcode Category Winners will be announced on April 26. This new category was announced...

A five year old consumer reviews website has been acquired by Rightmove. Homeviews was set up in 2019 and at the time...

A new study claims holiday rental providers could increase business five fold or more through improved communication. The study asked more than...

Qualifications for property managers in the social housing sector should be extended to the private rental sector too. That’s the view of...

Summer looks like it’s going to be a hectic period for lettings agents and the private rental sector according to TV...

Self employed agency brand Harding Green, which majors on London and prime country markets, says it’s grown significantly in the lettings...

Online rental platform Lettingaproperty is telling landlords to take a strategic approach to property management in 2024, to help navigate legislative...

The controversial minister who steered rent controls through the Scottish Parliament has contacted Propertymark to reveal details of the next stage. Patrick...

Propertymark is telling member agents to be aware of potential risks and help educate tenants to lookout for common scams, especially...

Foxtons claims it’s reached new heights under its latest management team. The agency has been described as the is fastest growing UK...

The Housing Ombudsman - currently active in the social housing sector but tipped to take a wider role involving private renting...

A new survey of 4,000 landlords has identified the three qualities they look for in a letting agent. Whereas trust and liveability...

Propertymark has laid out its proposals to the Scottish Government ahead of its 2024-25 Budget next week. The letting agents’ trade body...

Purplebricks has appointed a new media agency - mSix&Partners - as it launches its ‘free’ sales offer to landlords and other...

It’s all change for a regional agents’ group which has announced a new chair and new directors. Cornwall-based former estate agent Steve...

A prominent London buying agent and property consultant says the slowly improving supply of rental property means more tenants are now...

I think we can all agree that the National Trading Standards Material Information reforms are a good thing for the property...

Propertymark has told politicians that an additional homes tax will not succeed in increasing housing supply. Timothy Douglas, head of policy and...

Inheritance Tax totalled £4.6 billion for the HM Treasury between April and October - that’s £500,000 up on the same period...

The prospect of a long-term eviction ban appears to have been lifted in one part of the UK. The Welsh Government is...

The Federation of Independent Agents has selected an automated client account platform as a supplier.  The FIA was established in by Graham...

Propertymark says it’s delivering a powerful message to the Scottish Government - despite losing a recent key legal case. The agents trade...

The Scottish Greens - who are in effect the architects of rent controls north of the border - have welcomed a...

There’s been widespread dismay in the industry as the outcome of a Judicial Review has backed the Scottish Government’s objective of...

Propertymark has welcomed the pledge by Housing Secretary Michael Gove not to introduce rent controls in England. The trade body says such...

There are growing fears of yet another Bank of England base rate rise next month following the surprise inflation figure released...

It looks as if the government is accepting that there is a problem with how banks treat Pooled Client Accounts -...

Propertymark has urged Labour to licence letting agents under its plans to ‘fundamentally reform the private rented sector’. The trade body also...

Hunters’ first ever franchised branch in the North Yorkshire town of Selby is under new ownership after 16 years. James Powell, who...

London lettings and sales agency Dexters is the first in the UK to gain OFSTED accreditation for its training. Its academy offers...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is launching its manifesto at this week’s Tory party conference - and improving the supply...

Scottish agency and chartered surveyor firm DM Hall is to incorporate the identity of its rural property specialist arm, Baird Lumsden,...

It’s vital for agents to have a process in place to check documentation received at their office, to avoid potential claims.  This...

The ESTAS Group has unveiled a mobile version of its core Review and Insight products. ESTAS Mobile offers the same functionality of...

The Competition and Markets Authority’s in depth investigation into the controversial deposit alternative concept has been welcomed by one of the...

The Competitioin and Markets Authority is to probe five activities involving letting agents and landlords and their responsibilities to private tenants. Sarah...

A prominent figure in the London property world says landlords under increasing financial pressure are being more selective about the letting...

The Bank of England’s monetary policy committee has announced its decision on base rate. It will rise by 0.25 per cent to...

One in eight tenants admit to letting out part or all of their rented property - and that rises to a...

Stricter proposals for energy efficiency under review by the government risk damaging the private rental sector if they remain unchanged. That’s the...

The Renters (Reform) Bill rewrites many of the rules that the private rented sector has played by for decades. This may...

A new action plan to tackle issues around HMOs is being drawn up by a Midlands council next week. West Northamptonshire council’s...

We compare traditional methods of client money account inspections by an accountant to the alternative Client Money HealthCheck. But first, let’s clarify...

One of the country’s first Belvoir branch franchises has changed hands after approaching three decades.  The resale of Belvoir Lincoln, one of...

PayProp is known for its award-winning rental payment platform, which combines bank-integrated client accounting with automation to save letting agencies time...

The leader of the council that was rebuffed by a court when it tried to control the spread of Airbnb-style short...

Airbnb claims there has been a 75 per cent drop in party reports made to Airbnb in the UK since its...

The Guild of Property Professionals has revealed that over 80 of its member agents have been shortlisted for The ESTAS 2023.   The...

The Scottish Government looks set to extend its rent cap for yet another six months, despite widespread opposition from the lettings...

A left-leaning think tank which says it champions ‘left-behind Londoners’ is demanding a turbo-charged version of selective licensing to be run...

Propertymark has told a group of MPs that many benefit recipients are excluded from the private rented sector due to the...

Purplebricks has given its most pessimistic trading update yet, admitting its effects to find a buyer are tanking and its financial...

Housing Secretary Michael Gove says the long-awaited Renters Reform Bill, first promised in 2019, will finally be introduced into Parliament this...

Platforms like Facebook are infiltrated by fake review factories, despite the imminent publication of a new Bill which will look to make...

The Deposit Protection Service is hosting a webinar to help letting agents better navigate the dispute resolution process.   The service says...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has accused the government of lacking ambition in its new energy strategy. The government's revised strategy,...

Propertymark has given advice to the new Scottish National Party leader and Scotland’s First Minister, Humza Yousaf. The trade group’s head of...

A Conservative MP in a tourist region has blamed the switch of rental accommodation to Airbnbs for a shortage of places...

The government has indicated that the delayed publication of the latest How To Rent document is to be Friday March 24. The...

Foxtons has worked with house builders the Berkley Group to connect Asia Pacific buyers and landlords with UK property. The initiative, held...

A prominent lettings agency has called for a delay to the government’s EPC upgrade timetable to be announced in this afternoon’s...

Annual rent rises that are currently 10 per cent or more are likely to halve to “mid-single digits” according to a...

Foxtons’ latest trading statement suggests that it’s heavily reliant on lettings revenue as the sales market stutters and the whole company...

A much-hyped government proposal to introduce a Rental Mediation Service to resolve disputes, sustain tenancies and reduce pressure on the courts...

A combination of regular inspections and pro-active installation of ventilation can help to reduce the risk of dangerous damp and mould...

The Local Government Association, which comprises 331 of the 333 councils in England and all 22 Welsh unitary councils, is calling on...

Trading Standards officers check for agents’ compliance by scrutinising their websites, it’s being claimed. Agents are being warned to ensure their websites...

The chief executive of Purplebricks, who eight weeks ago claimed to have “a plan to grow our lettings business”, is now...

Letting agents say the latest review of how Right To Rent has been carried out demonstrates “a knowledge gap” by landlords. This...

The growth of the short term rentals sector has helped create an economy featuring jobs that benefit local communities and fit...