New government figures released today show that landlords are responding to the growing need for longer tenancies in the private rental sector. The English Housing Survey data indicates that the proportion of households with dependent children is now 37%. At the same time, the average length of a tenancy has risen from 3.5 years to […]
A leading firm of accountants is advising landlords to wait until April 6th before replacing furniture in rental properties. April 6th is when the new 10% wear and tear allowance is phased out and costs associating with replacing furniture become tax deductible.
The Residential Landlords Association has been vocally defending landlords in a bid to overturn the commonly held misconception that landlords are to blame for the rise in homeless people on the UK’s streets.
From April this year, Scottish councils will be able to gain entry to all homes in the private rental sector to enforce a minimum maintenance standard, thanks to new changes in the Housing (Scotland) Act.
If there is one thing we all love it’s the thought of some money back when we have to fork out for an expensive home improvement purchase. Boilers certainly fall under the category of ‘expensive’, with many costing well over a £1,000 – and that’s without the cost of installation!
All UK landlords must now check the immigration status of their tenants, but according to the Residential Landlords Association, the government has failed to provide enough information for landlords, so confusion reigns.
Jonny Bucknell, conservative councillor and one time housing spokesperson for Camden borough council, has been heavily fined for failing to carry out repairs following the issue of an improvement notice on a flat in Primrose Hill.
The rental market slowed down in the run up to the festive season, according to figures published by the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). Their statistics show that the average number of new tenants looking for a property to rent fell during December.
A well-known tory councillor has suffered the embarrassment of being prosecuted by his own council for being a rogue landlord. Jonny Bucknell, former Camden Conservatives’ spokesperson for housing, appeared at Highbury Magistrate’s Court to answer charges of failing to carry out improvement works on a rented property he lets out in upmarket Primrose Hill.
A man looking for somewhere to live in Glasgow’s trendy West End had a bit of a shock when he turned up to a viewing to discover that the ‘cosy’ living space with its own amenities was actually a dilapidated bathroom and he would be expected to sleep in the bath.
Chancellor George Osborne’s changes to the buy to let market are beginning to have an effect, according to data from leading property portal Rightmove. The site says there has been a big jump in the number of two-bed flats available to buy; a property that is traditionally very popular with first time buyers.
Rent arrears are on the increase. Figures show that reported rental arrears went up by 13.8% between Q2 and Q3 last year. Furthermore, the NLA’s own research backs this up: 37% of landlords said they had experienced rental arrears.
An amendment to the Housing Bill, which was put forward by Labour MP and shadow housing minister, Teresa Pearce, has been defeated in the House of Commons.
Two landlords seeking to challenge the government on their buy to let tax strategies have had huge success raising money via a crowdfunding site to fund their fight. They began their campaign on Crowd Justice on Boxing Day and just nine days later, 700 donors have already pledged £50k to help them.
Back to blog