A new report suggests that local authorities are still failing to tackle criminal landlords, despite having extensive powers to do so. Coming at a time when many councils have implemented additional/selective licensing schemes for landlords, this does seem to cast some doubt on the value of these schemes, and poses some interesting questions in the context of upcoming rental reform.

As pets remain popular among people living across the UK, Build-to-Rent (BTR) developers are increasingly offering pet friendly homes to potential tenants. With the Private Rental Sector (PRS) typically considered to less fond of pets, this finding in recent research that almost 50% of BTR openly welcome pets is sure to be good news for many tenants in the lettings sector.

As a new 440-unit Build-to-Rent (BTR) development is announced, a separate study has found that amid claims by some that the sector is expensive for renters, it is actually more affordable than the Private Rental Sector (PRS). While the BTR segment remains relatively niche with the majority of the developments available in just 20 English cities, on a rent-to-income basis, it is considered affordable by certain standards set by the Office for National Statistics.

As the UK government's coronavirus vaccination process continues to impress, the wider effects of the pandemic remain. Among those adverse effects is a drop in household incomes which is limiting many renters plans to exit the lettings market and buy their own home.

If you have to make a large or complex claim on your home or landlord insurance, the insurance company will probably appoint a loss adjuster to manage it. But what is their role, and are they on your side or not?

As the UK's economy is now fully open with a strong jobs market, demand for properties to let has seen an increase in demand from new tenants. Two separate reports show that new entrants to the UK's letting market are on the rise, in addition to existing tenants moving to a new home.

As the UK's economy is now fully open with a strong jobs market, demand for properties to let has seen an increase in demand from new tenants. Two separate reports show that new entrants to the UK's letting market are on the rise, in addition to existing tenants moving to a new home.

As the subject of the regulation of short property let activity on sites such as Airbnb remains a hot topic, Edinburgh will be one of the first UK cities to introduce rules for the sector. This will include identifying areas of the city where short lets will be permitted, to help manage the supply of longer-term residential lets and short holiday lets in the popular Scottish capital.

While the extension of the stamp duty holiday announced in the budget earlier in March was welcomed by many home buyers and sellers, many renters in the process of saving their deposit to buy were likely less thrilled.

As the effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue to bite, UK students are being offered additional support with their rent from the government and Unite Students, the largest student accommodation management firm.

The COP26 climate summit in Glasgow has drawn to an end, with mixed results. Many will feel the pledges haven’t gone far enough, while others will want to emphasise the significant progress that has taken place.

The COP26 climate summit in Glasgow has drawn to an end, with mixed results. Many will feel the pledges haven’t gone far enough, while others will want to emphasise the significant progress that has taken place.

Halifax’s house price index has found that the average house price now stands at £249, 870, a 7.3% rise on last year, and the strongest growth since June 2016. Across the last three months, Britain’s biggest mortgage lender approved more mortgage applications from both first time buyers and homemovers than anytime since 2008. 

With Universities welcoming back in-person learning, many students will be planning to return to their student homes. At the same time, first year students for the 2021-2022 academic year will also begin considering where they will live when they take their next step in higher education.

With Universities welcoming back in-person learning, many students will be planning to return to their student homes. At the same time, first year students for the 2021-2022 academic year will also begin considering where they will live when they take their next step in higher education.

The year 2020 will go down in history as the year of coronavirus, lockdowns and staying at home. However, recently published data shows that 2020 was also a record-breaking year for landlord and tenant activity.

The UK's Ministry of Justice is piloting a new dispute resolution service to help avoid disagreements between tenants and landlords from escalating and reaching costly and time-consuming court proceedings. While mediation is something that a number of letting industry trade bodies support, including ARLA Propertymark, the group says any investment needs to focus on ensuring the service is available to those involved much earlier in the process.

After an unexpected period for the UK's lettings market, which saw many tenants search for larger properties with more space as soon as they were permitted, the London rental market has begun to see a return of interest in smaller properties in prime locations. With many firms supporting a return to the office for their staff, a recent survey shows that interest in the pied-a-terre sector of the London market has increased over the summer months.

After making some gains at the end of 2020, average rents in London have fallen for the past two months, while rents continue to rise in much of the rest of the UK.

As we near the end of a whirlwind 2021, many people are considering their plans for the coming year, including potential investment options. If Buy-to-Let (BTL) investment is on your wish list for 2022 - as a new landlord or expanding your existing portfolio - then some recent research might be helpful. An annual BTL city tracker details some key elements property investors look for, giving you a good idea of what kind of price you can expect to pay and also the potential yield you could secure.