Lettings

The Renters’ Rights Bill is Labour’s push to reform the private rental sector and the proposals are expected to pass into law this year. In fact, if progress keeps up its current pace, we could see new legislation introduced as early as April 2025.

As we head towards one of the most expensive periods of the year – Christmas - Ofgem confirmed the energy price cap would rise at the start of 2025.

Did you know 21% of private renters were asked to provide a guarantor when they applied to rent their current property? This finding was part of the latest English Housing Survey, which revealed almost 1 million tenants needed a backup financial plan.

When a property is listed for rent, there is currently no shortage of tenants vying to hopefully secure the home. The demand has been quantified by Rightmove, who says the number of enquiries each available rental property is receiving is 17.

Are you never happier than when your home is spotless or are you a tad on the slovenly side? If you own your home, this question is elementary but if you live in a rented property, the level of dirt you’re comfortable with can affect whether you get your full deposit back.

Tenants are increasingly asking private landlords for properties with good green credentials. That’s the findings of the latest Handelsbanken annual Property Investor Report.

For those living in a rental property with an ever growing collection of items, storage can become an issue. On inspection, most tenancy agreements prohibit renters from drilling holes in walls, altering the layout in a property or installing fitted furniture, so adding extra storage will need more creative thinking.

National Empty Homes Weeks 2024 runs from 4th to 10th March this year and while the thrust of the event is to shine a light on bringing vacant dwellings back into use, the organisers offer support to all those who may have an empty property.

Buy-to-let has always been seen as a safe long-term investment strategy but over the last few years, the landscape has changed dramatically. As we move our way through 2024, however, the buy-to-let benefits are once again aligning. Here are five reasons property investment should be on your radar this year.

On the outside, selecting a good tenant may feel as simple as accepting the person who makes the highest offer, especially if the most recent news is to be believed. A survey undertaken for the New Economics Foundation found tenants were willing to go to extreme financial lengths to secure a rental property. As a result, landlords have had the luxury of waiting for the ‘highest bidder’ to emerge.

The safety of tenants has become of paramount importance in the private rental sector, and rightly so. One of the areas that has been improved immeasurably is electrical safety and now new guidelines have been issued to provide greater consistency when it comes to checks.

On 7th November 2023, the King’s Speech marked the opening of a new session of Parliament. In his first address of this nature, King Charles III announced the Government’s key priorities for the year ahead and with a General Election expected within the next 12 months, the contents were hotly anticipated.