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TENANTS COULD LOSE OUT ON HALF A MILLION PROPERTIES AS LANDLORDS EXIT THE MARKET TO OFFER SHORT-TERM LETS
Nearly 50,000 properties already unavailable for long-term tenants Two-fifths switching from long-term to short-term lets due to burdensome legislation ARLA Propertymark launches a report analysing the scale of the short-term lets sector and outlining recommendations to limit its impact on the private rented sector Nearly half a million properties could be left unavailable for residents…
Switching energy suppliers
Most landlords think they have a right to impose their wishes on new tenants with regard to staying with existing suppliers. Nothing could be further from the truth; as the tenants paying the energy bills, in their name, they have the power to switch suppliers. If market research has been undertaken and the tenants have…
Mandatory Client Money Protection
The Property Agents Regulations 2018 mean it will be a legal requirement for estate agents to be a part of an approved Client Money Protection (CMP) Scheme by 1st April 2019. Letting agents will have to: Belong to a Government Approved CMP Scheme. Display a Certificate confirming agents` membership to an approved CMP…
Japanese Knotweed a Real Bind!
Once considered a Victorian ornamental plant and introduced in the 1850s from Japan; it has now become one of the most invasive plants in certain parts of the country and none more so than the South West. Grown originally for its purple asparagus like spring shoots and ornamental foliage; the plants reach heights of…
How do you prevent water leaks?
A simple question, but the answer is not so straight forward. Make sure you know your property and the water system. Do check your main stopcock works properly and is both easily accessible and easy to find! A water leak is normally related to winter but these days with so many other water using gadgets…
Why do I Need to Keep up to Date?
Consider this: A Landlord owns an older property with a long-term tenant staying there on a periodic month to month tenancy, there is a tenancy agreement which was signed years ago. The tenancy agreement has not been updated and some of the clauses and the wording are out of date.It was signed before the deposit…
Five Things You Might Not Know About Renting a Property
According to ARLA Propertymark’s latest Private Rented Sector (PRS) Report, the number of tenants looking for a new home has increased every month since May. With more people looking for guidance on renting a property, ARLA Propertymark has compiled a list of five things renters might not know about being a tenant. You can switch…
Rents to continue to rise, as supply of new property to let drops again
Yet another report highlighting the problem with the housing supply and in particular within the Private Rental Sector (PRS). Partially a result of the intended consequences of increasing stamp duty on second homes and exacerbated by the lower than needed levels of new housing. An interesting piece relating to a growing problem for tenants and…
Renters battling through broken deposit system, says Which? report
A down to earth and hard hitting report into the unjustifiable way some agents and landlords look to keep deposits, and the sometimes lengthy timescales in getting resolution coupled with the strain on tenants finances. Time for a change! Read the full article here
Soaring rents rose 60% faster than pay since 2011 – Shelter
“Rents have risen 60% faster than wages across England since 2011, according to analysis from housing charity Shelter, which claims the crisis is spilling out of cities into “Middle England” towns such as Tunbridge Wells.” Read the full article in the Guardian here
MEES Part 1
Hi, it’s Phil from Sunshine. Just wanted to talk to you and make sure that you fully understand the meaning of MEES, minimum energy efficiency standards. It came out of the energy efficiency private rental property England and Wales regulations ’15. Quite a mouthful. So it’s been around for some time. It comes into effect…
MEES Part 3
Its Phil again, third part, last in the series MEES, minimum energy efficiency standards. So the five exemptions that can apply if you get on the exemption register. Firstly as we mentioned previously if as a landlord you have undertaken all relevant and available energy efficiency improvements, listed in the Green Deal and identified as…