A London council is considering moving low-income families out of the capital because it can no longer afford to accommodate them in private rented homes. Nearly 3,000 people, including children, who are on the council’s waiting list, could be part of the exodus.
Standards must be raised across the private rented sector to make the market work better for tenants, the Office of Fair Trading has said.
The OFT report may not go far enough, the RICS believes. Peter Bolton-King, residential director, said: “The OFT report adds yet another voice to those calling for changes to the lettings market.
Rents fell – but only just – for the third consecutive month in January, property firm LSL has reported.
A tax specialist has expressed concern that HMRC, armed with information provided by local authorities, could now be hounding private landlords in an attempt to track down tax dodgers.
Landlords of properties classed as furnished holiday lets are once again facing changes in tax treatment.
The guest of a tenant who fell down some stairs has resulted in a claim against a landlord that could easily reach over £1m and possibly run into several millions.
Rents in central London are likely to rise by just 1% this year, Knight Frank has forecast.
The National Landlords Association has launched a Green Deal service.
The cost of flatsharing in the UK will rise this year as supply becomes shorter – partly driven by retirees looking for short-term accommodation.
Headline rates on buy-to-let mortgages are misleading because of the effect of fees, it has been claimed.
A new property fraud line has launched, allowing owners who are concerned their property might be subject to a fraudulent sale or mortgage to quickly alert the Land Registry.
