Latest News housing benefit cuts


                    
            

Tenants Still Struggling With Rent

In the UK private rented sector, the average rental price for a residential property now stands at a staggering £777 (GBP) per month across the whole of the country, but there are some regional differences. Private sector rents in Greater London rose by 6.7% during the last 12 months to reach a regional average of £1,224 […]

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Direct Payments For Landlords – Please Sign The e-Petition

Under the next wave of welfare reforms, new rules set to be introduced next year, mean that the housing benefit allowance of the new Universal Credit system, will not be paid directly to landlords. Instead the Government proposes that all payments will be paid directly to tenants, even if they are vulnerable or in arrears! […]

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More Than 100,000 Tenants In Arrears

The number of tenants finding themselves in severe financial difficulty has climbed by 8% in the second quarter of 2012. Over 7,000 more tenant’s, are over two months in arrears, than there were in the first three months of 2012, according to the latest Tenant Arrears Tracker by chartered surveyors Templeton LPA. In the second […]

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Rise In Malicious Damage To Rental Property

Being a landlord in the UK is a very desirable financial position that many people would like to be in. Some tenants even think that landlords are made of money, not realising that Buy To Let is a business. The landlord is a businessman and the property is his income source. However, most landlords will […]

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The Clock Is Ticking…

1st January 2012 will see further changes to Local Housing Allowance (LHA) under the Government’s welfare reform. The age limit for shared accommodation room rate is set to rise from 25 to 35 This means that anyone under 35 and living by themselves or renting a room will be restricted to the shared room accommodation […]

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Welfare Reform Is Bad News For Landlords And Tenants

UK landlords could soon be forced out of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) market by the Government cap on housing benefit payments. 77% of UK landlords who currently accept tenants claiming benefits are already planning to, or are actively taking steps to reduce their involvement with DSS/LHA tenancies because they are physically unable to afford […]

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Rents rise again in April but rent arrears climb

Latest Landlord News by: Madalena Penny Rents increased again in April, according to latest data captured by LSL property services.  In their most recent Buy-to-Let Index, LSL recorded a 0.8% rents rise across average rents in England & Wales, a rise averaging out at £692 per month for a typical property. As you would expect, […]

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Welfare Groups Ask for Review over Universal Credit

Latest Landlord News by: Madalena Penny Will landlords reduce the number of tenancies offered to housing benefit claimants?   An alliance of private rented sector, property and charity bodies are to take on the DWP over direct housing benefit payment policy, due to be introduced in 2013.  Under the new proposed Universal Credit system, benefits […]

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Scotland’s BTL Property Update

Latest Landlord News by: Madalena Penny Love it or loathe it, as residential rental property increases in value across London and a divide between north and south widens, the same trends appear to befalling Scottish regions. Extensive research by ‘Citylets’ shows like for like tenant-demand and are riding high with property hotspots, mainly in Aberdeen […]

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Renting to Young People and Teenage Mothers

Latest landlord News by: Madalena Penny Unemployment figures released yesterday reveal that there are now 2.48 million people unemployed.  One in five young people are without work, with a rise in unemployment for 16-25 year-olds increasing by 12,000 on the quarter.  Unemployment affecting 16-17 year-olds has also reached an all time high leading to 218,000 […]

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Council Planning Departments Deter Landlords

Latest Landlord News by: Madalena Penny Eric Pickle’s recent confirmation surrounding last month’s budget announcement, in which, unused offices and commercial premises can be converted into homes without planning permission, has met with confusion by some landlords, especially those that are already restricted from gaining planning permission on houses for landlord expansion. The Department of […]

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Avoiding Eviction

Latest Landlord News by: Madalena Penny No doubt, this week landlords have received notification from their local housing benefit office concerning the caps to be enforced on new tenancies as from the beginning of this month. While some existing private sector tenants have received sketchy (at best) information from local authority branches that they may […]

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Shared Room Rates & Changes will be Enforced Earlier

Latest landlord News by: Madalena Penny New rules were announced this week affecting the shared room rate.  The increased threshold for single room occupancy rising from 25-35 year-olds was to be introduced in April 2012 but will now come into effect 3 months earlier in January 2012.  It is understood that the earlier introduction is […]

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High and Low Points Affecting Landlords

Latest Landlord News by: Madalena Penny. Landlords are a resilient breed.  Faced with CGT rises, housing benefit caps, interest rate rises and generally a higher cost of living, the great British landlord tackles adversity with quiet confidence and of course with a bit of help from ongoing demand for rental properties. LSL Property Services latest […]

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30th Percentile Estimates for April 2011

Below are the estimates based on the new weekly rates of housing benefit by each local authority.  Named by the government as the 30th Shadow percentile they are a benchmark for the new lower rate of LHA to be introduced this April for new tenancies.  The 30th percentile rule will affect existing tenancies in January […]

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