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! […]
Read MoreBeing 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 […]
Read MoreUK 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 […]
Read MoreThe unprecedented demand for UK rental property has increased the average property rental price throughout the UK and some private sector landlords have been quick to increase the rental price for their properties to almost record levels. Since the start of the recession the private rented sector has experienced a surge in demand with 20,000 […]
Read MoreLatest Landlord News by: Madalena Penny Local authorities across the UK are stepping up campaigns to overhaul properties rented out by private landlords. Last week, housing enforcement staff at Derby City Council announced they had been called in to inspect up to 700 homes in the borough in the last 12 months due to […]
Read MoreLatest 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 […]
Read MoreLatest 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 […]
Read MoreLatest 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 […]
Read MoreLatest 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 […]
Read MoreBelow 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 […]
Read MoreLatest landlord News by: Madalena Penny. Landlords raising rents without taking due care of legislation are not working within the bounds of the Housing Act 1988, warned letting specialists, ‘Legal 4 Landlords’. With the current surge in tenant-demand and rental market values rising phenomenally, landlords are increasing rents and in some cases in an unethical […]
Read MoreLatest landlord News by: Madalena Penny. CPAG, the Child Property Action Group has attacked housing benefit caps introduced by the welfare reform bill. Stating that the cuts will result in thousands of families and 20,000 children being driven out of the capital once welfare legislation is applied. Classed by the group as an exercise in […]
Read MoreLatest Landlord News by: Madalena Penny Tenants thinking they can lower the rent as they wish has been cited as one of the reasons landlords gave for feeling less confident in the rental market, according to UPAD’s monthly Confidence Survey. The prospect of interest rate rises has also sparked concerns as landlords have expressed that […]
Read MoreLatest Landlord News by: Madalena Penny Rogue landlords are thankfully few and far between, however there are still some that operate, tarnishing the reputations of the majority. This week, researchers at Legal 4 Landlords were alerted on the unethical principle of ‘vocal rent increases’ that has been placed on tenants, especially those receiving LHA payments. […]
Read MoreLatest Landlord News by: Madalena Penny Landlords are still not acting fast enough when it comes to unpaid rent, experts warned. Landlord and lettings specialists, Legal 4 Landlords, advise that both private and social sector landlords respond quickly to rent arrears. Rent arrears and lengthy court hearings have been cited as the main reason possession […]
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