Disgruntled savers who refuse to continue to suffer dreadful interest rates offered by banks are turning to buy-to-let property to provide very lucrative returns. Property investment in the UK is increasing and more and more people are becoming aware of the potential profitability of letting out decent standard rental property to tenants who want somewhere to live. […]
Read MoreThere has been a general slump in the number of private landlords in the UK who are willing to take applications from people on benefits and local authorities are being warned that they need to take action. As previously reported, http://blog.legal4landlords.com/welfare-reform-is-bad-news-for-landlords-and-tenants , there is now a significant fall in the number of landlords even willing […]
Read MoreMillions of property owners and tenants renting property in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) are resorting to extreme measures including high interest pay day loans to avoid eviction as well as trying to make ends meet after falling behind on monthly housing payments. According to a new report by homelessness charity Shelter, nearly 8 million […]
Read MoreUniversal Credit Creates Rent Arrears Storm A parliamentary debate held earlier this month (September) saw MPs from both sides of the house getting a little hot under the collar, arguing about how payment of the new Universal Credit benefit, due to be introduced next year, should be made. Universal credit is set to take over from Local […]
Read MoreThe proposed Universal Credit system due to be introduced in April 2013 is set to replace existing benefits, including housing benefit, will put thousands of social (council and housing associations) and thousands more Private Rental Sector (PRS) landlords at a much higher level of financial risk. The current system of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) or […]
Read MoreUnder 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 MoreThe 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 […]
Read MoreA landlord’s right to receive direct rent payments from a local authority for tenants in receipt of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) or Housing Benefit (HB) will be scrapped under the proposed new Universal Credit (UC) benefit system. Therefore it is widely predicted that even more landlords will potentially withdraw from the LHA market as there […]
Read MoreLandlords and letting agents need to be aware of the importance of having the right Landlord Insurance policy to protect their rental property assets rather than tailoring insurance policies to suit the needs of their tenants. UK landlords are discovering that some insurance companies are reluctant to cover certain categories of tenants, including students or […]
Read MoreThe National Landlords Association (NLA) have disclosed that more than half of its landlord members are unable to rent their properties to tenants claiming housing benefit because they can’t afford to allow their properties to be rented at reduced rates, due to the rate caps imposed on the Local Housing Allowance (LHA). The NLA found […]
Read MoreThe results of a recent survey show that due to misconceptions over Government Welfare Reforms increasing numbers of private rental sector landlords are now refusing to even consider applicants claiming Local Housing Allowance (LHA), when searching for new tenants. The Spareroom.com survey showed that out of 1000 UK landlords surveyed: 87% had problems with non-payment of […]
Read More275,000 new tenants flooded the UK Private Rental Sector in 2011 – a 24% increase on the previous year. Latest Government figures confirm the steady decline of UK Home ownership and the social rented sector, (Council Houses), together with the indisputable rise of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) following the credit crunch. The figures confirm […]
Read MoreThe UK Coalition Government plans to cap benefits will still be fully implemented despite the parliamentary defeat in the House of Lords on Monday this week. A defeat that saw 26 Lib-Dem peers rebel against the Government’s wishes. Although, the Government have admitted that whilst disappointed by the result, they still intend to push through […]
Read MoreUK landlords have little confidence in the current Housing Benefit system and the majority would try to avoid accepting tenants in receipt of benefits due to the extra hassle and headaches that dealing with local authorities and local government departments cause. Landlords claim that tenants who do not receive any form of welfare support are […]
Read MoreThe coalition Government face another battle over welfare reforms, this time in the House of Lords. The outcome will affect individuals and families in receipt of local housing allowance (LHA) or housing benefit, who are in private rented sector (PRS) properties. The Welfare Reform Bill, currently going through the House of Lords, is set to […]
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