We were recently asked by LandlordZONE to write an article which could be published on their website, and sent out in their monthly newsletter, and here it is! Now that the sun is out, tenants are starting to think about moving. If you are looking for new tenants, it’s important that your property stands out…

Eleanor White from The Online Letting Agents was recently asked to comment on the situation of housing benefit being paid directly to landlords. Universal Credit trials have been taking place across the UK, and the results have shown a rise in rent arrears.  There is a growing concern in the industry that the introduction of…

We have found a great new resource for landlords, that we though we’d share with you; BuyToLet.com. The website features a wealth of information for landlords, including various documents and guides and the latest buy to let news. It is particularly useful for the novice landlords looking at making their first property investment purchase, and nervous…

The Sunday Times Rich List has been released, and shows that, of the top 20 wealthiest people in Britain and Ireland, 4 have got property as major part of their wealth: 2013 rank (2012 rank), name, source of wealth, 2013 wealth (2012 wealth) 1. (2) Alisher Usmanov, mining and investment, £13,300m (£12,315m) 2. (5) Len…

Private rents have increased at an above- inflation rate of 4.2% over the past year across England and Wales, according to research from LSL Property Services. They have released figures which show the average rent was £735 a month in March 2013, 4.2% higher than in March 2012.  Inflation according to the consumer price index…

According to figures from Countrywide, smaller properties provide a better return than larger ones, with 1 and 2 bedrooms providing average yields of 6.8% and 6.4% respectively. The Countrywide research has shown that 3 and 4+ bedroom properties are currently achieving an average yield of 6.2% and 5.6% respectively. The average rent for 4 bed…

Landlords increased the size of their portfolio to an average of 13.2 properties in the first quarter of this year, says specialist lender Paragon Mortgages. This was up from 12.7 properties in the last quarter of last year. Landlords expect to carry on growing their portfolios, to reach 13.7 properties over the next 12 months….

The Deposit Protection Service is now offering both a custodial and insured service for landlords in England and Wales. The DPS, who are the only provider in England and Wales of a custodial scheme has now added an insurance-backed scheme. The choice between the two types of scheme can be made online or by phone,…

The father of one of the victims of the Lakanal House tower block blaze has lodged a High Court claim against the landlord and fire authority involved. Fernando Francisquini, the father of Dayana Francisquin who died in the fire, has claimed that his daughter’s ‘right to life’ and that of her two children, Felipe, three, and…

Supply and demand for rental properties in the UK continues to be uneven. Tenant demand in the UK’s private rented property sector is continuing to grow at a faster pace than new property becomes available, according to the latest Residential Lettings Survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The organisation says that since…