Monthly Archives: October 2012

5 Property Enquiries a Minute via Gumtree

According to the classified advertising website, Gumtree, the volume of London property rental ads on its site has risen by over one third in the last year. Gumtree also reports that half of all responses to rental property ads in the UK (placed via their website) are for London properties.  Of the 2.9m replies to rental… Continue Reading

Accidental Landlords on the Rise

According to the National Landlords Association (NLA), the number of so called “accidental landlords” is on the rise. Research by the associations has shown that 43% of its members did not buy the first property they let out with the intention of becoming a landlord. according to Auction Finance Limited, there are five reasons for… Continue Reading

NLA Urges Landlords to use Green Deal

The National Landlords Association has urged landlords to use the green deal scheme to cut energy bills. This comes after the announcement of the latest price rises from energy companies. British Gas have raised their prices by an average of 6%, and Npower have announced average rises of 8.8% for gas and 9.1% for electricity… Continue Reading

Social Landlord in Financial Difficulty

Yet another social landlord has had to ask for help after getting into trouble with it’s loans. Cosmopolitan Housing Group, who are the largest social landlord to get in to difficulties so far, own nearly 14,000 properties in the north-west of England.  With over £110 million of government funding, sources have revealed that it may… Continue Reading

RLA Criticise Shelter’s Campaign

Britain’s biggest energy supplier, British Gas, and the housing charity Shelter have announced a five-year partnership aimed at improving standards in the private rented sector. The campaign, called Better Homes for Britain, will commission what it calls the widest-ever census of private rental living. Figures cited by the campaign include statistics from the Government’s English Housing… Continue Reading

New Bank Offers Great Deal to Buy To Let Landlords

Launched just a year ago, Shawbrook Bank, is offering buy-to-let landlords a range of short-term loans. These include a loan for investors looking to buy, refurbish or release equity from the after-works value of a property, and short-term loans for acquisition, such as at auction. The bank also offers a short-term loan for light refurbishment.… Continue Reading

Norwich Landlord Ordered to pay £53,500

A Norwich landlord has been ordered to pay £53,500 after being prosecuted by Norwich City Council for putting his tenants at risk. Joseph Howman from Grosvenor Road in Norwich pleaded guilty to nine offences and was deemed not to meet the standards required of a landlord. Norwich Magistrates Court heard how Howman’s house on Unthank… Continue Reading

Clegg to Oppose Age Limit on Housing Benefit

The deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, speaking on BBC Radio 5 on Friday, was asked whether he agreed with proposals from senior Conservatives to restrict housing benefit for people under 25 years of age.  When asked whether he supported a ban on under 25’s receiving housing benefit, he said: “A complete blanket ban on providing… Continue Reading