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…

Landlords across the UK have been advised once again that the ever changing face of the rental market means they need to keep tabs on how they deal with tenants and their contracts. It is not uncommon for people to stay in a landlord’s home for a number of years, which can cause issues when…

If you can’t decide which Online Letting Agent to choose to let your property, take a look at our latest article for LandlordZONE! Click here to read article

From this week onwards, local authorities will have the discretion to charge full Council Tax on empty properties. This change includes properties that have previously been exempt or had discounted rates, including furnished and unfurnished properties for rent. Properties that are empty due to building work will also lose the automatic right to Council Tax…

There are a number of letting agents available online now, such as The Online Letting Agents, each offering a similar service for a similar price, so which one do you choose? Customer service – Clearly this is a very important factor when appointing an agent.  The best way to gauge the level of customer service…