Ban on Landlord Renting Properties with Poor EPC Ratings

Landlords will be banned from renting out England and Wales’ draughtiest homes from 2018 in a bid to cut energy bills and carbon emissions. The new regulations are expected to help around a million tenants who are paying as much as £1,000 a year more than the average annual bill of £1,265 because of poorly…

Buy To Let Mortgages up Nearly 10%

According to the latest official figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), buy to let mortgage lending continues to rise. The CML are the trade body for most banks and building societies lending to landlords . The CML have reported that property investors borrowed £2.4 billion in November 2014. Lending was split roughly 50:50 between…

Rents Hit All Time High

According to the latest statistics by LSL, average rents in England and Wales hit an all time high last month, averaging £768, 1.5% higher than the same time last year. Across England and Wales, there is a mix of results, with the West Midlands 2.4% lower than a year ago, and a drop of 2.3%…

Why Online Letting Agent Reviews Are So Important

In an online world where there are many Online Letting Agents to choose from, it’s hard to decide which one to pick. The services offered by each differ slightly, but all basically do the same thing; get your property out there! But that’s not the whole story. It’s not just about getting your property out…

Ghost Tenants Put Landlords and Agents at Risk

Buy-to-let landlords have millions of ‘ghost tenants’ secretly living in their rented properties and The Online Letting Agents is urging landlords and agents to check their properties, to avoid the possibility of hefty fines resulting from the new immigration legislation. According to recent research*, at least 3 million ghost tenants live in the UK’s 4.5…

Rents are on the Rise!

According to data from the Office for National Statistics, the prices paid for private rental properties by tenants in Great Britain rose by 1.0% in the 12 months to June 2014. Private rental prices grew by 1.0% in England, 1.1% in Scotland and 0.2% in Wales in the 12 months to June 2014. Rental prices increased…

New Research Shows Damage to Property is No 1 Cause of Disputes

New research reveals that over half of landlords (58%) cite damage to property as the no 1 cause of tenant disputes, followed by redecoration (50%), cleaning and rent arrears (42% respectively). The study*, conducted by The Online Letting Agents, shows that two thirds of landlords went to court to settle disputes and for 20% of…

New Research Shows Majority of Landlords Say No to DSS Tenants

New research shows that eight out of ten landlords say ‘no’ to LHA tenants, with just 18% happy to let to this group. The study*, conducted by The Online Letting Agents, also reveals that 82% of landlords believe  LHA tenants do not care for the property in the same way as private tenants and the…

Students Are The Most Reliable Tenants

According to new research, students are the most reliable tenants in the private rented sector (PRS). Statistics from Total Landlord Insurance show only 9.6 per cent of insurance claims come from student properties, which is the second lowest of any tenant group, according to Property Reporter. The average claim from a student property was £2,090.18…

Landlords Look to Buy Locally

The majority of landlords who are interested in expanding their property portfolio would plan to buy in their local area, according to new research by the National Landlords Association (NLA). Their survey found that three-quarters (75 per cent) of landlords said their next purchase would be close to their current home, or at least the area…