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KEYWORD "Local Councils" - 100 RESULTS
Propertymark asks government: Why bother with local licensing schemes?

Propertymark has responded to the formal consultation schemes being imposed by a string of local councils - but says such measures...

02 September 2024

From: Breaking News

Bidding Wars not the problem - they’re just a symptom

A prominent lettings agent says banning agents and landlords conducting bidding wars for a rental property is not addressing the real...

19 July 2024

From: Breaking News

Ending S21 is fine says leading agent - but safeguards needed

The government’s renewed pledge to end Section 21 eviction powers for agents and landlords is fine, a leading industry figure has...

18 July 2024

From: Breaking News

RICS urges Labour to move fast on housing pledges

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has congratulated Labour on forming the next government but says it must move quickly to...

08 July 2024

From: Breaking News

“Thousands of homes lost to Airbnb” claims Labour hopeful

Thousands of homes in central London may have been lost to Airbnb and other short let platforms, a Labour candidate claims. Rachel...

04 July 2024

From: Breaking News

No explicit pledge to spread rent controls further in Scotland - SNP

The Scottish National Party, which as part of an alliance with the Greens introduced controversial rent controls in Scotland in 2022,...

20 June 2024

From: Breaking News

Councils ‘must take over ex-private rental Right To Buy flats’

A pro-tenant group wants the next government to take Right To Buy properties back to public ownership when they come up...

05 June 2024

From: Breaking News

Warning To Labour - Rent Controls Just Won’t Work

If Labour plans to bring in rent controls they won’t work, a property association has warned.  The National Association of Property Buyers...

24 May 2024

From: Breaking News

 Stop Killing Market with Rent Controls, agents tell minister

Propertymark has urged Scotland’s new First Minister to end the country’s housing emergency. John Swinney is now First Minister and says he...

08 May 2024

From: Breaking News

Agency urges second home owners to be Airbnb hosts for tax reasons

The head of a lettings agency in Kent says it would be a “practical solution” for second home owners to become...

02 May 2024

From: Breaking News

Rent Controls - Call by Labour MPs in defiance of party policy

Five Labour MPs have put forward an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons calling for rent controls - even...

22 April 2024

From: Breaking News

Warning: rental reform could mean rewriting tenancy agreements

A lawyer says radical rental reforms proposed for Scotland - which could be a model for change in England and Wales...

16 April 2024

From: Breaking News

Bank aims to support building of new rental homes

NatWest Group has announced a new package of what it calls ”targeted lending and support” to help local councils provide more...

27 March 2024

From: Breaking News

Agents’ single demand of government - solve the housing emergency!

Propertymark has urged the Scottish Government to resolve the country’s ongoing housing emergency. The news comes as Scottish Labour MSP Mark Griffin...

20 March 2024

From: Breaking News

Ukrainians given visa extension - likely impact on private rental sector

Ukrainians who came to the UK following the Russian invasion will be able to apply for 18-month extensions to their visas,...

19 February 2024

From: Breaking News

Rent controls and EPC laws must be discussed with agents - Propertymark

Scottish councils must engage with letting agents and landlords if radical rental reforms have any chance of working. Propertymark argues that the...

31 January 2024

From: Breaking News

Phil Spencer warns that Summer will be hectic for lettings sector

Summer looks like it’s going to be a hectic period for lettings agents and the private rental sector according to TV...

17 January 2024

From: Breaking News

Tenants Scammed - new guidelines for agents to give renters

Propertymark is telling member agents to be aware of potential risks and help educate tenants to lookout for common scams, especially...

04 January 2024

From: Breaking News

Build To Rent problems highlighted in latest report

A new report suggests London’s Build To Rent sector is being held back by a “stark inconsistency” from local councils in...

15 November 2023

From: Breaking News

Homes For Ukraine - government faces hard decisions on scheme future

The National Audit Office says the government will soon have to take hard decisions on the future for the Homes For...

17 October 2023

From: Breaking News

Council Tax set to double for second homes

The Scottish Government is proposing to give local councils the discretion to charge Council Tax premiums of up to 100 per...

22 September 2023

From: Breaking News

Gove tells agents to identify and remedy damp and mould issues

New directives issued by the government put the emphasis firmly on private landlords and their letting agents to take responsibility for...

11 September 2023

From: Breaking News

Many councils enforcing rental regulations face ‘effective bankruptcy’

A survey of local authorities in some of the poorest areas of the country - bodies which enforce many private rental...

06 September 2023

From: Breaking News

Beef up enforcement for private renting, demands pressure group

The Nationwide Foundation - a pressure group funded by the Nationwide - says more effective enforcement is required for the private...

15 August 2023

From: Breaking News

Tax Loopholes - government slammed over additional properties

A long-standing and respected property firm has slammed the government for presiding over the “mess” of taxes applied to holiday lets...

05 July 2023

From: Breaking News

Phil Spencer urges letting agents to go on the offensive

I was surprised the other day to read statistics from the English Housing Survey about how many landlords use letting agents. In...

05 June 2023

From: Breaking News

Beef Up Selective Licensing - think tank recommendations

A left-leaning think tank which says it champions ‘left-behind Londoners’ is demanding a turbo-charged version of selective licensing to be run...

26 May 2023

From: Breaking News

Renters Reform Bill - everything we know so far

Housing Secretary Michael Gove says the long-awaited Renters Reform Bill, first promised in 2019, will finally be introduced into Parliament this...

09 May 2023

From: Breaking News

Activists want thousands of pounds to campaign against short lets

A group of activists is trying to raise £15,000 to campaign for local councils to clampdown on AirBnb and other short...

25 April 2023

From: Breaking News

New powers confirmed over holiday lets and second homes

New powers have been revealed to tackle what the Welsh Government calls the ‘problem’ of second homes.  A statement from the Senedd...

05 April 2023

From: Breaking News

MPs' idea for Rental Sector Ombudsman slammed by letting agents

Propertymark has hit out at a proposal from a group of MPs that there should be a single Ombudsman covering the...

13 February 2023

From: Breaking News

Make evictions even tougher to execute - Baroness speaks out

The activist group Generation Rent is backing a call by MPs for the government to tighten up proposals to scrap Section...

10 February 2023

From: Breaking News

Industry figure urges Labour to do more to improve housing supply

The director of a property development firm says Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer must do more to boost housing supply as...

09 January 2023

From: Breaking News

Agents angry at Gove scrapping meaningful housing targets

Agents have expressed their anger at the government effectively scrapping any meaningful house building targets. Housing Secretary Michael Gove scrapped the mandatory...

12 December 2022

From: Breaking News

Gove leans on competitions watchdog to probe house builders

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has sent a letter to the Competitions and Markets Authority saying the watchdog is independent - but...

07 December 2022

From: Breaking News

Airbnb registration and short lets planning consent under consideration

The government is to open a consultation on whether residential properties should require planning consent to be used as short lets...

06 December 2022

From: Breaking News

Large rise in homelessness spending over past five years

The government has released new figures on the amount being spent by local councils on temporary accommodation for homeless households in...

21 October 2022

From: Breaking News

First AirBnb and short let licensing system starts this weekend

The first step within the UK to officially monitor Airbnb-style short lets comes into effect on Saturday, which is October 1. Scotland’s...

29 September 2022

From: Breaking News

Rogue agent database must be expanded insists top industry figure

An accreditation scheme says the government database of rogue letting agents should be expanded.  The government is committed to creating a new Property...

27 September 2022

From: Breaking News

Boomtime for lettings market as big student room shortfall predicted

Rising numbers of young people going to university and a relatively low supply of new student housing means that by 2025...

22 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Huge number of rented homes won’t make new EPC targets

Forty per cent of privately rented homes in England are unlikely to achieve the energy efficiency rating target set to become...

25 July 2022

From: Breaking News

MPs want agent feedback on Rental Reform - but be quick…

Agents have only four weeks to respond to a committee of MPs’ ‘call for evidence’ ahead of an investigation into the...

25 July 2022

From: Breaking News

Warning To Agents - compliance crackdown starting shortly

Fourteen Trading Standards authorities across a swathe of England are embarking on an enforcement project to check lettings agency compliance.  The Central England...

15 July 2022

From: Breaking News

Millions in tax lost through lettings loophole - claim

Local and central government is losing out on millions of pounds of council tax income this year because of the business...

30 May 2022

From: Breaking News

Tax Take - Second home owners who don’t let out must pay more

Leaks from government ahead of this morning’s Queen’s Speech suggest that second homes which are not let out are likely to...

10 May 2022

From: Breaking News

Warning to Buy To Let sector - this interest rate rise isn’t the last…

The chief executive of an online mortgage broker is warning that yesterday’s base rate rise announced by the Bank of England...

18 March 2022

From: Breaking News

London agents hit with more and larger fines by local councils

Council-imposed fines on letting agents and landlords that fall foul of licensing regulations have risen dramatically in the past month alone. Research...

25 November 2021

From: Breaking News

Shelter hits out, alleging evictions causing mass homelessness

Campaigning charity Shelter says new official figures show evictions since the lifting of the ban have created a surge in homelessness. Shelter...

29 October 2021

From: Breaking News

Government backs away from stricter regulation of Airbnb and short lets

The Scottish Government - which earlier this year suggested it would be clamping down heavily on Airbnbs, especially in Edinburgh -...

11 October 2021

From: Breaking News

New calls to stop rental homes switching to Airbnb

A new call has come for government action to stop the hemorrhage of properties shifting from long term rental to Airbnb...

06 October 2021

From: Breaking News

Airbnb glut slashes rental stock and leads to Housing Crisis - claim

A lack of longer term rental accommodation thanks to the growth of Airbnb and other short lets has led to a...

05 October 2021

From: Breaking News

Benefits of scrapping S21 outweigh problems, insists Shelter

The chief executive of Shelter says the experience of Scotland shows that the scrapping of S21 eviction powers produces benefits that...

01 October 2021

From: Breaking News

Vince Demilio, Sales Director of The Lettings Hub

Who are you and what does it say on your business card? I’m Vince Demilio, Sales Director of The Lettings Hub What services...

23 September 2021

From: 60 Second Interview

Call for extended Airbnb tax to offset damage to rental market

A fund instituted by Airbnb to help compensate for the effects of short let accommodation should be extended, local politicians say. In...

02 July 2021

From: Breaking News

Airbnb tries to buy off rental criticism with local ‘tax’

Airbnb, which has been criticised by some for its impact on local rental markets, is to set up its own ‘tax’...

07 June 2021

From: Breaking News

Agents urged to beware council compliance crackdown and heavy fines

Agents are being warned about a crackdown on compliance issues surrounding rental property management. No Letting Go, the country’s largest provider of...

07 May 2021

From: Breaking News

Pressure on private rented sector to cater more for older and disabled

A lettings trade body says the sector - and local councils - should do more to cater for the older and...

26 March 2021

From: Breaking News

Clampdown on letting agents backed by local councils

A huge trading standards operation clamping down on lettings agents who fail to abide by Client Money Protection rules has been...

25 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Eviction Ban: momentum growing for yet another extension

Another council wants an extension to the existing ban on bailiff-enforced evictions, which is scheduled to end on February 22.  Yesterday our...

10 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Council ignores ARLA warning and ploughs on with licensing

Earlier this week ARLA branded local councils pursuing private rental licensing during the pandemic as “socially irresponsible” - but one of...

22 January 2021

From: Breaking News

Agents slam “socially irresponsible” councils pushing licensing

ARLA Propertymark has hit out at a growing number of local councils introducing licensing schemes, calling it “socially irresponsible” to do...

20 January 2021

From: Breaking News

Airbnb pledges to identify professional landlords using platform

Airbnb is doing a U-turn with its global leader pledging to slash the number of professional landlords using the platform and...

10 August 2020

From: Breaking News

Private rental units are government option for vulnerable people

A £266m package of help to support vulnerable people into long term accommodation includes possible options to use the private rental...

21 July 2020

From: Breaking News

Airbnb - big cities say they want to end the ‘short lets problem’

The Irish government says it’s considering buying properties that were listed on Airbnb and other short-let platforms before the pandemic. In an...

15 July 2020

From: Breaking News

Baroness wants “renters’ charter” to be agreed by councils

The militantly pro-tenant Generation Rent group says it’s working with local councils to have a new “tenants’ charter” introduced. The new director...

29 June 2020

From: Breaking News

Eviction ban puts domestic abuse victims at greater risk - claim

The extension to the evictions ban will compound the suffering of victims of domestic violence and anti-social behaviour. That’s the view of...

16 June 2020

From: Breaking News

Tenants shouldn’t always pay their own removal costs - commission

A commission investigating affordable homes in the UK has called for annual private sector rent increases to be limited to a...

05 May 2020

From: Breaking News

Police hit ‘slavery’ landlord with landmark court order

The West Midlands Police force says it’s secured what it calls a “landmark court order” against a rogue landlord who turned...

03 March 2020

From: Breaking News

Short lets like Airbnb out of control and activists want crackdown

Generation Rent - an outspoken organisation sharply critical of lettings agents and many aspects of the private rental sector - is...

06 February 2020

From: Breaking News

Lettings agency speaks out against long-term empty homes

A lettings agency is calling on local councils to tackle the growing problem of long-term empty homes. My Property Box says that...

30 January 2020

From: Breaking News

Short lets supporters push back against possible restrictions

The new body representing short let digital platforms like Airbnb and the large number of associated companies that have sprung up...

23 January 2020

From: Breaking News

Banning Orders could rise this year after councils win extra cash

Councils that have been awarded additional cash injections by government could use their windfalls to enhance their enforcement of the private...

20 January 2020

From: Breaking News

Clampdown on short lets may lead to landlords selling rental units

A leading agency in a part of the UK where local government wants to clamp down on the spread of Airbnb...

17 January 2020

From: Breaking News

ARLA backs government bid for ‘level playing field’ within lettings

The Association of Residential Lettings Agents has thrown its weight behind an initiative by the Scottish Government to control the growth...

10 January 2020

From: Breaking News

New government cash for rental sector ‘nowhere near enough’

The government has announced an additional £4m in funding for local councils to combat rogue agents and landlords - but it’s...

03 January 2020

From: Breaking News

Mandatory licensing, long tenancies, rent controls advocated by LibDems

The Liberal Democrats is the first of the major parties to release its party manifesto for the December 12 manifesto, and...

21 November 2019

From: Breaking News

“Not enough!” - new cash to police rental sector deemed insufficient

A leading trade body says the government’s latest injection of funds to help local councils root out rogue operators in the...

06 November 2019

From: Breaking News

Half of S21 cases want rehousing by council, claims eviction specialist

High profile eviction company Landlord Action says as many as 50 per cent of Section 21 cases it handles involve tenants...

23 September 2019

From: Breaking News

'Local councils not doing enough to prosecute rogue letting agents' - NLA

Local authorities are failing in their duty to prosecute criminal letting agents, the National Landlords Association (NLA) has warned. The NLA says...

04 July 2019

From: Breaking News

Agents can retain landlords 'by using PropTech to minimise voids'

Agents need to be pro-actively using PropTech and improving their work methods to reduce voids for their landlord clients. That’s the view...

19 June 2019

From: Breaking News

Best agents to offer expert services after Fees Ban, predicts utility service

The best lettings agents will survive and shine through the ban of fees levied on tenants, which comes into effect this weekend. The...

29 May 2019

From: Breaking News

Stricter HMO rules: “awareness remains limited” claims top agent

Six months on from the introduction of stricter licencing for Homes in Multiple Occupation, awareness “remains limited” according to one of...

21 May 2019

From: Breaking News

Letting agents advised to reduce admin workload ahead of fees ban

Letting agents are being urged to consider how they can reduce their administrative workload, following huge growth in the size of...

14 May 2019

From: Breaking News

Airbnb backs call for mandatory registration system for short let properties

The Mayor of London is calling on government to introduce a new registration system for anyone wishing to rent out a...

24 April 2019

From: Breaking News

Build To Rent division unveiled by regional developer and investment firm

A regional property developer and investment firm has unveiled a Build To Rent division with a target of building 2,500 homes. The...

03 April 2019

From: Breaking News

Should there be a Rogue Tenants register? Should the lettings industry fight back?

The news this week that even individual private landlords must join a redress scheme is just the latest in an onslaught...

25 January 2019

From: Breaking News

Another new Build To Rent brand is launched

A new Build To Rent developer brand, Core Living, has been launched by development and investment company Godwin Group. Godwin is targeting...

25 January 2019

From: Breaking News

Labour outrage at councils renting back privately-owned Right To Buy homes

The Labour party has expressed outrage at the news that London councils are spending over £22m each year renting back homes...

21 January 2019

From: Breaking News

Agents embracing fees ban set to succeed long-term says PropTech chief

A leading PropTech entrepreneur says agents who accept that the lettings fee ban is coming and who plan positively for its...

27 November 2018

From: Breaking News

Party conference season – what was said about the rental market?

The party conferences of the two main political parties threw up some interesting developments with regards to housing and the rental...

06 November 2018

From: Sponsored Content

Government announces private rental sector health and safety review

The government is to undertake a wide-ranging review of health and safety regulations for the private rental sector. In an announcement this afternoon...

26 October 2018

From: Breaking News

It's not enough - industry wants homelessness initiative beefed up

Trade bodies have welcomed a government initiative to get more homeless people, as well as those at risk of becoming homeless,...

12 October 2018

From: Breaking News

Councils must use their 'extensive powers' to root out rogue landlords

The policy director of the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is calling on local councils to use the 'extensive powers' they have...

10 September 2018

From: Breaking News

Industry wants more policing of rental sector rather than yet more reform

Trade bodies have been responding to today’s report of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee deliberations on the private...

19 April 2018

From: Breaking News

Trade body unveils seven-point plan for future of private renting

The National Landlords Association has revealed a seven-point plan which would allow the Welsh Government greater powers over the private rental...

16 March 2018

From: Breaking News

Top industry body joins calls for councils to prioritise Build To Rent

The British Property Federation is calling upon more councils to support Build To Rent following the government’s recognition of the sector in...

08 March 2018

From: Breaking News

Government pledges to review selective licensing schemes in near future

The government has pledged to begin a review of the selective licensing across the private rental sector once MPs return from...

05 March 2018

From: Breaking News

Leading PropTech entrepreneur backs stricter HMO regulations

The chief operating officer of a leading PropTech company says government proposals to increase mandatory licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation...

25 January 2018

From: Breaking News

Councils insist there's no conflict of interest after press revelations

Research by The Guardian newspaper reveals that massive numbers of local authority councillors are also buy to let investors - and...

22 November 2017

From: Breaking News

Clampdown on rogue agents and landlords welcomed by PropTech firm

PropTech firm PayProp has welcomed the latest measures to clamp down on rogue elements within the lettings industry - but warns...

11 October 2017

From: Breaking News

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