Landlords made £82k when selling their properties last year

Landlords made an average of £82,000 when selling their buy-to-let properties last year, according to new research. The typical landlord sold their buy-to-let for £82,450 more than they paid for it in 2020, an average value increase of 42 per cent, according to estate agent Hamptons International. This was an increase of £3,390 or 4 … Read more

Landlords fall behind on gas safety checks in nearly half of rented homes

A significant number of UK landlords are putting themselves and their tenants at risk by not complying with required safety regulations, a new survey has suggested.  Almost half of tenants living in privately rented accommodation with gas mains say they have not had their gas appliances checked in the last 12 months, according to research … Read more

Buy-to-let mortgages flood back with 200 launched in March – but rates are highest since 2019

Landlords are seeing the choice of available mortgage deals increase as the number of products on the market rose by 233 last month alone. Mortgage options increased for the fifth consecutive month in March meaning there are a total of 2,333 buy-to-let products now available, according to the latest Moneyfacts data. This means the number … Read more

Tenants win more in deposit disputes than landlords: Make sure you get yours back with these tips

Tenants locked in deposit feuds have been awarded 50 per cent more money back than their landlords when disputes go to adjudication. Roughly one in every 30 tenancy deposits are disputed according to the Deposit Protection Service – one of the three Government-backed schemes for England and Wales. Since the start of 2018, 66,768 tenancy … Read more

Will green mortgages encourage landlords to improve energy efficiency?

Landlords could get preferential treatment when applying for mortgages if their properties are energy efficient, as lenders begin to launch new green products to the market.   This week, Paragon Bank launched a new range of buy-to-let mortgages which offer lower-deposit options to landlords whose properties have an Energy Performance Certificate rating between A and C. … Read more

Credit Suisse rocked in Archegos Capital Management meltdown

Credit Suisse has been thrown into crisis just weeks before Antonio Horta-Osorio joins as chairman from Lloyds Bank. The Swiss investment bank was already reeling from the aftermath of a spying scandal and its exposure to bust lender Greensill Capital. But now it has revealed it will suffer a ‘highly significant’ hit to its profits … Read more

Off-plan home sales reach six-year low as landlords exit market – but could homeowners fill the gap?

The proportion of homes bought off-plan hit a six-year low in 2020 as landlords left the market – although there are signs homeowners may be warming up to the idea of buying a home before it is fully built. A third – or 33 per cent – of new-builds that completed in England and Wales … Read more

Rent hotspots revealed: Ipswich and Northampton see huge spikes

New rent hotspots revealed: London demand crashes as capital ‘loses its appeal’ but towns like Ipswich and Northampton see HUGE spike Demand for rented rooms fell by 40% in some parts of central London, according to Spareroom, as people no longer needed to be close to offices In contrast, renters flooded to places like Ipswich, … Read more

Ten places where landlords can make the most profit now

Brighton has retained its crown as the most profitable place to be a landlord for the second year running, new findings have claimed. Taking into account rental fees charged to tenants and landlord costs, buy-to-let investors in the seaside resort can make a monthly profit of around £570, insurance group CIA Landlord suggests. At the … Read more

Pets in lets: Government moves against ‘blanket bans’ – but landlords want to charge higher deposits

Pets in lets: Government makes it harder to impose ‘blanket bans’ on tenants having animals – but landlords want to charge higher deposits The Government’s model rental contract now allows pets as the ‘default’ Landlords using it will need to provide a ‘good reason’ for not allowing animals  The industry body says they should be … Read more