Welcome to our weekly update giving you the key stories, breaking news and topical analysis from the past week up to today, 11 May 2018.
This week saw the publication of the Tenant Fees Bill which will see letting fees banned from next year, while tenants in London may be benefiting from less rent rises as the market stagnates. We also looked at how downsizers could reinvest their money, and how holiday lets compare to traditional buy-to-lets as an investment. Read on for seven stories you might have missed this week…
1. Ground rent scandal continues as leasehold house sales soar
The government is coming under increased pressure to publish its report on leasehold practices by July after it has emerged that the number of houses sold under leasehold agreements shot up in 2017. To read the full story, click here.
2. Tenant Fees Bill has been published – here’s what it means for landlords
This week, the Tenant Fees Bill was introduced to Parliament with recommendations on how the government will ban letting fees charged by agents to tenants from next year. To read the full story, click here.
3. London landlords most likely to reduce rents as confidence falls
A quarter of landlords based in central London said they had reduced their rents over the past year, with factors including Brexit uncertainty meaning tenant demand was lower in the capital. To read the full story, click here.
4. Downsizers: Release £110k and reinvest in booming UK property markets
Empty nesters across the country who are living in oversized, detached properties could release more than £100,000 by selling up and moving to a bungalow – and maybe reap the rewards from property investment. To read the full story, click here.
5. Compare the market: high-yielding holiday lets or long-term tenants?
A new survey has come to light showing that holiday lettings generate higher returns than most other property assets, including buy-to-let – but having long-term tenants can provide some major advantages. To read the full story, click here.
6. Make housing a human right says Manchester mayor Andy Burnham
Radical action is needed to tackle the UK’s current housing crisis, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has said in a letter to the leaders of the three main political parties, as he marks his first anniversary as the region’s metro mayor. To read the full story, click here.
7. Could a £10,000 windfall help millennials onto the property ladder?
A “citizen’s inheritance” could see Brits become £10,000 richer when they reach the age of 25 as part of a suggested measure to bridge the generational divide, and it could be used to help some youngsters buy a home. To read the full story, click here.
