Housing and Planning Minister John Healey today announced new local powers to control the spread of high concentrations of shared rented homes and to tackle pockets of unsafe and substandard accommodation run by bad landlords. Mr Healey confirmed new powers for local councils to manage the unplanned spread of Houses in Multiple Occupation (or an…

Tom Entwistle, editor at LandlordZONE, says that the thriving residential lettings market proves that the housing sector is a good choice for those wanting to make a future investment. However, he advises that people proceed with care: “Caution is the key to success, investing selectively in the right areas and in the right properties at…

New proposals, which will require buy-to-let owners to apply for planning permission if three or more unrelated people are living in one of their properties, are a “tax on landlords”, one expert has stated. Chris Horne, editor at Property Hawk, says: “It will create a huge amount of uncertainty for landlords looking potentially to buy…

The UK housing market is experiencing a trend of ‘reluctant tenants’, following a shift in supply and demand for properties, according to the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). ARLA’s research, conducted across UK letting agents and landlords, reveals that the surplus of rental property is reducing, while demand for properties rises. According to ARLA,…

Hundreds of thousands of businesses – including many icons of Britain – will be hit by sudden and dramatic tax rises this April under changes to Government business rates. By Andrew Gilligan Published: 8:30AM GMT 03 Jan 2010 The Lions at Longleat Photo: ALAMY Many will see the rateable value of their premises increased by…