The UK is a nation of animal lovers, but with under half of the nation’s landlords advertising their properties as pet friendly*, it can be difficult for renters to share in the joy pets bring.
Further to this, animal charities across the UK are experiencing an increase in the number of animals needing their support, with many owners citing housing issues as a reason for rehoming their pets.
Around one in ten of those owners calling Dogs Trust cite issues with housing as the reasons for needing to rehome their dog. This includes people being forced to move or downsize as...
New data by flatshare site SpareRoom reveals the shocking amount of money being spent on rent every month, with over 80% of renters spending more than 30% of their take home pay on rent, and almost one in three (29%) handing over more than 50% of their pay. People spending more than 30% of their household income on rent are traditionally considered ‘rent burdened’, those who spend over 50% are considered ‘severely rent burdened’. SpareRoom’s data shows the majority of renters are currently ‘rent burdened’. This means many will already have difficulties affording necessities...
Private tenants such as students looking for new digs ahead of the autumn semester are being warned not to get caught out by costly rental fees which have now been banned.
The warning, from the Heart of the Southwest Trading Standards Service, which covers Devon, Plymouth, Somerset, and Torbay, follows a recent audit carried out by the Service, of 81 lettings agents across the service area.
The Service worked in partnership with The Property Ombudsman and found that 70 per cent of the letting agents checked failed the audit because of a range of issues relating to tenant...
Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards Service has launched a new campaign to help prevent renters in the region being caught out by fees that have now been banned.
The law on what landlords and letting agents can charge tenants when beginning, ending or changing their contracts has changed.
It means renters can no longer be asked to pay extra for things like professional cleaning and having pets, or charged for references and credit checks.
The changes mean that there is only a limited number of fees which are still allowed by law.
Landlords are faced with fewer mortgage options as many buy-to-let mortgages are taken off the market.
Fewer buy-to-let mortgages
Although the number of mortgages available has increased by 370 products since May, when the property market reopened, UK landlords are still facing far fewer options than they had previously. Since the beginning of March 2020, the number of fixed-rate buy-to-let mortgages has dropped by over a third (35%).
In the current landscape, there are only 1,535 deals available. Prospective borrowers with the smallest available deposits have...
Teignbridge District Council is inviting expressions of interest for the former Beachcomber café and restaurant premises on the seafront at Teignmouth.
The 1,819 sq ft building is in a prominent location on Teignmouth seafront, close to the Green Flag-accredited Den with its children’s play areas, Seaside award-winning beach, Teignmouth Pier and Pavilions Teignmouth. It also comes with an option to lease an outdoor seating area on the promenade.
The building, owned by Teignbridge, has been closed since a fire in July 2017. On 20 March 2018 Teignbridge’s planning committee...
UK renters are missing out on savings worth over £1 billion collectively on their energy bills, because they didn’t know they could switch suppliers , had bills included in their rent, failed to discuss the matter with their landlord, or simply weren’t allowed to, according to new analysis from MoneySuperMarket.
The analysis looked at energy switching habits among renters , and shows almost half (49 per cent) of the nation’s renters were not given any information about their energy provider at the start of their tenancy. 12 per cent think their landlord is solely responsible for...
The Local Government Association is urging new ministers to rethink the Pay to Stay policy which will require councils to charge some of their tenants higher rents from April 2017.
It comes as new analysis reveals today that more than 70,000 social housing tenants could face rent rise bills of an average £1,000 a year from next year under government plans to increase rents for those deemed to be earning high incomes. The LGA is warning the policy would create a bureaucracy causing stress to families, further costs to councils, and financial returns to the Government far lower than...
Students at the University of Exeter are facing increased rent payments as on-campus accommodation prices soar ahead for the 2016/17 academic year.
The cheapest accommodation, Moberly House, is set to close in the summer for a new self-catered residence. Students fear this could be the end of affordable accommodation halls.
Phil Attwell, Director of Campus Services at the university said: “The building is in need of some investment… we would like to enhance the facilities on offer by providing high quality accommodation.”
James Durston Cartridges Law’s Housing Law specialist will be talking at “The Renting Minefield – what’s new for 2016?” a free event which has been organised in conjunction with Exeter City Council for private landlords, letting agents and anyone interested in letting a property.
There will be the chance to talk with other landlords and agents through the evening and “bite size” talks as follows:
Right to rent - The Home Office Taking Notice: Pitfalls with Section 21 - Cartridges Law How letting agents can help - NLA and ARLA New detector regulations: what they don’t tell...
