InventoryBase Blog

Pensions versus property: what is the best investment?

The founder of an online lettings agency, Upad, has claimed that he does not have a pension fund. James Davis has instead chosen to invest in 20 buy to let properties, and like many property investors, he is certain that this will fund his retirement. Mr Davis explains that should property prices continue rising over […]

May 10, 2019

How AI could impact the lettings sector

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is taking an increasingly larger role in our everyday lives, from drones and driverless cars to Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. Therefore, it comes as no great surprise that the lettings sector is slowly adopting this new technology. Proptech is quickly gathering traction within the lettings sector. An investment management and professional […]

May 7, 2019

The top five problems proptech is solving

Proptech has the potential to revolutionise the property sector. Technology continues to be introduced on a large-scale in the lettings sector, and according to a recent report, capital investment within the sector grew in 2017 to almost $12.6 billion. Proptech shows no signs of slowing its progress, and now is the perfect time to choose […]

May 3, 2019

What is next for the tenant fee ban?

Those in the lettings sector will be aware of the upcoming ban on tenant fees. The Act has made its journey through parliament, and will be implemented in England from 1st June, 2019. This means that now is the time for letting agents to prepare for the new legislation. Agents must now be forward thinking […]

April 30, 2019

InventoryBase Academy launch Fitness for Human Habitation guidance for lettings professionals

Following the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 coming into force, InventoryBase Academy now enable clerks and letting agents to understand the parameters of the new law. As of 20th March 2019, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act came into force across the country. The act was designed to ensure all rented accommodation […]

April 25, 2019

the value of using measurable inventory reports

Inventory Reports – The Measure of Value

We live in an age where everything is on demand meaning inventory providers have had to react to that demand with a greater flexibility in their availability which often includes all weekend working, late night and early morning report requests. In some respects this is nothing new; other supplier industries to the property sector such […]

April 17, 2019

Zoopla to begin refusing ‘No DSS’ adverts

Zoopla, a leading property portal website, is to begin refusing advertisements for property lettings which contain instructions from landlords that include ‘No DSS’ or any other block for tenants who receive housing benefit. Zoopla announced it will prohibit landlords from posting adverts which state ‘No DSS’, which is a commonly used term that refers to […]

April 12, 2019

Right to Rent labelled a farce by RLA

Right to Rent labelled a farce by RLA. A new legal case has brought the already controversial scheme for Right to Rent into further disrepute. Last month, an existing High Court judgement ruled that the scheme was unlawful on grounds of discrimination. The High Court ruled on 1st March that the scheme had breached human […]

April 11, 2019

New rules to protect tenants’ money announced

All letting agents for privately rented homes will be required to register with a mandatory government-backed scheme which aims to protect landlord and tenant money, as part of a new law announced earlier this month. With a deadline of 1st April 2019, all letting agents in England must sign up to a protection scheme as […]

April 10, 2019

Labour government would promise indefinite tenancies

The Labour Party has changed its approach to the rental sector, from previously promising mandatory tenancies of three years and rent controls, to going even further and committing to delivering indefinite tenancies. These plans follow the German example for residential PRS (private rented sector) tenancies in England. John Healey, Labour’s Shadow Housing Secretary, has pledged […]

April 9, 2019

US firm invests £100m in build to rent in the UK

US based firm, Viventi Capital Management, has provided a considerable boost to the UK government’s build to rent development strategy, with an initial investment of £100m. The organisation has appointed FirstPort, a property management group based in Hampshire, as its BTR (build to rent) UK partner. FirstPort is one of the most experienced property management […]

April 8, 2019

Economy in North West booms despite Brexit

Manchester-based international property consultants CBRE, have reported that 2018 became a record-breaking year for property deals within the city, with the organisation advising clients on more than £1.5bn worth of commercial property investment transactions. Over 40 large scale individual transactions were completed by the company’s team based in Manchester, covering a wide range of property […]

April 5, 2019

Professional property inventories can assist in complaints resolution

The government has announced plans to reform the redress available to tenants and private landlords, by introducing the Housing Complaints Resolution Service. It has been argued that companies which specialise in rental inventories can greatly assist landlords and tenants in compliance with schemes such as this, with tenancies supported by inventory reporting. In January 2019, […]

April 4, 2019

The Image of Inventory Clerks

You hear often about how letting and estate agents are portrayed by landlords and tenants, new laws banning tenant fees and numerous legislations introduced to impose limitations and better trading practices on agents and inventory clerks. Some comments and outcomes may indeed be justified because of the bad practices followed by the very few in […]

April 3, 2019

Britain’s property market remains attractive for buy to let investors despite Brexit

Many international and national HNWIs (High Net Worth Individuals) who are current investors in Britain’s property market are planning to add to their portfolios despite Brexit, according to new research. A survey conducted of HNWIs, who were defined as earning over £100,000 each year, located in South Africa, Hong Kong, Dubai and the UK, discovered […]

Chancellor Philip Hammond urged to rejuvenate private rented sector for landlords

Investor landlords believe that the Spring Statement, released earlier this month, provides an opportunity for the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, to bolster activity within the buy to let sector, which has remained slow, due primarily to the last Chancellor’s tax changes. Regulatory and tax changes have hit the profits of landlords considerably during the last few […]

April 1, 2019

InventoryBase to present their market leading software to industry professionals at the annual ARLA Exhibition.

InventoryBase will be at the ARLA Conference & Exhibition at the London ExCeL, Tuesday 2nd April. The ARLA Conference and Exhibition will arrive at London’s ExCeL next week, being one of the biggest dates in the letting industry’s annual diary. InventoryBase will be exhibiting at the event, giving property professionals the opportunity to try out […]

March 29, 2019

The only viable option for many prospective buyers is house sharing

Affordability for buying homes is a serious issue, particularly within London, which puts those wishing to purchase their first property under a significant amount of pressure. This leaves many prospective buyers facing tough decisions that go beyond cutting back on the luxuries in life, while trying to gather a deposit. Affordability constraints and high property […]

Pilot scheme launched to increase energy efficiency of rental properties

The quality scheme endorsed by the UK government, TrustMark, has launched a new pilot scheme, in association with East Sussex Trading Standards, to improve standards of energy efficiency of rental properties. The initiative, titled the Better Homes for Hastings scheme, was launched this month at an event at Sussex Coast College, Hastings. Hastings Borough Council […]

March 27, 2019

Lending for buy to let mortgages slumps as landlords discouraged by tax changes

New data from UK Finance has shown that activity for buy to let mortgages continued to remain stagnant in December 2018, with investor landlords taking out only 5,100 new mortgages for buy to let home purchases. This is a reduction of 5.6 per cent from December 2017. According to data provided by the organisation, the […]

March 26, 2019

Where are the most energy-efficient properties located in the UK?

Investing in property is an effective method to accumulate wealth. However, before parting with your money, an investment strategy must be developed. Are there any green modifications which must be made to the property? The ways in which residential buildings are constructed, ventilated, insulated and heated all contribute to carbon emissions, which now seriously impacts […]

March 25, 2019

Buy to let landlords contribute £16.1bn each year to UK economy

Collectively, buy to let landlords contribute an estimated £16.1bn to the UK economy via pre-tax spending, according to research from Kent Reliance, the mortgage lender. This is almost double the original estimate of £8.5bn made a decade ago. The most recent Tracking Landlords Cost and Economic Contributions study, which is part of the Buy to […]

March 22, 2019

What do tenants really want from rental property?

Whether you want to prepare to let an existing property or add to your current portfolio by purchasing new property, it is essential to know what tenants are searching for when looking for a home. Different tenants have varying needs, but a new report from Zoopla has made an attempt to establish common factors which […]

March 21, 2019

How to earn income during periods of void tenancy

As the property market continues to remain in a state of change, even the traditional lettings market appears to be slowing slightly, particularly within the higher end of the market. With this in mind, 2019 must become the year that landlords start to become more creative with their property portfolios, to ensure that they are […]

March 20, 2019

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