InventoryBase Blog

Private rental sector feels pressure as less stock comes onto market

A survey of landlord trends has confirmed that significantly less property is coming onto the market, putting increased strain on the private rental sector (PRS). For tenants, this is good news, as rental lengths are naturally increasing, with low evictions and arrears. The Government’s measures to reduce buy-to-let stock seem unlikely to help tenants in […]

March 28, 2018

Further restrictive regulations on the cards for landlords

At a time when landlords are already feeling the pinch with increased taxes and stamp duty, further restrictive regulations could be brought in to squeeze their stretched resources further. A government consultation of electrical safety has been published which could see more regulations brought in for privately-rented properties in England. The consultation recommends bringing in […]

March 22, 2018

Rental sector is moving upmarket

The rental market in the UK is undergoing major changes with a shift towards quality properties and a rise in build-to-rent accommodation. More people are renting and this trend is set to rise further because property prices put buying out of reach of many people. Younger people also like the flexibility that renting offers, while […]

March 21, 2018

InventoryBase & GDPR – our commitment to customers & suppliers

With the new GDPR rules fast approaching, InventoryBase is committed to ensuring full compliance and confidence to all of their customers The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) will supersede all existing data protection laws on 25th May 2018. GDPR will affect all businesses – including those across the lettings industry. Here at InventoryBase, we deal […]

March 20, 2018

Rental housing crisis deepens as demand rises

Alarm bells continue to ring in the buy-to-let sector as the gap between the supply and demand for decent rental housing becomes even wider. ARLA Propertymark members have reported that more prospective tenants are seeking properties, while stock diminishes. Their figures for April show there were 70 would-be tenants on average for each branch in […]

March 19, 2018

Equality laws could change “no DSS tenants” policies

A lettings agent has admitted to unintentional discrimination on the grounds of sexism, in legal proceedings that were later settled out of court. Lettings agent, Nicholas George, acknowledged the implied prejudice against Rosie Keogh, a single mother, on the basis of gender. Ms Keogh received £2,000 in compensation from the agents, because her submitted […]

March 16, 2018

London rental crisis: supply of rental properties hits critical point

The latest ARLA (Association of Rental Letting Agents) Propertymark report has revealed that the number of available properties to rent in London fell in January to 46 per cent below the nation’s average. As landlords are increasingly priced out of London, tenants are discovering they are up against tough competition for property rentals. In January […]

March 15, 2018

Is it time to shake up the rental properties on offer?

With five million UK households already living in rented accommodation and with the sector continuing to expand, now could be a good time to take a look at the types of accommodation on the market. Are they fitting the needs of tenants? According to the annual report into the English housing market, published by the […]

March 14, 2018

Time to back landlords, not drive them away

With five million households in the UK already living in rented accommodation and the figure set to rise, many feel more should be done to invest in rental properties. Buying property is out of reach of many young people, with figures showing fewer millennials on middle incomes choosing to get on the property ladder. New […]

March 13, 2018

Bournemouth Council Abandons proposals for selective licensing

Are larger landlord associations conflicted over selective licensing proposals? Last month, it was announced that Telford and Wrekin’s Council Cabinet had agreed to abandon its proposals for selective licensing in light of alternative measures and overwhelming feedback recommending against it. The Council consulted on the proposals last year, seeking opinions on the introduction of the […]

March 12, 2018

One in five UK residents lives in privately rented homes

Calls are being made for better support for private landlords, after figures showed that one in five UK residents lives in a private rental home, including almost two million families and their children. Figures from the English Housing Survey show that about 4.7 million households in England live in privately rented homes, which is more […]

March 9, 2018

Pressure builds on buy-to-lets in London

Pressure continues to build in the housing crisis in London, with many young people being priced out of the city where they were born. Years of neglect are taking their toll. Over the years, politicians have failed to address the problem of the housing shortage. Not enough homes, including affordable housing, have been built and […]

Government to make it easier to complain about landlords

Tenants will find it easier to complain about shoddy accommodation and their landlords, once a new complaints system is in place. The government has started a consultation period with the aim of creating a more effective complaints process. The idea is to simplify the procedure so that disputes can be settled more quickly and tenants […]

March 6, 2018

Is Labour on to a good thing with its tenants and pets policy?

Tenants could have the right to keep pets in rented accommodation, should Labour get into power. The party is targeting pet lovers with its pledges for animal welfare, which including renters having the right to keep pets. Many renters have found it difficult to secure suitable accommodation which allows pets. Under Labour, the promise is […]

March 5, 2018

How will landlords be affected by GDPR?

Landlords should brace themselves for more paperwork when the EU-wide General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect in about two months. This legislation will mean that landlords have to process the personal data of their tenants much more rigorously and securely that they do at present. GDPR is being brought in to strengthen data […]

March 2, 2018

Investment in buy-to-let slumps by 80%

Whilst investment in buy-to-let properties has dropped by 80% in the past two years, experts are actually advising that now is a good time to put money into rental homes. The Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association figures show buy-to-let investment has fallen from £25 billion in 2015 to £5 billion last year. This has been put […]

Thousands more homes come under new licensing schemes

More landlords are going to be subject to licensing schemes after the Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government approved a licensing scheme for private rental properties in Nottingham. The scheme will mean about 31,000 rented properties will now need licensing, in the largest such scheme outside London. The city council […]

March 1, 2018

Apps launched to help landlords conduct business

Apps continue to make waves in the world of property, with new platforms being launched to help landlords keep tenants, find tenants and buy or sell rental properties. One company seems to have spotted a gap in the market and has set up a platform to help landlords sell properties with sitting tenants. Property website, […]

February 28, 2018

Landlords need to feel they have government support

Landlords could be forgiven for feeling the government has something against them. New tax rulings mean landlords will be losing more of their income by paying more tax, including stamp duty. As if that wasn’t onerous enough, new regulations are being set up including increased use of licensing and minimum energy efficiency standards for rental […]

February 27, 2018

Rents rocket to a record-breaking high of £51.6bn a year

The rental bill for private homes in the UK rose to its highest level on record last year, with tenants paying out £51.6 billion to landlords. According to research by Countrywide, this was £1.8 billion more than the previous year. The estate agency group said there were a number of reasons for this, including more […]

February 26, 2018

Opportunities to build rental homes that people need

More people will either be living in rental accommodation for longer or for life, statistics show. As well as the younger age sectors, often called Generation Rent, older people are also downsizing and switching to rental properties to meet their needs. Between 2001 and 2011, the number of households aged 25 to 34 renting grew […]

February 24, 2018

Millions of tenants ‘unfairly’ losing their deposits

About 2.34 million tenants in the UK – about 16% of all renters – have had part or all of their rental deposits unfairly withheld by letting agents and landlords, it is claimed. The problem seems to be particularly prevalent among younger tenants, who may not know their rights or feel less inclined to take […]

February 23, 2018

Right to rent ruling being challenged in court

The government’s Right to Rent scheme, which meant landlords and letting agents had to prove the immigration status of tenants, has been criticised from the start. The controversial scheme saw landlords and their agents effectively acting as immigration officers. They had to prove that a prospective tenant had a legal right to be in the […]

February 22, 2018

Government rejects agent’s petition calling for tenant fees cap

The Ministry will continue with a total ban on tenant fees and say many agents do accept fees are unfair, but the ban will push out rogue operators. Today, the Government has rejected an online petition signed by nearly 10,400 estate and letting agents proposing a cap on tenant fees rather than an outright ban. […]

February 21, 2018

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