InventoryBase Blog

Compulsory redress scheme likely for private landlords

James Brokenshire, Communities Secretary, has announced an overhaul of the housing complaints system, which is likely to come at a cost for private landlords. Calling the system “broken”, the Communities Secretary is planning for the compulsory registration of all private landlords to a redress scheme, which would operate in a similar way to schemes already […]

February 14, 2019

Ban on tenant fees could affect Section 21 notices

Letting agents have been issued with a warning to review tenancy agreements already in place, in order to ensure they are fit for use before the ban on fees takes effect from June 2019. In particular, by completing a review, agents could potentially minimise the impact of the Bill on Section 21 notices. Andrew Turner, […]

February 13, 2019

Councils are selecting the harshest punishments for landlords

An increasing number of local councils are choosing to implement selective licensing and introduce harsh penalties for private landlords which go beyond the government’s mandatory licensing rules, according to research. According to a study from law firm, Kirwans, the legislation, which was introduced within the Housing Act of 2004 to tackle anti-social behaviour, irresponsible landlords […]

February 12, 2019

Lack of rental properties leading to rising rents

Lack of rental properties leading to rising rents. Data from property portal, Rightmove, has shown a continuing trend in fewer numbers of property investors purchasing rental properties, which is leading to record-breaking rental prices, as well as a lack of available buy-to-let properties. This is leading to increased competition among prospective tenants who are searching […]

February 11, 2019

How energy efficient is your rental property?

How energy efficient is your rental property? With an increasing focus on climate change, maximising the energy efficiency of your buy-to-let property can be hugely beneficial. With the introduction of more legislation, meeting the minimum standards in energy proves your commitment as a responsible landlord. So how can you ensure you property complies with legislation? […]

February 10, 2019

More money given to councils if they deal with rogue landlords

More money given to councils if they deal with rogue landlords. An extra £2.4 million of funds has been allocated to the campaign to tackle rogue landlords. Heather Wheeler MP, the Housing Minister, announced that the extra funds are a reaction by the government to recent reports that local councils are failing to do enough […]

February 8, 2019

Tenants fee ban will come into force from 1st June 2019

Tenants fee ban will come into force from 1st June 2019. The Government has announced that from the 1st June 2019 the Tenants Fees Bill will be enforced across England. The announcement follows the Third Reading for the Bill in the House of Lords, and it is likely to receive Royal Assent in the near […]

February 7, 2019

Mandatory electrical inspections to be introduced

As the result of a government consultation last year, there was an announcement in July 2018 that regulations will be introduced that will require all private sector landlords to carry out annual safety checks on electrical installations situated in their residential properties. Now, the Government has also added that any electrical inspector that landlords enlist […]

February 6, 2019

Guide powered by AI enables buy-to-let landlords to find the best deals

A new and innovative tool, which uses Artificial Intelligence to help buy-to-let investors find the best deals, has been created by a newly launched investment company. The website, created by One & Only Pro, took two years of data analysis and algorithm development before being officially launched, and contains data on around 100,000 properties within […]

February 5, 2019

The winners in the clash of the property portals

One of the most popular and frequently used home search methods, the online property portal industry is dominated by a few websites. It is unsurprising that a rising number of estate agents are allocating significantly more of their money into maintaining an online presence, which goes beyond the simple listing of properties on their own […]

February 4, 2019

A new record penalty for buy to let landlord of £450,000

Although fines given to landlords for breaking national or council laws make frequent headlines, a sum of almost £450,000 may be the highest fine ever handed to a buy to let landlord. The landlord, located in Southall in West London, was given the colossal fine for continuously disregarding the local council’s orders for letting accommodation […]

February 1, 2019

How to conduct an efficient and effective pre-tenancy process

Today’s tenants expect the application process for renting a new property to be conducted at their convenience online, like many other services. Everyone expects services to be digital these days, which makes a variety of processes much more efficient. The majority of processes outside the industry are conducted online, and it is believed that letting […]

January 31, 2019

Could letting agents bounce back from lettings fee ban?

A recent report from Fixflo, the proptech firm, has discovered that the lettings fee ban could decimate some letting agents’ profits, with around half of agents predicting that they could lose between 10 and 30 per cent of their revenue. Around 10 per cent of those questioned in the survey claimed they could lose at […]

January 30, 2019

Selective licensing across the UK

Additional and Selective Licensing Schemes continue to be adopted by local councils across the UK, despite evidence suggesting that they do not work. Recent licensing schemes have been implemented in Hackney, from 1st October after a consultation, and Nottingham, where it was introduced in August. Newcastle upon Tyne is expected to implement new schemes for […]

January 29, 2019

Councils given £2 million to tackle rogue landlords

Councils will now be able to bid for a portion of a £2 million fund, intended to help local authorities boost enforcement action to fight rogue landlords, the government has announced. According to new figures from the government, there are over 4.5 million homes in the private rented sector located in England, with 82 per […]

January 28, 2019

Government proposes new Housing Court

The Government has launched a consultation, with the aim of reforming the avenues to justice for tenants and landlords, with the most controversial measure being the introduction of a new Housing Court. At the moment, most housing cases, such as possession cases, are taken to County Court and the first-tier Tribunal Property Chamber. However, many […]

January 25, 2019

Nottingham Council loses £95k court case against landlord

Nottingham City Council, which has implemented a selective licensing scheme, has been criticised after misusing £95,000 worth of taxpayers’ funds on an unsuccessful appeal case at the Supreme Court. Nottingham Council lost the two cases against a landlord, who they took to court to contest the size of two HMO student bedrooms, which were built […]

January 24, 2019

Good news for renters as rent payments added to credit score calculations

Private tenants with a record of paying their rent punctually are set to be rewarded with better credit scores, as Experian announces it is taking into account the payment habits of renters. The credit reference organisation estimates that approximately 80 per cent of tenants across the UK will see an increase in their credit scores, […]

January 23, 2019

Landlord may have license revoked following dispute over tenant eviction

A buy to let landlord based in Edinburgh is facing the prospect of losing his license following the eviction of a young family, and has been left appealing to his remaining tenants for support in preventing being blacklisted by Edinburgh Council. David Love, the landlord, owns a portfolio consisting of 15 investment properties located in […]

January 22, 2019

What are the best yield hotspots for the buy to let sector?

A new study has been released which analyses the buy to let market, revealing which areas provide the best investment opportunities to investors. This research is likely to be of particular interest to buy to let landlords that adopt high yielding investment strategies. The research was conducted by Shawbrook Bank, which has discovered that Scotland […]

January 21, 2019

The Habitable Homes Bill and its potential to transform lives

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Bill has been deemed an opportunity for social and private tenants to avoid renting property from rogue landlords, and it would give them the opportunity to go to court if the home is ruled unsafe. First debated in January, the bill has the potential to transform the lives of […]

January 18, 2019

Tenants fee ban will come into force from 1st June 2019

The Government has announced that from the 1st June 2019 the Tenants Fees Bill will be enforced across England. The announcement follows the Third Reading for the Bill in the House of Lords, and it is likely to receive Royal Assent in the near future. Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth, speaking at the House of Commons, […]

January 17, 2019

Tenants Fee Bill will be fast-tracked through House of Commons

The Tenants Fee Bill is set to get a smoother and faster passage through Parliament, enduring fewer amendments than usual, due to Brexit negotiations taking centre stage in the House of Commons. The controversial Bill looks likely to pass, and will ban most charges by letting agents and landlords to tenants at pre-tenancy stages in […]

January 16, 2019

Equality laws broken by landlords rejecting tenants on housing benefits

Thousands of letting agents and landlords across the UK could be breaching equality laws by rejecting tenants claiming housing benefit, according to recent research from Shelter and the National Housing Federation. The study discovered that 20 percent of letting agents located in England, some of which were acting on instructions from their landlord clients, are […]

January 15, 2019

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InventoryBase Blog

Compulsory redress scheme likely for private landlords

Ban on tenant fees could affect Section 21 notices

Councils are selecting the harshest punishments for landlords

Lack of rental properties leading to rising rents

How energy efficient is your rental property?

More money given to councils if they deal with rogue landlords

Tenants fee ban will come into force from 1st June 2019

Mandatory electrical inspections to be introduced

Guide powered by AI enables buy-to-let landlords to find the best deals

The winners in the clash of the property portals

A new record penalty for buy to let landlord of £450,000

How to conduct an efficient and effective pre-tenancy process

Could letting agents bounce back from lettings fee ban?

Selective licensing across the UK

Councils given £2 million to tackle rogue landlords

Government proposes new Housing Court

Nottingham Council loses £95k court case against landlord

Good news for renters as rent payments added to credit score calculations

Landlord may have license revoked following dispute over tenant eviction

What are the best yield hotspots for the buy to let sector?

The Habitable Homes Bill and its potential to transform lives

Tenants fee ban will come into force from 1st June 2019

Tenants Fee Bill will be fast-tracked through House of Commons

Equality laws broken by landlords rejecting tenants on housing benefits

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