InventoryBase Blog

New ways to connect landlords and tenants

Technology continues to shake up the property world, and for the better, in many cases. It enables landlords to contact potential tenants anywhere in the world. It has also freed up a lot of the administrative work, so landlords and agents can spend more time dealing with tenants or marketing their properties. Now there is […]

February 21, 2018

Thousands of under-35s living in dangerous conditions

Hundreds of thousands of young tenants are living in dangerous conditions which could harm their health, analysis of government statistics has shown. It is estimated that about 338,000 properties being rented by tenants under 35 years of age is affected. Problems such as rats, dangerous electrical wiring, leaky roofs and mouldy walls are among the […]

February 20, 2018

Investing in student housing as demand soars

Demand for student housing in the UK is expected to increase over the next 12 months, offering opportunities for buy-to-let investment. The supply of student accommodation is more than twice as much as it was four years ago, with 602,000 bed spaces, according to research by Cushman & Wakefield estate agency. Rents have also risen […]

February 19, 2018

UK housing sector must adapt to meet older people’s needs

Coping with an ageing population has been on the political agenda in the UK for many years. It has been suggested that older people downsize their properties to free up larger houses for young families. But what is being done to meet the needs of older people? Housing minister, Alok Sharma, has admitted that the […]

February 16, 2018

Will property rents rise in 2018?

Rents are expected to rise this year, according to the latest analysis. This is due to a number of factors including the ever-increasing problem of demand outstripping supply, plus the banning of letting agency fees. It is believed that many agents will pass these costs on to landlords who will, therefore, put up rents to […]

February 15, 2018

Tenants happy to pay more rent if they can keep their pets

The pet business is booming. More people are enjoying life with pets and are willing to spend a lot of money on them. There are about 13 million pet owners in the UK – 46% of the population – spending around £7.16 billion a year between them on their animals, according to research by TotallyMoney.com. […]

February 14, 2018

Rents will rise when ban on agency fees kicks in

The proposal to ban letting agents from levying charges on tenants is expected to force landlords to increase rents. This is not surprising as landlords cannot be expected to absorb these costs along with tax changes, licensing regulations and stamp duty on second homes all affecting their business at the same time. However, this is […]

February 13, 2018

property inspection app rental properties

Tenants to be able to sue landlords over poor rental properties

In an extraordinary move, the government is backing plans to let tenants take legal action over the condition of their rental properties. If landlords felt 2017 was the year of regulations and strangulation for the buy-to-let industry, 2018 is starting off on the same foot, with yet more legislation to make life difficult for the […]

February 12, 2018

Robots to help landlords with viewings

A company which offers robots to undertake viewings of rental properties is hoping to branch out into the UK. American-based Zenplace Property Management says it operates hundreds of robots carrying tablets in California. The robots are actually video monitors which are movable and can ‘show’ potential tenants around properties. Letting agents or landlords would then […]

February 9, 2018

property inspection app rented property UK

Buy-to-let property investments hit nine-year low

Property investments by landlords accounted for just 12.5% of all homes sold in the UK last year, which is the lowest figure for the past nine years. Every region experienced a decline in the proportion of properties being sold as buy-to-let investments by landlords, according to Countrywide’s letting index. The situation was most precarious in […]

February 8, 2018

Where to look for opportunities in the rental market

Changes came from every direction in 2017, with new legislation, licensing schemes, changes to what constitutes a House of Multiple Occupancy, stamp duty, rules, regulations, scrapping allowances for wear and tear, and tax relief changes. Now the ban on letting agents charging tenants will also have an effect on landlords’ profits. While some are considering […]

February 7, 2018

Commercial Property: Diversifying could be the key for landlords

Increased legislation, licensing, regulations and tax reforms are putting increased pressure on the UK’s buy-to-let landlords. While some landlords are pulling out and selling up, others want to diversify. Commercial property letting could be one option, as it appears ripe for innovative ideas and change. UK productivity is falling behind in the league of […]

February 6, 2018

Government to tackle leasehold ownership structures

Radical changes are in the pipeline concerning leasehold properties, which will have an impact on developers, investors and landlords. One year after the government issued the consultation paper ‘Tackling Unfair Practices In The Leasehold Market’, it has now issued some proposals to deal with perceived abuses of power. This will change the way residential properties, […]

February 2, 2018

Calls for a landlords register to be set up

On top of tax reforms and stamp duty on second homes which are hitting landlords, now calls are being made for a national mandatory register of private landlords. Sedgefield MP, Phil Wilson, called for a new bill to set up the register in his speech to the House of Commons. He believes it will […]

February 1, 2018

Rents set to rise into throughout 2018 and into 2019

Rents are likely to rise throughout this year and 2019, if the government continues to interfere in the private rental sector. This stark warning has come from Belvoir CEO, Dorian Gonsalves. The head of the property franchise company said government interference will lead to further financial burdens for both landlords and tenants. This includes tax […]

January 31, 2018

Ways to maximise rental profits throughout the year

Changes to tax allowances and increased stamp duty will undoubtedly have an effect on landlords during this year, but there are still ways to make sure rental profits and income are kept at a healthy level. It could be a case of going back to the basics, to make sure everything is covered for a […]

January 30, 2018

More than half of tenants and buyers have problems with agents

More than half of all people involved in either buying, selling or renting property in the past five years have had problems with their estate agent or letting company. According to research by Propertymark, out of the 2,002 who took part in the survey, 54% had problems. The findings have led the company to suggest […]

Government lowers cap on energy efficiency costs

Calls for a lower cap on the costs to upgrade rental homes which are not energy efficient have been answered. The government has bowed to pressure and capped the costs of upgrades at £2,500, which is half what buy-to-let landlords were led to expect. From 1 April next year, private rental properties need a minimum […]

January 29, 2018

Proptech changing the way landlords work

Technology is changing the way people work in all walks of life and the buy-to-let industry is no exception. The world’s largest testing ground for real estate technology is in the Asia Pacific region, where proptechs have raised billions of pounds in the past five years. By 2020, it is forecast that funding in the […]

January 26, 2018

Landlords wary of tenants without British passports

Tenants without a British passport could find it harder to rent a property in the UK. Research by the Residential Landlords Association shows 42% of landlords say they are reluctant to rent to anyone who does not have a British passport. Following the findings, the RLA has called for a review of the Right to […]

property inspection app for student lets

7 out of 10 landlords do not want students as tenants

Students are finding it tough to find rental properties as 70 percent of UK landlords have said that they would not take them on as tenants. Those who took part in the survey by student lettings app SOCE said they do do not trust students or are worried that they will damage their property. More […]

January 25, 2018

Young people are now being priced out of the rental market

Whilst it has been widely reported that young people cannot afford to buy property in the UK because of the high prices, it now looks as though many cannot afford to rent either. About 700,000 people aged between 18 and 34-years-old cannot even set foot on the rental ladder, research from credit report provider Noddle […]

January 24, 2018

Time to look at your property portfolio

Traditionally, the end of the year is a good time to look over your property portfolio, see which are performing well and whether others need an upgrade or to be sold. It is also an ideal time to work out the strategy for the following year, analyse the forecast income and expenditure for each property […]

January 23, 2018

More rental properties will need HMO licences

More properties are to be classed as Houses in Multiple Occupancy, which means they will come under the mandatory licensing scheme. New rules, which have been approved by Parliament, mean that properties of any height which are occupied by five or more people from at least two different households will need the mandatory licence. At […]

January 22, 2018

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