Calling Time on Rogue Landlords and Agents in London

Calling Time on Rogue Landlords and Agents in London

The Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker has been launched that will allow tenants to check landlords and agents before they sign a tenancy agreement.

The checker, from the Mayor of London, lists those landlords and lettings agents who have been successfully prosecuted or have faced civil enforcement action for housing offences, along with details of the offences and the properties to which they relate.

At the moment, 10 of the 32 London councils have published data (equivalent to 25% of renters), with another 8 councils to submit data in the coming weeks.

Property Rental Prices in Great Britain: November 2017

Property Rental Prices in Great Britain: November 2017

Private Rental Prices Still Increasing in England, Scotland and Wales

  • Rental prices paid by tenants in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) increased by 1.4% in the 12 months to November 2017.

  • Rental prices for Great Britain excluding London increased by 1.8% in the 12 months to November 2017.

  • Rental prices for London increased by 0.6% in the 12 months to November 2017. This is the lowest annual increase in London since October 2010.

UK: Rent Smart Wales registration scheme to launch

As a result of the Housing Act (Wales) 2014, by 23 November all private landlords need to register and managing landlords and agents to become licensed with Rent Smart Wales.

Landlords and agents who are involved in letting and management activities will also have to undertake training to apply for their licence.

UK: Rent checker tool launched

Landbay, the property peer-to-peer lending platform, has launched a rent comparison tool that allows tenants and landlords to check how much they are paying and charging against other properties in their region.

The online application, called Rent Check, was created in collaboration with Zoopla Property Group and allows users to compare their rates against others in the same area.

Dubai: Dubai rents continue to fall in July

The property market in Dubai remained favourable to tenants and buyers in July, with rents continuing to fall and prices in some locations still showing a down-trend.

The cost of renting flats across various communities registered an overall decline of 2 per cent last month compared to the same period in 2015, according to a real estate portal with thousands of property listings.

The average annual rent for studio apartments in Dubai stood at Dh57,000, down by 6 per cent from a year ago, but stable when compared to the average rent in the first six months of 2016.

English housing survey: Private Rented Sector report, 2014-15

  • The private rented sector has undergone rapid growth in the last 10 years;
  • There has been an increase in the proportion of families in rented accommodation;
  • Private renters are less satisfied with their tenure than owner occupiers and social renters, but satisfaction has increased since 2004-05;
  • There has been an increase in the proportion of private renters who were charged a fee(s) on entering their current accommodation. These were sometimes hidden by the agent or landlord;
  • Most tenants paid a deposit when they moved into their accommodation and nearly two thirds of their landlords paid this into a government authorised deposit scheme;
  • Dwelling condition and safety in the private rented sector has improved since 1996

Relief for landlords after Supreme Court ruling on Human Rights

Private landlords can sigh in relief that tenants they want to evict cannot invoke a breach of their 'Human Rights' when they are being evicted.

Following a ruling by the Supreme Court in a case known as McDonald v McDonald, specialist property lawyer Kary Withers of Clarke Willmott LLP has reported the landmark decision.

Overhaul of private tenancies in Scotland

Scottish Parliament has just passed The Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act, coming into action in 2017.

The Act will create a much simpler system, including tighter regulation over rent increases and adding increased security of tenure for tenants.

Canada: Rental vacancy rates at critically low levels in Greater Vancouver and Toronto areas

Just recently Vancouver's rental vacancy rate was measured at being the lowest in the world at 0.6%. CMHC has not released its figures, so Toronto's rate is not currently known (last year's published rate was 1.6%), but it is expected to be low, although not as low as that of Vancouver.

Dubai: Are rents in Abu Dhabi falling faster than in Dubai?

The cost of renting apartments appears to have dropped more in Abu Dhabi than it has in Dubai, at least according to the data compiled by one property analyst.

Leasing rates at residential buildings in the UAE capital have registered a 4 per cent decline on average since the beginning of the year until the end of February, according to real estate portal Bayut.com, which has about 1,000 property listings. In comparison, rents in Dubai went up by an average of 4 per cent during the same period, though overall rates remain cheaper compared to last year.

Rental variations in China

Many issues, legalities and paperwork differ in China from province to province. Housing rental prices are no exception, and vary greatly from 1st to 3rd tier cities, and the methods of rental and deposit payments also vary from city to city. Landlords and developers in some regions have different requirements when it comes to rental and deposit payments.

When assignees are relocating to China, they should be aware that the policies are not standardized, and below is an example of various cities with differing payment regulations.

Right to Rent now live in England

As of 1st February 2016, landlords (and letting agents if acting on behalf of the landlord) must check that a tenant or lodger can legally rent a residential property in England.

Failure to comply with this legislation means a landlord can be fined up to £3,000 for renting a property to someone who isn’t allowed to rent property in England.

Before the start of a new tenancy, the landlord must make checks for tenants aged 18 and over even if:

  • They’re not named on the tenancy agreement
  • There’s no tenancy agreement
  • The tenancy agreement isn’t in writing

If the tenant is only allowed to stay in the UK for a limited time, the check needs to be carried out in the 28 days before the start of the tenancy.

Private Housing (Tenancies) Bill published in Scotland

A new bill published today will ensure tenants will have more security, stability and predictability when privately renting a home in Scotland.

The Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill will protect 700,000 people from the prospect of unforeseen and unfair eviction and unpredictability over rent increases, as well as ensuring the sector is attractive to investors, with better management and regulation.

15 Night Tube stations where 24-hour services will add a premium to the value of properties

The arrival of London's Night Tube will bring with it a price premium of as much as 10 per cent for properties close to a handful of selected stations along the route.

Homes close to Stratford, Willesden Green, Mile End and Canada Water are set to rise more than at any other station served by the Night Tube, commanding a rise in value of between five and 10 per cent higher than-than the surrounding area.

Homeowners within a half mile radius of the stations stand to benefit from the upswing in prices, according to research from sellmyhome.co.uk and Dataloft.