Recent Articles in Tenant and Landlord Property Checklists

Is the future bleak for renters?
Sep 3, 2015

For a while now we have been hearing about ‘generation rent’ and the terrible time they are having. And it’s true that there are some areas where things are bleak at the moment, such as zones two and three in London where it’s pretty tough to find anything to rent for less than £1,000 a month for one person, meaning a cost of £12k in rent and another £5k a year in council tax, utility bills, insurance etc so total costs of £17k, quite hard to afford on a decent salary, but impossible to meet on £6.50 minimum wage. So anyone on this kind of wage is still going to have to spend around £6k a year just renting a room, or stay at home with mum and dad.

London Rental Standard and Property Expert Kate Faulkner work together to educate landlords
Sep 3, 2015

The LRS is a great initiative to make sure landlords are well educated and keep up to date with the law in London. It is really important landlords and letting agents join and make sure they get accredited. 

No one wants to move home anymore!
Aug 20, 2015

The property market has seen a huge shift in how and when people are buying property in the 21st century, and the latest data shows people are staying put for much longer. Today, the ‘average’ home changes hands every 23 years, a staggering difference from the 1980’s figures; which show people moving, on average, every 8 years (source: http://www.imla.org.uk/)

Kate's top 3 stories - Should rural house prices be capped?
Aug 20, 2015

Campaigners this week have said that radical action may be needed to help house prices in rural areas. The Telegraph writes that said campaigners warned that the lack of affordable housing in such areas will only continue to be a “prominent issue”. They also warn that city dwellers are buying up second homes in the countryside at inflated prices, thus leaving locals out in the cold.

Changes in the Summer Budget affecting residential landlords
Aug 17, 2015

There were a few surprising tax change proposed in the Summer Budget in July 2015 which could impact upon residential landlords. These will have a mixed impact, depending on your circumstances, but will generally be detrimental when they have all come in to force. It remains to be seen whether or not this will dampen down the upward pressure on house prices, to allow more first-time buyers into the property market, which was the Chancellors stated aim!