Archive

A property industry group has called for a reduction in the discounts available for council tenants buying their own home, after...

It’s tempting to think that Michael Gove’s proposed clampdown on Airbnb-style short lets is a uniquely British form of small-mindedness, part...

Councils across England could make an additional £540m a year in council tax on empty homes after new rules came into...

Southwark, Barnet, Camden, Croydon and Newham are the top five London boroughs with the highest number of vacant properties amid a...

Last week the Government published new housing data which has largely gone unreported.  The vacuum was probably linked to the Budget, and...

The Government has given local authorities powers to double the council tax charged on long-term empty homes after 12 months. The time...

It’s time to abolish what is colloquially called Landlord Licensing. If you’re a casual reader and perhaps not in our industry, a...

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into the UK’s largest housebuilders as it warns of “fundamental concerns”...

A senior estate agent has described the Government’s pledge to compel councils to cut red tape in favour of development as...

After months of negative messaging and anti-development sentiment, espoused both nationally by the Government, and locally during May’s local election campaigning,...

The news in September that Birmingham City Council (‘Europe’s largest local authority’) had been forced to issue a Section 114 notice...

The Government has published long-awaited reforms to its National Planning Policy Framework, confirming that local housebuilding targets will be advisory rather...

Propertymark has backed the launch of the Government’s £80m brownfield regeneration scheme. Councils across England can now bid for a share of...

Propertymark has expressed its opposition to Scottish Government plans to increase council tax premiums on second homes. Speaking to the Scottish Parliament’s...

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is seeking feedback on two ‘working papers’ that detail its assessment on the use of...

If you’ve paid even scant attention to Landlord Today or other trade titles, you’ll be familiar with the headlines about rogue...

By Neil Cobbold Recent data from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities show that 24,260 households served a valid Section...

What a waste. Islington council announced in recent days that it will buy back 310 ex-council houses this winter, to add to...

Funny how time flies faster as you get older and I’m reminded that next week, (23rd September, to be precise) it...

And suddenly it’s autumn. It’s just six weeks before the clocks change, days are getting shorter and - the real sign...

After months of negative messaging and anti-development sentiment, espoused both nationally by the Government, and locally during recent local election campaigning,...

Like most parts of the UK, the one I live in has a bit of a beef about parking. More precisely,...

It’s not a sentence that I thought I would be writing, but Housing Secretary Michael Gove has indeed finally done something...

Two former housing ministers have criticised the Government for scrapping housebuilding targets. The Government officially watered-down proposals for mandatory local housebuilding targets...

Labour says it will reform how land is valued under Compulsory Purchase Order powers in a bid to increase house building...

It has been another busy week in the property sector.  In his latest column, property commentator Jonathan Rolande, provides his take on...

As a property market expert, I have been closely monitoring the challenges faced by the housing market, particularly the issue of...

Landlords are exiting the market in droves. According to an accountancy firm who analysed HMRC data, 70,000 buy-to-let landlords left the sector...

THE PROPERTY market continues to hold pretty firm - despite fears voiced by many that 2023 would herald a crash in...

A high-profile charity is calling for a Stamp Duty overhaul, local buyer restrictions and extra charges on property purchases by landlords...

A promise to sell homes for £1 by Scottish Labour has been labelled as a “politically led housing gimmick” by estate...

Should commercial properties be converted into homes? I think so. I don’t mean the upscale barns becoming large houses, or the fashionable...

Agents should use their market position to advise town halls about local housing needs, a senior MP has suggested. Labour and Co-op...

The Government has been urged to revise its plans for affordable housing as MPs warn it is set to fall short...

Recent political changes – and there have been quite a few in recent weeks – have brought about something of a...

One of the biggest frustrations people have with the home buying and selling process is the amount of time it takes...

The current period of national solidarity over the death of Queen Elizabeth II has embraced the world of property as it...

We are only a fortnight away from having a new Prime Minister, following a contest in which housing has played a...

A major new scheme worth half a million pounds is now underway in an effort to promote sustainable investment into housing,...

As Britain’s housing boom continues,  SDL Property Auctions has warned of ten ways new homeowners could be fined up to £5,000...

A wide range of upcoming legislative changes will affect the private rented sector. From new carbon monoxide alarm regulations to renters...

The government is being urged to not just treat housebuilding as a numbers game. It comes as the Department for Levelling Up,...

More than a third of councils across England lack adequate plans to provide suitable housing for the ageing population, research claims. New...

More than 100,000 property transactions have benefitted from access to digitised local land charges (LLCs) data. Conveyancing software provider Search Acumen has...

Estate agents use property technology each and every day for residential property transactions, but is there more they can do with...

Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced that he is considering extending Margaret Thatcher’s Right-to-Buy scheme, that gives council tenants the chance to...

The government last night revealed more details on its flagship Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill including letting local authorities double council...

A lack of support to help people onto the property ladder has been highlighted as one factor for the Tory party’s...

Local residents are to be given the final say on changes to the name of their street under new government plans. The...

Propertymark is urging restraint on the part of the Welsh Government as it moves to tackle what it sees as the...

If you want to sex-up the Chancellor’s financial statement scheduled for lunchtime on Wednesday, you’d call it a Budget or a...

A rural body in Wales has hit out at the Welsh Government’s proposals for draconian new taxes on second homes.  Earlier this...

The Welsh Government has announced an increase to the maximum level of council tax premiums for second homes, as well as...

A bid to regulate second home ownership in part of the UK through changes to planning policy will add complexity and...

Property searches are not showing up some new road schemes because they are classified by local councils as planning consent for...

A campaigning MP is to meet with a government minister to discuss controls and disincentives for second homes. Former Liberal Democrat MP...

In this article, the team at The Lettings Hub - which aims to offer tech-driven solutions for the rental market - outline...

We’ve probably all learned to be a little less cynical about politicians in recent weeks, given the tragic events. We perhaps...

There’s been some cynicism amongst the industry in response to new homes promises made by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in yesterday’s Budget. Sunak...

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has hinted for the second time that he is looking towards property to help fund his...

Labour is to reveal a raft of new housing policies at its party conference this weekend - and it claims it’s...

The government is reportedly planning to abandon its next stage of planning reforms. The proposals, previously under consultation, would have given councils...

Media reports over the weekend suggest the government is preparing a triple whammy - three measures which may reduce the number...

Homebuyers are suffering huge delays in receiving responses to their search requests to council according to a study of local authorities. Consumer...

Media reports suggest the government is considering offering grants to local authorities to purchase private family houses which are larger than...

A prominent property consultancy is urging the government to ensure that holiday home owners pay more tax.  Colliers claims local authorities are...

There’s gathering momentum to do ‘something’ about the unfairness of council tax and stamp duty. This isn’t new in principle. Agents have...

A group of MPs has suggested the government consider a “proportional property tax” to replace the current council tax, in a...

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond and strategist Sir Lynton Crosby - the architect of many Conservative election campaigns -...

At first sight it’s a tough ask to defend holiday homes when there’s evidence that many who want to buy can’t,...

The debate over For Sale and To Let boards continues apace with some local councils wanting to make it difficult or...

Almost 77 per cent of people think the government must build more homes - but if that means reclassifying Green Belt...

The Planning Bill, which will introduce changes to the planning system in England, was announced last week in the Queen’s Speech....

Thousands of sales are at risk because slow searches by councils may prevent deals completing by the next stamp duty deadline. With just under...

The new Mayor of London, to be decided in an election tomorrow, has just received a six point set of demands...

Local elections rarely set the pulse racing and this year’s poll on Thursday faces a similar problem. But this time, it’s a...

A nationalist candidate in next month’s elections claims there is a second homes crisis which may create a “lost generation” of...

For many, the funeral of HRH Prince Philip will be a solemn affair, while for some it will also be a...

Licensing of the short-term lets sector in Scotland was due to be introduced next month. However, it was recently announced that...

In this week's Natter, I focus on the inspiring story of Clare Hughes, who has bounced back in the last 12 months...

It’s now more than a year since the government offered an additional £4 million to councils to combat rogue landlords. At the...

Properties are currently taking 29 per cent longer than average to sell once under offer, according to research by a home...

London mayor Sadiq Khan is reported to be asking the Prime Minister to review the status of ‘essential retail’ which can...

A mortgage lender says it will now accept ‘no-search indemnity insurance’ for residential purchases in a bid to speed up the...

A trade body has called on House Secretary Robert Jenrick to intervene over the growing problem of delays in councils providing...

Back in September, Westminster Council launched a new strategy to help 'protect tenants' and 'ensure they live in good-quality and well-managed...

The director of a conveyancing technology company has hit out at what he calls “an over-reliance on outdated processes” and “age-old...

What are the best ways for a letting agency to generate additional revenue and stay ahead of the competition? Management fees are...

A conveyancing firm is blaming councils for delays in transactions. Conveyancers have themselves been sharply criticised in recent weeks as the sharp...

A branch of London agency Foxtons has been targeted by a group of political agitators called Beyond Politics, which says it’s...

You have to feel for Rishi Sunak - well, at least a little. Leave to one side that he carries more presentational...

A series of polls taken by Estate Agent Today suggest substantial numbers of agents remain uncomfortable about returning to trading even...

Conveyancing search provider Searchflow has amended its website after an intervention by the Advertising Standards Authority. A claim on the site stated:...

Hello - yes it’s Friday in case you lost track, and that means it’s Agents Do Charity day: and once again...

A trade body has reported some council search departments to the government for refusing to provide email details and forcing search...

A trade group wants councils and search companies to co-operate more closely during the virus to minimise delays to the remaining...

It may be that we’re facing another year - make that yet another year - of disruption in the housing market. Coronavirus...

There’s something of a conspiracy of silence over the problem of short lets. That is a stark claim but many siren voices...

Not for the first time, a government policy on housing ends up begging more questions than it provides answers - but...

The government has announced its First Homes scheme - a policy under which it says some new homes will see their...