Archive

With the government releasing details on the Fairer Private Rented Sector, landlords and letting agents are looking for ways to maintain...

The Property Redress Scheme (PRS) is putting together an advisory panel to improve governance, accountability and sector representation when formulating policies. It...

Anyone working in the property market should have at least one eye on supply. Of course, it’s a constant issue for...

The government’s Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper has initially caused some consternation and a strong adverse reaction from some within...

Agents remain positive about the prospects for their business and the property market despite talk of slowing house price growth and...

The number of complaints about estate and letting agents increased last year but fewer gripes were upheld. Data based on members of...

PayProp’s recent Rental Confidence Index survey polled property professionals about their biggest concerns for 2022. Unsurprisingly, new regulations were a top...

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has said it may consider complaints about ‘misleading SSTC listings’ on portals but suggests it may...

Trading Standards has advised agents to update listings once they reach the "sold subject to contract" (SSTC) stage. It comes after legal...

Agents will be able to grill Rightmove’s legal and compliance director David Cox this morning as part of the portal’s webinar...

Hello and welcome to another Agents Do Charity, the weekly round up of fund-raising in our industry. Once more our thoughts are...

Alexander Siedes, CEO of Homeppl, reveals the top five ways people try and commit tenancy fraud and how to spot and stop...

I am often guilty of this myself, where I think I am the bees’ knees in all walks of life; whether I...

Agents are being advised to go above and beyond the legal requirements for anti-money laundering requirements.  Paul Offley, compliance officer for The...

Almost a million tenants have built up rent arrears since March 2020, according to research by National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA)....

Propertymark says a new pay-per-viewing service is “interesting” but warns agents to protect themselves by abiding by consumer protection regulations. The warning has come following...

There are an estimated 2.7 million landlords in the private rented sector (PRS) providing rental accommodation to multiple generations of tenant,...

In an industry which is faced with constant changes in day-to-day practices and even more so given the Covid terrain which agents...

On 28 April 2021, Fixflo ran the first in a series of quarterly legal update webinars with David Smith, Partner at...

We have more regulations controlling the sector than ever before and we have more ‘regulators’ involved in controlling the sector than...

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

Earlier this month, Fixflo held a webinar with David Cox, legal and compliance director of Rightmove, to discuss key government policies...

Being a letting agent today means keeping up to date with the long list of rules and regulations governing how a...

A high-profile London agency is asking the police and property industry bodies including Trading Standards to investigate a fake company posing under...

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

There is little doubt that the last year was one which none of us will easily forget both personally and professionally....

By any available metric, Belvoir had a good 2020. Already a well-known and well-established name, it was highly praised for its...

With the Government announcement this week of another national lockdown across England amid the surging coronavirus infections, it once again puts...

Here’s hoping you managed to have as good a Christmas and New Year as Covid rules allowed. Journalism in early January is...

As we approach the end of the year, there is no doubt that it has been a turbulent 12 months for...

This is a time of year when many people consider buying a pet as a present but for the millions of...

Recent debate about urgent need for reform and better collaboration within the property industry, has once again come under the spotlight...

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

The Boomin portal, which incentivises agents to cross-sell and benefit from referral fees, is to receive advice on fee disclosure from...

It’s been an unexpected year for the property market, shaped by the effects of the pandemic. We didn’t quite anticipate the...

The announcement of the Renters’ Reform Bill in the Queen’s speech last December caused a collective groan across the country from...

In recent years, the extent and role of the private rented sector (PRS) in the housing market has seen significant changes. The...

Book review by Graham Norwood, editor of Estate Agent Today, Letting Agent Today and Landlord Today. If a letting agent wants to...

The pandemic and the way the government has reacted to the private rental sector (PRS) has got me thinking about the...

Life as we know it has changed – for everybody – and what tenants want, need and expect in this post-pandemic...

There’s been a very large rise in the number of complaints submitted by consumers to the Property Redress Scheme. This is partly...

They are the names we hear about often, pushing for this or seeking clarifications on that. They are the representatives of...

Over the last few years, there have been a number of high-profile court cases in which renters took action against letting...

Letting agents up and down the country have undoubtedly felt the financial strain added by the outbreak of COVID19. Whilst this will continue,...

In these unprecedented times, Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) aims to reassure letting agents, landlords and tenants on any legislative changes, relating...

The Property Ombudsman is advising agents to use virtual viewings only as a filtering process with offers being agreed only ‘subject...

This month saw the introduction of the final stages of the Section 24 tax changes, first introduced in April 2017. Whereas buy-to-let...

The last five years have seen unprecedented changes to the property market and agents and their clients have never faced such...

Much like PropTech, Open Banking has been used as a buzzword in recent years. However, when it comes to the rental...

Purplebricks Local Property Experts are asking sellers who are not allowing agents into their homes during the virus crisis to draw...

By now, most letting agents and landlords will have heard about the draft legislation laid in Parliament concerning a mandatory minimum...

The Trading Standards report on the future of referral fees is almost completed and will be sent to government next week. However, James...

Foxtons is warning that 2020 will be yet another difficult year for the agency despite the so-called Boris Bounce helping the...

The property management industry is evolving at a rapid pace, thanks almost entirely to the rise in PropTech. Hundreds, if not thousands...

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

Earlier this month, Boris Johnson carried out a reshuffle of his cabinet, telling ministers they must 'repay the trust of those...

Hello and welcome to a new week, and a new edition of PJT. If you’re on the move or your firm has...

We are facing a new world in the lettings industry, with the proportion of households in the private rented sector (PRS)...

After a year dogged by Brexit deadlock, political turmoil, and slow growth, estate agents’ confidence in the property market hit a...

Yes, believe it or not, we’ve nearly reached the end of a whole decade. And what an eventful decade it’s been. We’ve...

With Brexit still unresolved, the domestic agenda has been pushed from the headlines by the seemingly overwhelming public and political discord...

It’s been clear for a while that the additional regulation landlords and agents are facing has helped professionalise the private rental...

It’s beginning to look a lot like…we’re running a very popular service for agents, as we’ve been inundated with more fund-raising...

In just over two weeks, the UK population will head to the polls for the fourth general election since 2010. Of course,...

Reservation Agreements are the subject of the moment in the agency industry. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is to...

An estate agency will pay out over £40,000 after being found to have misled customers and allowing one of its own...

Hello and welcome to a new week - one with darker evenings and colder days. But there is still plenty of activity...

There’s no doubt that we live in politically charged times and every day appears to bring something new to the ‘party’. For...

We know that the tenant fee ban has cost letting agents dearly, with an estimated loss of £300 million paid to...

In recent years, governments and local councils have sought to change the private rented sector (PRS) to make it more appealing...

If you thought - perhaps hoped - that five weeks of prorogued Parliament meant a break from politics, think again: the...

Estate and letting agents are being urged to check that they are signed up with an approved redress scheme that covers...

Sometimes having prior knowledge of a stressful event can be more stressful than the event itself, just look at Brexit for...

The trade headlines may be dominated by a revolution proposed for how agents are regulated, licensed and trained but one thing...

Increasing legislation and regulation has arguably been the biggest talking point in the private rented sector (PRS) over the last few...

Britain lives in fundamentalist black-and-white times - all the more surprising when the country's most divisive point of contention sits on...

In today’s crowded property marketplace, the needs of tenants have changed. With a greater emphasis on quality of living, tenants are increasingly...

The head of the Property Redress Scheme is urging agents to prepare for yet more regulation and legislation changes likely to...

With a mere matter of weeks until the Tenant Fees Act comes in to effect, I can’t help but wonder just...

The leasehold scandal continues to generate plenty of column inches, with fresh stories emerging almost daily of people living in unsellable...

No, this isn’t about Brexit. But as the saga of leaving the EU is likely to bring about the downfall of...

The recent ARLA Propertymark conference featured a hugely interesting line-up of speaks and session during a watershed time for the lettings...

When it comes to major issues confronting housing, and in particular the direction that the government would like to take the...

The Law Society claims that the unforeseen charges faced by some purchasers of leasehold properties could be addressed “if developers and...

The topic of introducing rent controls in London crops up time and time again in our industry. But it’s been hitting...

The National Association of Estate Agents has led the support for stricter new guidelines on transparency for referral fees. The clampdown means agents...

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team has this afternoon revealed new industry guidance to make referral fees more transparent to...

Nobody likes change. It makes people feel threatened, undermines their confidence, and makes them worry about the future. But regardless of...

Kit Malthouse has been making headlines this week, but – in keeping with his tenure as Housing Minister so far -...

When it comes to letting a property, it is important that landlords and renters have faith in their agent. The more...

Our latest case study come from a recent news item to have hit the industry and national press. A disgruntled tenant is claiming...

There is a perfect storm brewing in the lettings market, and as the saying goes, “you can’t change the direction of...

Has no one told the industry that it’s December and things are supposed to be slowing down? This week’s Property Jobs...

The circus surrounding the fate of online agency Emoov has taken an unexpected turn. Yesterday Sky News revealed that the company was...

Perhaps it’s been our pre-occupation with Brexit, or on the other hand maybe we’re bored with politics, but this year’s Budget...

It’s now almost a month since the government introduced new rules on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO), as part of its...

An open rental market, where neither landlord nor tenant is in a dominant position, enables rents to rise and fall, which...

You will perhaps have seen recently that the Government has decided to boost funding to the regulator, the National Trading Standards...

In our previous 2 blogs we have covered the definitions of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (CPRs) and what the practical...

In 2014 The Properties Misdescriptions Act was repealed and replaced with the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, otherwise known as...

For too long the private rented sector has been complacent towards customer satisfaction. In the changing rental landscape, the smartest letting...

In our previous blog, we looked at the definitions outlined by the CPRs. In our next blog we’ll look at the...

The Property Redress Scheme says it’s recruited another 1,750 members following the shake-out last week when one of its rival redress...

With all the recent change and upheaval in the rental sector it may be time to consider how letting agencies will...

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team has this morning issued a warning to agents that they must be signed up to...

Renting has long been characterised as a stepping stone onto the housing ladder for the younger generations. But in recent years,...

100 years ago, 90% of the UK population rented a home. Today, that figure has flipped, and over two thirds are...

There is a common misconception that the private rented sector (PRS) is entirely made up of young professionals and students. While...

Recent void statistics have had me wondering how agents can juggle client and consumer demands in the face of the impending...

Who are you and what does it say on your business card? Ben Robinson, Director of Agency Services at Landmark What is Landmark...

If you want to know whether buy to let, landlords and letting agents will be in the firing line for more...

The Property Redress Scheme - one of the three government-approved redress schemes handling complaints about sales and lettings agents - has...

The Property Ombudsman has launched an online training module which it describes as the first of its kind.  The interactive module -...

Thanks once again for your contributions to this weekly round-up of agents’ good works; we love covering these stories which show...

This week I carry out a question and answer session with one of the most high-profile names in property. Isobel Thomson has...

A new year means new predictions for what’s to come in the letting industry. Sometimes things come to fruition as expected....

Another new year is nearly upon us and, once we’ve got the season of mince pies, mulled wine, pigs in blankets,...

As we hurtle towards the end of 2017, it’s time to reflect on the year that’s just been.   Even better, this property-based...

Earlier this week, Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered the Autumn Budget with a strong focus on housing.  The decision to cut stamp duty...

A large part of the DCLG’s Call for Evidence on the home buying and selling process focuses on the role of...

Like many of Labour’s recent policy proposals, its call for rent controls leaves more questions than answers.  There has been widespread criticism...

The UK is home to four million leasehold properties in private ownership, according to government figures. The majority of which require...

It used to be so easy. Around 20 years ago there were what we now call full-service estate and letting agencies, and...

I’ve written before about the impact of headlines on the property industry. Interest rate speculation.   Market booms and busts. Demand...

Whenever any research is released, part of me can’t help thinking of that old adage, ‘lies, damn lies and statistics’ especially...

Countrywide has announced an extensive reorganisation of senior management at its Hamptons International brand - with a pledge to "reach into...

Jamie Lester, the former Apprentice reality TV star who ran a high-profile estate agency in London until last autumn, has resurfaced...

It seems prop-tech is exploding at a scary rate, and the latest brands are all trying to grab our attention by...

Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered his first Budget this week pledging extra funding for the NHS, transport in the Midlands and the...

With tax relief changes, a rise in Stamp Duty for second homes and strict mortgage affordability checks now in place, it...

If you work in lettings, I’ll already have a pretty good idea on how you feel about the current Conservative Government.  The...

The chronic shortage of housing supply in the UK relative to demand has been a national issue for decades. The Government...

Annoying isn’t it. You take on a stunning property, agree a compelling asking price and your Vendor is desperate to get the...

The end of 2016 saw the launch of 30,000 new build-to-rent (BTR) projects in London alone. With market growth projected to...

The rental market has had to face a raft of changes over the past year, including the introduction of the 3% stamp...

One of the key factors associated with an active private rental market in the UK, as detailed in the Dataloft PRS...

Listening to all the coverage of the tenant fee ban, all I hear is consumer groups talking about how some agents...

London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s aim of creating a 24-hour city is one step closer with the appointment of London’s first Night...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is the latest body within the industry to warn its members against portal juggling. Following statements...

When a tenant paid his initial one month’s rent in addition to a tenancy deposit in exchange for the keys to...

The growing size and scale of the private rented sector is not new news. Headlines shout about the changing profile of...

As many northern cities struggled to recover from the 2008 global financial crisis, the north-south divide returned to plague the British...

The huge rush to acquire buy-to-let property in the first quarter of the year ahead of the stamp duty change deadline...

With an anticipated “Call for Evidence” from the Dept of Business Innovation & Skills looking into the home-buying experience ETSOS is...

The Property Redress Scheme, one of three official redress schemes for the sales and lettings sector, has now signed its 5,000th...

An estate agency has been fined after a trading standards team accused it of making misleading statements on its website. Warwickshire county...

What is Properstar? Properstar helps UK estate agents cross the chasm from local to global in respect of advertising their properties. Using...

Paying too much every month for your website? Move your website to us and we guarantee to halve your monthly bill I want...

With ever increasing obligations, estate agents know that compliance matters now more than ever.  However, being able to obtain access to the...

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team is warning agents not to engage in portal juggling - an activity it describes...

What a month it has been. By the time you read this, we'll have a new Prime Minister, a new Cabinet,...

So we now have a new 'official' index of house prices, and much good may it do us. For the chattering classes...

When, during his budget speech, George Osborne announced Capital Gains Tax (CGT) was going down to 20%, I experienced a mix...

Property has long been a safe investment. Before the downturn in 2008, sellers were able to gain a healthy capital return.  Post-economic...

In today's budget, the Chancellor, George Osborne, has announced a number of measures which will impact the property industry.  The Chancellor confirmed...

What are we going to do about Generation Rent? Only as recently as February 2016 did tenants steal the headline away...

Public relations used to be a minor part of estate agency, something only ‘the big boys’ paid for and with little...

One of the three approved Ombusdman-style operators, the Property Redress Scheme, is to hold its first agents’ workshop in March. The morning...

Let Mid West Displays get your window in shape! Never underestimate the power of high street presence. Image is everything, and what...

Who are you? I’m the Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme. I previously worked for Legal & General PLC dealing...

There are a number of fairly recent regulations that agents need to comply with. One of them, now just over a year...

You might recall a collective sigh of relief emitted by stakeholders in the housing market and private rental sector back in...

Once you go beyond the industry’s anger about the Chancellor’s three per cent stamp duty surcharge – and that’s an anger...

Negativity. There’s a lot of it about in the lettings industry right now. Where you might see barriers, hurdles and more...

I make no apologies for returning to Build To Rent, the institutional investment in building and managing blocks of flats to...

An insurance company claims that around 60 per cent of estate agents do not check with their vendor clients about disputes...

Someone told me the other day that it’s now only seven Mondays till Christmas. Now there’s a scary thought. Best get...

A reader of Industry Views is unlikely to need converting to the virtues of buy to let, but anyone involved in...

It would seem that now is a better time than ever for investors to join the buy-to-let market.  The Royal Institute of...

It’s been nearly a year since all lettings and property management agents have been legally required to join a redress scheme...

The party's over. It's probably the best double entendre in the world of politics right now. For centre or right-leaning Labour...

If there’s one thing that looks like a good move right now, it’s becoming a letting agent.  Whereas some years ago we...

So housing made itself top of the list of questions by the new Leader of the Opposition’s first PMQs on Wednesday...

A High Street estate agent has branded the latest guidance to the industry on Consumer Protection Regulations as “a complete mess”...

We’ve enjoyed a bit of an Indian summer this week. Not sure it makes up for one of the coldest and...

There have been concerns raised over new trading standards guidance for estate agents on having to reveal ‘significant defects’ about properties...

A new trading standards Guidance on Property Sales has been launched aimed at improving estate agency service to customers.  The Powys-based National...

This month analysis by the Office for National Statistics revealed that the average home in England and Wales cost a record...

The first annual report from Property Redress Services, one of the three government-approved redress schemes applying to both the sales and...

Consider the scene. It is July 8th and new Chancellor, Ed Balls, stands at the Dispatch Box giving his first Budget...

Watch the latest weekly video round-up of news from Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today, featuring stories on Channel 4's...

Watch the latest weekly video round-up of news from Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today, featuring stories on Channel 4's...

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team has prepared a draft of revised guidelines on property sales, to replace the old...

Wednesday’s budget proved a grim viewing for those who have worked in the rental sector for some time and watched the...

Watch the latest weekly video roundup of news from Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today, featuring stories on the Scottish...

Watch the latest weekly video roundup of news from Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today, featuring stories on the Scottish...

The Property Redress Scheme (PRS) is delighted to announce their partnership with the award winning mediation provider, Small Claims Mediation (SCM) The...

Earlier this week we passed the official deadline for letting agents to fully publicise their fees as well as providing evidence of...

The Conservative Party’s manifesto pledge to extend the Right to Buy scheme was confirmed in yesterday’s Housing Bill.  The Bill was part...

The Brian Cox estate agency, at the centre of a weekend newspaper allegation about £2,000 deposits from buyers, has strongly defended...

Ian Wilson, the head of Martin & Co, recently threw his hat into the ring regarding Labour’s stated intention to cap...

Two rival redress schemes applying to sales and lettings agents are claiming increased business.  A press release from the Property Redress Scheme...

With pension reform, council licensing changes and a General Election on the horizon, many are anticipating a boom in the buy-to-let...