Easing of pressures in the rental market
According to the property listings platforms Zoopla and Rightmove, there are now signs of a slight uptick in the supply of rental housing. However, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is warning that recovery in the rental market remains fragile, with the demand for rental housing still outstripping supply. Data from the research consultancy Pegasus […]
Variation in Energy Performance Certificates
Energy labelling within the UK, EU and beyond is not standardised, according to international real estate advisor Savills. The company’s Impacts research programme has revealed standards for the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) regime vary widely, even among EU countries. This means that a commercial building receiving the highest rating in one country could receive a […]
Call for builders to be licensed
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is urging the government to introduce mandatory licensing across all domestic building work following a recent survey. The research reveals 37 per cent of adults in Britain have hired a builder who turned out to be unreliable or unqualified, with homeowners losing £14.3bn to cowboys in the past five […]
New HMO licences are on the decline
The number of houses in multiple occupation (HMO) licences being granted by local planning authorities (LPAs) is on the decline across much of the UK, according to recent research. The latest data from property software operation Searchland reveals the number of HMO licences has dropped in most areas other than Oxford, Bristol and parts of London. Large HMOs require […]
Smaller homes must be included in key student housing exemption
The National Residential Landlord Association (NRLA) has warned that government plans to restrict a key student housing exemption to larger Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) risk undermining supply and disrupting the annual student rental cycle. This follows comments made by the House of Lords Housing Minister, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, during committee stage of the […]
Have your say on who oversees living in Norwich and Norfolk
Plans for a huge shake-up of local government in Norwich and Norfolk have moved forward. And local residents have until April 13 to give the UK government their views on the proposals to create three new unitary councils for Norfolk. This would see the current eight local councils across the county replaced with three larger […]
A warm welcome for measures to speed up planning decisions
Organisations within the construction, property and rental industries have welcomed the government’s new Planning and Infrastructure Bill. The bill, which has been introduced to Parliament, will see significant measures introduced to speed up planning decisions to boost housebuilding. Brendan Geraghty, CEO, Association for Rental Living, said: “The Association for Rental Living broadly welcomes the introduction […]
Investor appetite for build-to-rent remains strong
The total number of purpose-built rental homes granted planning consent has increased by 35 per cent over the past 12 months, according to analysis from the British Property Federation (BPF) At the same time, Savills has revealed the continuing challenge of converting consents into construction output, with the number of new homes under construction contracting […]
The National Landlord Investment Show celebrates 90 live events
The National Landlord Investment Show will take place at Old Billingsgate, in London, on Wednesday, March 19 with its 90th live show. The event aims to connect thousands of landlords, investors and property professionals as well as those with an interest in the buy-to-let or the private rented sector. March’s event will see exhibitors arrive […]
Support for the build-to-rent sector
A new taskforce has been formed to support the growth of the build-to-rent (BtR) and single-family rental (SFR) sectors across the UK. The Build-to-Rent Taskforce comprises a cross-sector group of professionals, including representatives from the British Property Federation (BPF), the Association for Rental Living, and leading developers, operators, advisers, and investors. The taskforce will work […]