Lettings News week commencing 21 November 2010

The Top Ten Buy to Let Mortgages

Wave of reluctant landlords hit the market

Preparing a home for first-time let

Knowsley Council supports private landlords

Protecting a Tenant’s Deposit in Order to Avoid Penalty

Student landlords to win in doomsday property price plunge

Landlords celebrate falling arrears

Nationwide says house prices to fall and interest rates to remain at 0.5%

The Nationwide's latest prediction is that house prices will continue their steady fall and that UK bank base rate will remain at 0.5% until late 2011.

They claim that house prices have fallen by 3% since June and are now just slightly higher than they were a year ago. Their Chief Executive Graham Beale said "In the housing market, conditions have weakened noticeably over the last six months, with both a decline in buyer demand and a modest downward trend in house prices".

There was no indication that the Nationwide would be offering any exciting new products designed to help the housing market.

For more information please click here Nationwide's latest report

Lettings News week commencing 14 November 2010

Bill to require smoke alarms in rented properties fails

More cheer for landlords as rents go up again and arrears fall

Landlords campaign reaches Downing Street

Student landlords must act quickly to beat new rules

Landlords free to ignore deposit protection deadlines

Free advice for landlords at Sandy Park

The Top Ten Buy to Let Mortgages

Lettings News week commencing 7 November 2010

Landlords hit Downing St over eviction delays

Pick up in buy-to-let lending

Average UK rents rise again

Landlords may be forced to 'green up' properties

Rogue Norwich letting agent jailed

Boiler scrappage scheme

Rental 'gazumping' on the up as demand rises

HMO landlords take first council to court over licencing

Landlord Centre responds to the latest buy-to-let figures published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders

Our business partners Landlord Centre respond to the latest buy-to-let figures published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders

Andy Young, chief executive at Landlord Centre, the online buy-to-let mortgage specialist, says:
'The latest figures published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) offer good news to landlords, and provide substance to a number of positive developments recently reported in the buy-to-let mortgage market. For example, new and established lenders have entered the market providing more products, increasing competition and better choice for property investors.

'The CML has reported a 33% increase in the value of buy-to-let lending compared with the same period last year and a similar trend in loan size was reported in Landlord Centre's latest Property Investor Profile for Q3 2010. The increase in mortgage value is likely to be a reflection of the gradual recovery of property prices and the availability of some higher loan-to-value buy-to-let mortgages.

'For over two years the buy-to-let mortgage market has been very subdued and these latest results are most welcome. However, there is still a way to go before the buy-to-let mortgage market returns to a reasonable level. The lack of finance available is still a big constraint for landlords and a considerably larger supply of funding is needed to satisfy the demand. This is also important in order for landlords to provide the level of decent rental accommodation required to meet the increasing tenant demand.'

For more information on Buy to Let Mortgages through NetRent.co.uk please click here

Lettings News week commencing 31 October 2010

Landlords set to cash in as demand soars

Scam alert over letting agents

Landlords fire safety bill before parliament

Landlords may be subject to energy efficiency legislation

Landlords accuse minister of making misleading claims

Minister accuses landlords of "inflating prices"

Student landlords warned over tenant privacy laws

Law firm backs calls to speed up eviction system for trouble tenants

Top 10 Buy to Let Mortages