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Household bills have been a major problem to consumers for some time now, with soaring prices pushing many to the edge of debt. The upcoming annual rises are only going to make things worse. Two recent surveys suggest a large proportion of households are going to be in serious difficulty. What Rises Are Coming for Household Bills? A number of bills will be rising substantially in April — and a massive 73% of people s

As part of the drive towards Net Zero, the Government has launched a consultation on its plans to set a minimum EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating of C for privately rented homes by 2030. This starts a countdown to obligations on landlords that could cost the private rental sector as a whole nearly £20bn. What Are EPCs? Energy Performance Certificates rate the energy efficiency of a building, with the aim to

Life has been challenging for businesses for several years now. Brexit and the Covid pandemic were joined by global conflict in pushing up prices, for businesses as well as consumers. And that only looks likely to get worse, with the effects of October’s Budget and punitive tariffs being imposed by the USA. Two recent reports have highlighted the extent of the problems facing UK businesses. Profit Warnings in 2024 A

The Renters’ Rights Bill, which has been several years in preparation, is about to have its third reading in Parliament — usually the final stage before it goes to the Lords and for Royal Assent. This is a wide-ranging bill to reform the private rental sector — so what can we expect from it, and what does it mean for landlords? The Background to the Bill Legislation for the private rental sector can be extremely diff

The private rental sector has been volatile for some time, with changing regulations, fast-rising rents and difficulties for landlords, and that doesn’t look like ending any time soon. What with a reduction in the buy-to-let market, further increases in the cost for tenants and uncertainty over what measures the new government might bring in, the whole sector is holding its breath. A Fall in the Buy-to-Let Mark

Figures just out show that private rents increased in the past 12 months at a rate well above inflation. At the same time, as prospects seem to be diminishing of the renters reform bill passing before the election, record numbers of tenants are being forced to move. It might seem at a casual glance that this is all great news for buy-to-let owners, but it’s actually not that simple. If you’re a private la

If you rent out residential properties, you must be aware of the tragic case of Awaab Ishak, the Rotherham toddler who died in 2020 from exposure to mould in a rented home. In this case, the property was owned by a housing association, but if you let your property privately, you could be personally responsible for such an incident. So, what do you need to know about mould and how to prevent it? What Are the Dangers f

The many regulations imposed on landlords of residential rental properties may seem a hassle at times, but most are simply what a responsible landlord would want to conform to. This is certainly true of the rules around carbon monoxide alarms — and these are to be updated in a couple of months. Why Are Carbon Monoxide Alarms Essential? The last thing any landlord wants is for tenants or their guests to be killed by c

The perfect balance for any landlord is to ensure a regular, unbroken income from your property with a minimum of effort and hassle. And the best way of ensuring that is to keep any good tenants you already have. The obvious advantage of keeping a good tenant is that you won’t have gaps in the rent coming in, but there are other benefits. If the tenancy isn’t constantly changing, you’ll be spending

A Government report released in April shows a stark picture of how households are coping with their housing costs and savings in the pandemic. The problems apply to both the home-owning and rental sectors, but renters seem to have been hardest hit. The Second Wave Household Resilience Study After more than a year of the pandemic, the Government has published a study of how households are holding up in the wake of the