Landlords taking next steps in Bank of Ireland Case

Posted on May 8, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

A few weeks ago we published a post discussing how a group of landlords had been given the go-ahead by a barrister for them to launch a class action against the Bank of Ireland. The landlords are taking the bank to court due to the fact that it has announced it will be increasing the interest rates on its tracker mortgages by around double. Even though not all that are affected by the bank’s decision are landlords, those with buy to let mortgages have been hit the worse, as interest rates that were just 1.75 per cent above the base rate will now increase to a massive 4.49 per cent. Continue reading →

Civil servant fined over badly maintained property

Posted on May 7, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

Property maintenance is a big issue right now, especially as so many people are desperate to find an affordable and suitable property, and so landlords are often called upon to make sure all their properties are up to scratch. However, even those that own their own houses are now coming under fire, such as Gerald Watkins from South Wales who left his property in a rundown state for over four years which caused surrounding houses to depreciate in value by around twenty thousand pounds. Continue reading →

Properties in school catchment areas in high demand

Posted on May 3, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

The school year is almost at its end, which means that parents with children about to leave their primary schools have been desperately trying to make sure that they are able to get into a good school within their area. However, with the demand for school places so high, especially for schools that have a good reputation, many are becoming stricter when it comes to catchment areas, meaning that properties that are available in these areas are becoming extremely sought after. Continue reading →

Government offers £6 billion for renewable heat projects

Posted on May 2, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

The government has recently created a number of schemes in order to improve the energy efficiency of properties and lower utility bills for tenants across the country. This is mainly due to the fact that many people are now suffering from what is known as ‘fuel poverty’, meaning that they struggle to pay to keep their houses warm and often have to choose between heating and food during the winter months. Now, the government has revealed that they have earmarked six billion pounds for social housing projects that want to invest in new renewable heat projects that will not only help their tenants but also benefit the environment. Continue reading →

Housing apprenticeships benefits Sheffield’s residents

Posted on May 1, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

Property markets and the UK economy are intrinsically tied, and as we have seen throughout the past few years if one does badly then generally so does the other. This is why in this year’s Budget George Osborne stated that the government was planning on investing heavily in the housing sector, mainly by funding construction projects that would not only create more affordable housing but also help employment across the country. Furthermore, the government is trying to stabilise the property and rental markets which could help landlords find cheaper landlord insurance and make it easier for them to get a mortgage. Continue reading →

Co-housing becoming more popular in the UK

Posted on April 30, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

Due to the housing crisis many people in the UK are currently struggling to afford a deposit for a property, and those that do often get very little for the amount that they pay. This is why more and more people are starting to look to co-housing, which is where each person owns their own property in a complex but then shares communal areas such as gardens and laundry rooms, which are often too expensive for them to afford on their own. These types of properties are already well-established in Europe and America; however it is only now that we are seeing them become more popular throughout the UK. Continue reading →

Argument over Short-Life property in Lambeth

Posted on April 29, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

Local councils across the country have been increasingly called upon to come up with new ways to alleviate the housing crisis during a time where the government is cutting funding to them. Therefore, many have had to make decisions that have proved unpopular, such as building on green belt land or cutting funding to certain projects in order to invest in housing projects. Now, Lambeth council is being criticised for its plan to sell off their remaining short-life properties in order to invest the money into new properties. Continue reading →

Landlords get go-ahead for class action against Bank of Ireland

Posted on April 26, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

Due to the state of the economy many banks are becoming more stringent when it comes to lending mortgages, which has led to many people struggling to buy their own home. This has put even more demand on the private rented sector, and while buy-to-let landlords are more likely to get mortgages from the bank, there are still difficulties some face when it comes to making sure they are getting a good deal and not end up paying for expensive fees and charges. Continue reading →

Sunderland Council introduces Landlord Accreditation Scheme

Posted on April 25, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

There is an on-going debate as to whether all landlords throughout the UK should be made to join an accreditation scheme due to the fact that so many people are now relying on private rented accommodation in order to provide them a home. Due to the housing crisis, many rogue landlords are now letting out unsuitable properties to tenants who are too scared to complain due to the fact that they think they will be evicted and will have nowhere else to go. Continue reading →

Vince Cable criticises Pub Landlords

Posted on April 24, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

Over the past couple of months there have been a number of articles in the news discussing the demise of the traditional English pub, and how hundreds have had to shut down recently due to the fact that their landlords are ‘squeezing them out’. Most of the time, when a tenant begins renting from a pub landlord in the UK, they also enter into a deal which means they can only buy their supplies exclusively from said landlord, which according to reports is leading to unfair practices by landlords. Continue reading →