Newsagent covers the latest news and insights from the private rented sector for letting agents.
Tax is a hot topic in lettings in 2022. Jaime Tillyer, Director at Vouch, shares her thoughts on how past tax changes, upcoming deadlines, and future proposals may affect your agency and landlords.
England, Scotland, and Wales all have proposals in the works to overhaul and improve tenant rights in the private rented sector. Here's a breakdown of how they compare.
The stamp duty holiday, ending in 2021, had a huge impact on the property market, with repercussions still felt today in soaring house prices. This begs the question: is it time to reform this property tax? Mark Armstrong, Group Chief Executive Officer at Reapit, shares his thoughts.
Letting and estate agents need to be looking at doing things faster and smarter to keep up with tenant demand in 2022, so we've put together ten ways that agents can save time at different points in the lettings process.
Policy makers across England, Scotland, and Wales are proposing various ways to regulate short-term lets and holiday rentals to help solve the problem of low housing stock for letting agents, landlords, and tenants.
Goodlord is preparing to launch "digital landlord onboarding" in an industry first, to save letting agents time and improve the experience for landlords - with digital signing of the agency's Terms of Business the first element set for release.
You can break down barriers to help you win more landlords if your agents ditch the corporate image and avoid selling to people, says Mike Robson, Director of letting and estate agency Avocado Property.
Experts in the lettings industry share their predictions for what 2022 will bring, from tenant demand and landlord housing stock to the impact of legislative updates.
Both average rents and void periods held steady during December according to the latest Goodlord Rental Index, the strong holiday season indicating a promising year ahead for the lettings market.
The government has published an open letter to landlords and agents with key messages to share with tenants on how to stay safe during the winter surge of Covid-19.
The topic of tax is already looming large in the lettings sector in 2022. Landlords have had it tough in recent years, with changes to mortgage interest relief impacting the profitability of rental property investments. The housing crisis has spurred policy makers and campaigners to look to tax-based solutions, and investor behaviour has shifted as landlords pivot to pick up on new opportunities, with the support of their estate and letting agents.
Topics: Compliance
While England awaits the Renters' Reform Bill white paper, Scotland is consulting on its proposed "A new deal for tenants", and Wales has confirmed that its Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 will become law from July 2022. Each of the three plans includes sweeping changes intending to make renting simpler and fairer for tenants. All propose different actions to achieve that end goal, that letting agents and their landlords need to know.
Topics: Compliance
A guest blog by Mark Armstrong, Group Chief Executive Officer, Reapit
I don’t think anyone would argue with me when I say that 2021 was a good year for the property industry. Activity remained buoyant as the year came to a close, with the busiest levels of house buying since 2006. The stamp duty holiday has no doubt played a significant role, catalysing a market that was coming out of the cold the previous summer, as well as a surge of pent-up demand in general that pushed a backlog of activity to the front of the line.
Topics: Business
2022 is shaping up to be a busy year. Tenant demand held steady in December, and all predictions suggest that demand will stay strong in the coming 12 months. Letting and estate agents will have to look for new ways to save time so they have more to spend on generating revenue and providing the best service to their landlords and tenants.
Topics: Business
The government has confirmed that it will set out new rules for when second homeowners letting out their properties short-term in England can access business tax rates. England's not alone in proposing new and updated legislation in the sector. As a housing crisis threatens the UK, policy makers are turning to the short-term and holiday let segment of the market in search of a solution.
Topics: Compliance
Letting agents are on track to bring the landlord experience into the 21st century thanks to new technology from Goodlord. In an industry first, the lettings technology leaders are gearing up to launch "digital landlord onboarding" - a new service which will save time for agents and improve the experience for landlords.
Topics: Goodlord Group
We have a simple set of rules at Avocado Property: "no suits, no ties, no leaflets, no sales BS". The only time we find our customers wear suits is if they have a court appearance or are meeting an accountant. Normally, they're in t-shirts and jeans, and we want to reflect our clients. If you look and talk like your customer, if you are a reflection of them, they are more likely to get on with you.
Topics: Business
Goodlord agents and partners share their expert views on what the lettings sector could see in the coming 12 months. Ranging from increased efficiency in agencies to the Renters' Reform Bill, there are some solid predictions and advice for agents. The one thing that everyone's in agreement on? Stock will stay low, while demand will stay strong.
Topics: Business
The rental market has returned surprisingly strong figures for December, despite the impact the Christmas holidays can traditionally have on lettings. According to the latest Goodlord Rental Index, voids held steady month on month and rental prices barely shifted during December, as the strong demand for lets continues across the country.
Topics: Data
Alongside the guidance for moving home safely during Covid-19 under Plan B, the government has published an open letter to landlords and agents, signed by Housing Minister, Christopher Pincher, with its Winter Plan advice on how to "encourage behaviours to help combat the virus and cascade the message of the importance of good ventilation to your residents." The letter highlights that good ventilation can also "help reduce condensation, dampness, mould and fungal growth and dust mites."
Topics: Covid-19
