Tribunal overturns £24,500 HMO penalty in ‘rack rent’ case
The Upper Tribunal has overturned a £24,500 penalty issued to a landlord by Waltham Forest Council, ruling she was not in legal control of a property operated unlawfully as a…
Estate agency AI tools face scrutiny over costs and risks
Property technology providers are facing questions over the capabilities and true costs of artificial intelligence tools being marketed to estate agents, according to industry analysis highlighting concerns about transparency and…
Council search delays reach 92 days in some areas
Property transactions across England and Wales are facing delays of up to three months due to extended Local Authority search turnaround times, according to research by House Buyer Bureau. The…
Local authority search delays reach 92 working days
Local authority search wait times have extended beyond four months in some parts of the UK, with industry figures warning that prolonged delays are contributing to property transaction failures. Bracknell…
Think tank proposes rent controls with tax reforms
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has proposed a system of rent controls combined with significant changes to landlord taxation, claiming the dual approach could reduce housing costs for tenants without triggering…
Period flats across UK listed from £143,000 to £1.55m
Five art deco and modernist apartments have been listed for sale across England and Scotland, with prices ranging from £143,000 to £1.55 million, according to property listings. In Glasgow, a…
Aldershot developer secures £220k exit finance
District & County Investments (DCI) has provided a £220,000 net (£252,000 gross) development exit facility to an SME developer in Aldershot, allowing the borrower to extract equity from a completed…
Crowdfunding for rent up 60% as tenants face affordability crisis
Rent-related crowdfunding campaigns in the UK have increased by 60% since 2022, according to data from GoFundMe, with more than 100,000 people per month now contributing to help others meet…
Avamore funds £3.3m development with highway works
Avamore Capital has provided £3.3 million in development finance for a six-unit residential scheme that includes substantial highway infrastructure work, marking the lender’s first transaction with a newly formed borrower…
Oxford HMO scheme secures £3m bridge-to-let funding
A 21-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO) scheme on Iffley Road in Oxford has secured £3.05 million in bridge-to-let financing from specialist lender Aspen. The funding package, structured at 80%…