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Complaint Against Letting Agent Resolved

Published On: September 9, 2015 at 2:53 pm

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Complaint Against Letting Agent Resolved

Complaint Against Letting Agent Resolved

A complaint against a letting agent has been informally resolved, reports the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

The agent in question is City Lets Plymouth.

An ASA spokesperson states: “We received a complaint about press ads and website for an estate agent which made references to Cornwall, places within Cornwall and local telephone numbers.

“The complainant believed the ads were misleading because City Lets Plymouth did not have offices in Cornwall.

“We approached the advertiser with the concerns that had been raised and it agreed to amend its ad to make clear that, while they had agents based in Cornwall, they did not have high street offices there.

“On that basis, we resolved the case informally.”1

1 http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/complaint-about-letting-agent-informally-resolved-by-watchdog/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delay in smoke alarm legislation slammed

Published On: September 9, 2015 at 2:46 pm

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Landlords across the UK have slammed the Government for what they perceive as unnecessary delays in the introduction of legislation which will make it compulsory to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in rented accommodation.

Delays

Early in 2015, draft regulations were drawn up making it a requirement for private sector landlords to install at least one smoke alarm on every floor of their property from 1st October. This is to give local authorities greater power to fine landlords who fail to adhere to the new rules up to £5,000.

Yesterday, the House of Lords rejected the draft legislation at its last stage, stating that with the proposed introduction less than three weeks away, the Government has not done enough to inform landlords of the changes. In addition, the legislation was found to be poorly worded.

The British Property Federation, which represents landlords and is a supporter of the legislation, has warned that when the changes are finally approved, landlords will be left with just days to comply, leaving them more susceptible to being fined.

Disappointed

Ian Fletcher, director of policy at the British Property Federation, said, ‘we have been fully supportive of the campaign to make smoke alarms compulsory in private rented properties and are therefore extremely disappointed to see this unnecessary delay in proceedings.’[1]

Delay in smoke alarm legislation slammed

Delay in smoke alarm legislation slammed

‘The original timeframe for the legislation was tight, but allowing time for a further debate in the Lords is going to make this even worse. Coupled with the fact that there has been no publicity on the changes, we are worried that many landlords are going to be caught out by the fine as a result of government’s disorganisation and lack of clarity,’ Fletcher continued.[1]

Concluding, Fletcher said, ‘it is particularly frustrating that one of the reasons that this revocation has happened is because the introduction is worded poorly, as there has been no consultation on this.’[1]

[1] http://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/landlords/delay-in-smoke-alarm-legislation-puts-landlords-at-risk-of-5k-fine.html

 

 

Low Rates for Borrowers with Small Deposits

Published On: September 9, 2015 at 12:55 pm

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Mortgage lenders have launched a series of low rates for borrowers with small deposits.

Last week, HSBC introduced a 3.49% five-year fixed rate mortgage, with a £999 fee. However, this has since been beaten by Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank, which released a five-year fixed rate deal at 3.39%, also with a £999 fee.

Low Rates for Borrowers with Small Deposits

Low Rates for Borrowers with Small Deposits

Head of Lending at the Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB), Brian Murphy, says that although these deals are competitive, some borrowers may find that loans with slightly higher rates actually offer a better deal.

He explains: “Mortgage products with high fees but potentially lower rates are not a new phenomenon.

“Lenders often offer a range of combination products, as different product features will appeal to different borrowers. Some are comfortable with high set-up fees to secure a lower monthly payment, particularly if this guarantees a low rate for as long as five years.

“However, others will want to minimise their upfront costs but are more comfortable with a slightly higher monthly repayment. This allows them to utilise their available funds for other household expenditure, which can be considerable – particularly when buying for the first time.

“As with most things in life, no one size fits all. A mortgage broker will ascertain what is important to each client and advise them accordingly based upon their individual preferences, needs and circumstances.”1

Clydesdale and Yorkshire also announced details of a two-year fixed rate deal for borrowers with a 10% deposit, at 2.39% with a £999 fee, available for purchases and remortgages.

For first time buyers with a 5% deposit, Clydesdale and Yorkshire introduced a three-year fixed rate deal at 4.49%, with no fee, a free valuation and £250 cashback.

However, a five-year fixed rate deal from Tesco may be better suited to some first time buyers, which is also priced at 4.49%, with a £495 fee. Despite having no incentives, this mortgage gives more long-term security against rate rises.

1 http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/low-rates-launched-for-borrowers-with-small-deposits/

£1m plus properties around Tube stations increase

Published On: September 9, 2015 at 12:51 pm

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New research has indicated that the property market in the capital has experienced such a boom that now the areas around 58 tube stations boast property prices of £1m or more.

This represents a five-fold increase since 2010, when only 11 stations had surrounding regions with property over £1m.

Boom

Data from the report conducted by Savills show that there has been a significant increase in the number of so-called property millionaires over the past five years. Predominantly, high-value property has been situated in Zone One of the tube network, but now, wealth is beginning to become more wide spread as competition increases.

In fact, the research shows that the capital’s underground network is the lifeblood of one of the most expensive markets in the world There are now millionaires located in Zone Six of the tube network, with the average house price in Moor Park standing at £1,605,714.

Findings from the Savills report have taken experts by surprise. Dominic Grace, head of residential development at the firm described the results as, ‘sobering,’ and said, ‘what it tells you is that a million pounds doesn’t buy you very much in London any more.’[1]

Continuing, Grace said that the report, ‘tells us how much we now value convenient travel. Owning a £1m house no longer means you can afford a chauffeur. And if you are a high earner, you need to get to meetings quickly. You can budget your time much more accurately if you by Tube.’[1]

Zonal markings

Research for the report looked at sale prices within a 500-yard radius of each Underground station. Of the 58 million-pound-plus areas, 36 are in Zone One, 18 in Zone Two, three in Zone Three and one in Zone Six. On average, the typical property value in Zone One stands at £1.3m.[1]

The full list of £1m plus tube stops in Zone One were found to be:

chart one[1]

Unsurprisingly, Knightsbridge comes in at the top of the league. Bond Street, Green Park and others in the top-ten have some of the most expensive shops in the world, while Notting Hill Gate is a firm favourite for city workers.

Victoria has also moved into the top ten, with Ian Marris, head of residential development at Knight Frank observing that, ‘the huge regeneration projects taking place around the city stations is having a big impact. Shops, commercial activities and high house prices gather round the transport hubs.’[1]

Tom Bill, head of London research at Knight Frank, said that, ‘the centre of gravity has moved east, as demand in the rest of London has exceeded supply.’[1] This is true when looking at areas such as Holborn.

£1m plus properties around Tube stations increase

£1m plus properties around Tube stations increase

‘The Zone One areas which first broke the £1m benchmark have now mostly trebled in value over the last decade,’ observes Lucian Cook, Savills’ head of residential research. ‘Clearly, international buyers are a strong presence here and the Zone Two areas have been pushed up by the domestic middle class. It shows the extent to which London has risen over the past 10 years, the effect of the Jubilee Line and the promise of Crossrail.’[1]

Zone Two’s most expensive property regions are:

chart[1]

In Zone Three, the three regions where properties exceeded £1m were found to be:

Wimbledon Park, with an average house price of £1,155,376

Highgate, with an average house price of £1,053,172

Golders Green, with an average house price of £1,000,712.

In Zone Six, Moor Park boasted the only region with property prices over £1m, averaging £1,605,714.[1]

[1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/house-prices/11850002/Mapped-House-prices-by-Londons-Tube-stops-1m-homes-now-reach-Zone-6.html

 

Shelter Responds to RLA Criticism

Published On: September 9, 2015 at 11:52 am

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Housing charity Shelter has responded to criticisms of facts it included in press releases put out recently, regarding tenants who have been victims of abuse from their landlords.

Last week, Shelter revealed in an England-wide press release that 125,000 tenants in the private rental sector have faced “harassments, threats or assault from their landlord in the last year alone.”1

It also put out other press releases, including one specifically for the North West and another for the Midlands, stating that around 100,000 and 120,000 tenants respectively had experienced “an act by

Shelter Responds to RLA Criticism

Shelter Responds to RLA Criticism

their landlord that could have resulted in legal action.”1

Read more about Shelter’s tenant helpline here: /shelter-receives-17000-complaints-about-landlords-in-just-a-year/

Chairman of the Residential Landlords Association (RLA), Alan Ward, wrote to Shelter’s Chief Executive, Campbell Robb, accusing the charity of quoting figures in the releases that do not add up.

The letter says that the RLA “condemns any landlord who engages in such activity and believes that those who are in any way violent or aggressive have no place in the sector.”

However, Ward continues: “Given the serious nature of the issues you raise, it is deeply disappointing that the figures you have produced do not add up.

“As an example, whilst noting in your England-wide press release that over 125,000 tenants have been affected, in your release for the North West, you argue that 100,000 tenants are ‘experiencing an act by their landlord that could have resulted in legal action’, whilst in the Midlands the figure is set at 120,000 tenants.

“Given that in these two regions alone the total number of tenants affected exceeds the 125,000 England-wide figure, I would be grateful if you could indicate where these numbers have come from.

“Have they come from extrapolating them from the much smaller survey sample taken by YouGov?”1

Shelter has now clarified the issue.

A spokesperson says that it is unlikely the charity will issue a public response to the personal letter, but insists that the statistics used in the England-wide press release, regarding harassment, threats and assault, were different from the figures in the regional releases, which relate to incidents that could have resulted in legal action, such as poor electrics.

They add that the letter has not yet been received by Shelter, but a personal response would be sent if and when it did receive it.

1 http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/shelter-hits-back-at-rla-criticisms/

 

Mortgage Lending Rises

The amount of residential mortgage funds lent has risen by over 10% in the past year, according to new research.

Mortgage Lending Rises

Mortgage Lending Rises

The amount approved for residential mortgages in the second quarter (Q2) of 2015 was £59.3 billion, up from £47.2 billion in Q1 and an 11% increase over the year.

The Bank of England (BoE) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) released this data yesterday.

In total, 15.1% more was lent in Q2 this year than Q1.

The study also found that there were 200,273 house purchases in Q2 and a further 68,764 in July.

The amount of money lent for buy-to-let purposes also rose annually, up from £7 billion in Q2 2014 to £8.3 billion in Q2 this year.

Overall, the amount of residential loan money outstanding was £1.272 billion in Q2, up 0.8% on Q1 and a 1.8% yearly increase.

The proportion of funds lent at fixed rates grew from 77.6% in Q1 to 78.9% in Q2. The average interest rate on this money was down from 2.99% in Q1 to 2.83% in Q2 – the lowest rate since the BoE/FCA records began in 2007.

The value of residential loans approved for first time buyers rose over the quarter, from £8.9 billion in Q1 to £10.8 billion in Q2.

However, this is slightly down on the amount lent to first time buyers in Q2 2014, when it totalled £11.4 billion.