The warnings of a tough Budget in October, issued yesterday by Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer, have given. Renewed strength to...
Archive
A property firm has branded the current council tax rules for holiday homes “a mess” and says local and national government...
26 July 2024
From: Breaking News
A council has become the first to require home owners to secure planning consent before their property can be used as...
19 July 2024
From: Breaking News
A council is next week considering a move which is seen as a trigger for wider national policy changes regarding Airbnbs...
11 July 2024
From: Breaking News
With the General Election just one week away, a new poll shows the top landlord priorities when it comes to voting...
27 June 2024
From: Breaking News
“When it comes to housing policy, there is little difference between the two major parties” says Aneisha Beveridge, head of research...
22 June 2024
From: The Big Issues
Plaid Cymru, the party of Wales, has issued a manifesto with a clampdown on the private rental sector as one of...
17 June 2024
From: Breaking News
The Liberal Democrats have set out a predictable set of pledges in their manifesto for next mon this election, centred on...
11 June 2024
From: Breaking News
Generation Rent has raised detailed concerns about a proposal from the Liberal Democrats to introduce a national register of landlords. The Lib...
11 June 2024
From: Breaking News
A senior Propertymark figure has made the case for second and holiday homes - against the recent trend of criticism. The issue...
31 May 2024
From: Breaking News
30 May 2024
From: Breaking News
A politician is claiming that second home council tax premiums, where owners pay up to double the normal rate, is resulting...
29 April 2024
From: Breaking News
According to a poll of 1,476 renters by SpareRoom the ongoing housing crisis (85%) tops the list of key priorities to...
06 April 2024
From: Rental Reform
A council has agreed a council tax rise of an additional 100% on second home and long-term empty homes, despite widespread...
26 March 2024
From: Breaking News
A legal firm says Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has effectively slashed the value of holiday homes which are sold from April 2025...
08 March 2024
From: Breaking News
Countryside campaigning charity CPRE has given a warm welcome to Michael Gove’s clampdown on short lets. Last week Housing Secretary Gove announced...
26 February 2024
From: Breaking News
The Conservative leader of a council which claims it has had problems with Airbnbs and short lets has given wholehearted backing...
20 February 2024
From: Breaking News
Dorset councillors have approved proposals for a council tax premium on second homes and a tightening up on its existing premium...
19 February 2024
From: Breaking News
Labour-controlled Haringey Council in London says the owners of short lets and furnished holiday homes will be forced to pay double...
22 January 2024
From: Breaking News
A building society says it is considering ending its policy of lending to buyers of holiday lets. Martese Carton, the director of...
09 January 2024
From: Breaking News
A countryside body is blaming the government’s failure to provide affordable housing and the rise in short lets for a homelessness...
06 December 2023
From: Breaking News
There are some 141,245 second homes in England and Wales, new figures show. Flats are the most common type of second home,...
29 November 2023
From: Breaking News
The Scottish National Party councillor for Oban North and Lorn - which includes the village of Plockton, made famous by the...
19 September 2023
From: Breaking News
A local authority is reported to have said that a controversial new policy will reduce house values by five per cent. Gwynedd...
14 September 2023
From: Breaking News
The Scottish Government says rent controls - already existing as a so-called emergency measure - will become permanent. Scottish First Minister Humza...
07 September 2023
From: Breaking News
There are only a few days left for landlords to have input to a government consultation on council tax hikes for...
22 August 2023
From: Breaking News
A leading agent in an area set to be hit by draconian planning restrictions on holiday lets is warning that the...
14 August 2023
From: Breaking News
Data from the English Housing Survey suggests that the number of English owners of second homes in Europe has fallen again. The...
24 July 2023
From: Breaking News
According to the latest English Housing Survey there were 495,000 second homes in the UK in 2018/19 – a figure said to...
22 July 2023
From: Top tips & guides
13 July 2023
From: Breaking News
A long-standing and respected property firm has slammed the government for presiding over the “mess” of taxes applied to holiday lets...
07 July 2023
From: Breaking News
16 June 2023
From: Breaking News
A vocal group of around 50 Conservative right wing MPs wants an end to stamp duty - except for additional homes...
07 June 2023
From: Breaking News
The Generation Rent activist group claims holiday homes are eroding the supply of available properties in key tourist areas. It claims 80...
06 June 2023
From: Breaking News
Investors and second home buyers contributed over a quarter of all property taxes in the last year according to a property...
30 May 2023
From: Breaking News
A Tory MP representing a popular tourist area has attacked the proliferation of short lets, and wants a “locals first” policy...
26 May 2023
From: Breaking News
An area has been identified for a two-year study of the impact which second homes, Airbnbs, other holiday lets and empty...
25 May 2023
From: Breaking News
Labour is considering raising the buy to let and holiday home stamp duty surcharge above the current three per cent if...
15 May 2023
From: Breaking News
Councils are to be given powers to enact huge tax increases on second homes and empty properties, the Scottish Government proposes. New...
18 April 2023
From: Breaking News
The plans of many local authorities to double the council tax levels for second homes and some empty properties from April...
31 March 2023
From: Breaking News
According to the most recent statistics there are 676,452 vacant properties in England, nearly half a million of which have been...
18 March 2023
From: The Big Issues
Second home market growth and falling house prices could be a combination for success. There’s been a clear positive correlation between profit...
11 March 2023
From: The Big Issues
A prominent property industry figure says he backs higher council tax for unlet and vacant second homes but warns that Airbnb...
08 March 2023
From: Breaking News
Dorset council is the latest to agree a policy to double the council tax on second homes and to implement an...
03 March 2023
From: Breaking News
A council is to spend £1m “to gather information about the conditions of specific groups of privately rented properties and proactively...
01 March 2023
From: Breaking News
Campaigners behind the National Empty Homes Week - running until March 5 - are accusing some second home owners of “flipping”...
01 March 2023
From: Breaking News
A building society that last summer scrapped all lending on some holiday homes has now come up with another unusual policy...
27 February 2023
From: Breaking News
Landlords of Airbnbs and other short-lets risk facing penalties for tax evasion if they fail to report income on their rental...
27 February 2023
From: Breaking News
Last week it was announced that North Devon's second homeowners could pay double the amount of council tax after one year...
25 February 2023
From: Agent Advice
A Labour MP has told the House of Commons that “families are being turfed out of their private rented homes under...
23 February 2023
From: Breaking News
Licensing for Airbnbs and similar short lets should be targeted in priority areas only and not the subject of blanket rules. That’s...
21 February 2023
From: Breaking News
There’s been something of a love-in on a local authority in a popular tourist area of the UK - with second...
20 February 2023
From: Breaking News
The Valuation Office Agency has issued a reminder that changes to eligibility rules for self-catering properties will come into effect from...
13 February 2023
From: Breaking News
Two Members of the Scottish Parliament have broken rank with their own party to query the motivation behind a new property...
20 January 2023
From: Breaking News
Plans to impose a premium on council tax for for second homeowners have been approved by Cornwall Council with all-party agreement. The...
19 January 2023
From: Breaking News
Airbnb has gone into battle against mortgage lenders opposed to their customers letting out their homes. The short let platform is calling...
16 January 2023
From: Breaking News
The agents’ trade body Propertymark says it wants the Welsh Government to do more to support landlords letting in tourist hotspots. The...
23 December 2022
From: Breaking News
The new editor of an influential newspaper property supplement has come up with a way of solving what she calls “the...
19 December 2022
From: Breaking News
A prominent Conservative has described as “infuriating and saddening” the fact that so many Millennials are stuck renting and cannot afford...
12 December 2022
From: Breaking News
The government has announced that it’s going to work on a new second homes policy with one particular council - if...
07 December 2022
From: Breaking News
A holiday lettings agency has taken the unusual step of speaking out in favour of higher council tax for second home...
30 November 2022
From: Breaking News
A prominent figure in the lettings industry is warning the Tories against ‘stealth increases’ for Capital Gains and Inheritance taxes. David Alexander...
09 November 2022
From: Breaking News
A confused and complicated approach to holiday homes in England, Scotland and Wales threatens the future of the holiday letting sector...
05 November 2022
From: Tax & Finance
MPs from Opposition parties in the House of Commons have attacked the government’s recent stamp duty change - and taken the...
27 October 2022
From: Breaking News
A Conservative MP says the stamp duty cut announced in the now-legendary mini-Budget at the end of last month should not...
21 October 2022
From: Breaking News
A prominent supporter of landlords has accused Labour and nationalist politicians of making the supply shortage of private rental properties in...
17 October 2022
From: Breaking News
Amateur landlords have fallen out of favour. Buy-to-let properties – once the darling of budding investors looking for stable, long-term returns...
13 August 2022
From: Agent Advice
A building society will no longer lend for the purchase of second homes, saying they reduce the stock available for first...
01 August 2022
From: Breaking News
One of the country’s second home and holiday let hotspots has been told it will be unable to levy extra council...
28 July 2022
From: Breaking News
Labour wants to bring in a UK-wide licensing system for holiday lets to preserve the “spirit” of costal and rural communities. The...
20 July 2022
From: Breaking News
Generation Rent, which typically attacks all landlords and especially those involved in buy to let, has instead focussed its latest social...
20 July 2022
From: Breaking News
Holiday lets and second homes in one hotspot in the UK have not, after all, impacted on house prices and affordability,...
19 July 2022
From: Breaking News
A Conservative MP who has already suggested a 25 mile limit around some rental properties to reserve them for people with...
14 July 2022
From: Breaking News
Councils will be able to control numbers of second homes and holiday lets under new plans unveiled by the Welsh Government. There...
06 July 2022
From: Breaking News
A campaign to stop new build homes being sold to second home buyers for holiday lets has won a decisive victory...
15 June 2022
From: Breaking News
An insurance chief with expertise in the holiday lets sector has stood up for owners who let their properties to holidaymakers...
07 June 2022
From: Breaking News
The extreme shortage of properties for sale has fuelled the first rise in new homes sold off-plan since 2016 - but...
28 March 2022
From: Breaking News
The activist group Acorn is lobbying a local council to deny people the right to buy a second home or let...
24 March 2022
From: Breaking News
A Labour MP in the westcountry appears to be winning support for a campaign he has launched called First Homes, Not...
14 March 2022
From: Breaking News
The Welsh Government has announced an increase to the maximum level of council tax premiums for second homes, as well as...
03 March 2022
From: Breaking News
A prominent country property expert has issued an urgent appeal to rural landlords to become involved in the consultation process which...
16 February 2022
From: Breaking News
A poll of Conservative voters shows strong majorities for higher taxes on second homes and empty properties, and tougher demands on...
10 February 2022
From: Breaking News
An MP has lobbied Chancellor Rishi Sunak about what he calls “tax avoiding absentee landlords” who have moved into the holiday...
03 February 2022
From: Breaking News
The Council for the Protection of Rural England is the latest body to blast Airbnb and other short lets for their...
17 January 2022
From: Breaking News
A tourism chief has stood up in favour of closing what the government calls a tax loophole for landlords letting out...
17 January 2022
From: Breaking News
The government looks set to clamp down on holiday rentals and will this year formally consult on the concept of a...
10 January 2022
From: Breaking News
Councillors in a second home hotspot will be asked to decide on the level of council tax premium for the next...
26 November 2021
From: Breaking News
The new coalition of the Scottish National Party and the Greens in Scotland has pledged to introduce rent controls - and...
23 November 2021
From: Breaking News
Some 6,000 signatures have so far been added to an online petition calling on the Welsh Parliament to “address” the issue...
22 November 2021
From: Breaking News
A leading politician in Wales has spoken out in favour of second homeowners, who are under increasing scrutiny in that country...
22 November 2021
From: Breaking News
Activists in the Acorn pro-tenant movement have sharply criticised the Green Party which runs Brighton council for allegedly failing to prosecute...
19 November 2021
From: Breaking News
A government housing minister has confirmed to the House of Lords that a new tax regime for Airbnb hosts and holiday...
12 November 2021
From: Breaking News
The protest movement against second homes in Wales appears to be gathering pace. The BBC reports that over 150 campaigners have gathered...
26 October 2021
From: Breaking News
The leader of a council in one of the areas of the UK with the highest number of Airbnb-style short lets...
31 August 2021
From: Breaking News
A petition urging rent caps for private tenants and hefty tax rises for second home owners is now nearing its 50,000...
27 August 2021
From: Breaking News
Airbnb has issued a lengthy statement in response to a recent raft of criticisms about the effects of soaring numbers of...
12 August 2021
From: Breaking News
Protesters in a part of the UK with high numbers of holiday lets will stage a demonstration next week demanding cheaper...
09 August 2021
From: Breaking News
Welsh Nationalist politicians are complaining about a finance company which identified part of Wales as having attractive yields for buy to...
21 July 2021
From: Breaking News
An estate agent in Scotland is warning that a new attack on the rental sector and holiday homes may be underway. Jennifer...