UK property information headlines have shone a light-weight on the challenges dealing with landlords, elevating points that will have an effect on the profitability of your purchase to let enterprise. There are additionally indicators that professionals could also be enhancing the social standing of Homes in A number of Occupation (HMOs) via their curiosity in such “shared dwelling”.

As ever, after all, there continues to be a fascination with the ups and downs of common home costs.

Steerage: EV chargepoint grant for landlords

With impact from the 4^th of August, landlords have been invited to use for the federal government grants at present obtainable for the set up of electrical automobile (EV) chargepoints in rental and leasehold properties.

The official steerage explains that every grant is price as much as £350 and is designed to cowl 75% of the price of putting in a chargepoint – together with these with a number of shops – within the rented or leased property.

Landlords can apply for as much as 200 separate grants a yr for the set up of chargepoints in residential dwellings and as much as 100 grants for industrial properties.

The grants are administered by the federal government’s Workplace for Zero Emission Autos (OZEV).

New builds far dearer for landlords than current properties

In case you are a landlord seeking to spend money on purchase to let property, would you select a brand new construct dwelling or an current property?

An article in Landlord Immediately on the 12^th of August answered that query by declaring that new builds are taking pictures up in worth a lot sooner than current properties.

In contrast with this time final yr, a newly constructed home prices a mean of £422,414 – that’s 28% greater than the £330,662 an analogous property would have price only a yr in the past. In contrast, throughout the identical interval, current properties have risen in worth by simply 8% – to the present common of £272,851.

In some components of the nation, the gulf between new construct costs and current properties is even wider. If you wish to spend money on a brand new construct property in Wales, for instance, you’ll must pay 34% greater than 12 months in the past – whereas current properties have gone up by simply 11%. In Scotland, new builds are 29% dearer this yr whereas current properties are simply 7% dearer than this time final yr.

Must know: EPC guidelines for rented property

In direction of the tip of 2020, the federal government began talks about tightening the present Minimal Vitality Effectivity Requirements (MEES) for all property within the non-public rented sector.

Though any adjustments to the principles stay below dialogue and no choices have but been taken, the Nationwide Residential Landlords Affiliation (NRLA), in a posting on the 13^th of June, suggested purchase to let house owners to remember the roughly inevitable transfer towards tighter restrictions and necessities.

The present rules got here into impact for all new tenancies in April 2018 and had been prolonged to incorporate all current tenancies in 2020. These require any let property in England or Wales to realize a minimal E-rated Vitality Efficiency Certificates (EPC).

The proposed adjustments would see this minimal EPC requirement lifted from an E score to a C score to be effected in April 2025 and, three years later, for all current tenancies – and the plans additionally envisage lifting the present price cap for energy-efficiency enhancements from £3,500 to £10,000.

Extra professionals embrace “shared dwelling”

Might Homes in A number of Occupation (HMOs) be poised for a transfer up the social scale? An article in Landlord Zone on the 11^th of August appears to assume so.

The article argues that HMO tenants from extra skilled backgrounds at the moment are demanding higher services – reminiscent of ensuite bogs, high quality furnishings and furnishings, high-speed broadband connections, and greater rooms. In consequence, HMOs are shifting upmarket and buying a extra engaging social standing.

In latest surveys of HMO landlords, virtually half (48%) reported an rising demand for improved services – mirrored in a forty five% enhance within the variety of professionals making use of for tenancies in HMOs throughout the earlier 12 months.

Round 1 / 4 (23%) of landlords additionally remarked on the rising stage of curiosity from older and extra prosperous tenants.

Home costs dip – it’s simply the time of yr, says Rightmove

Is the seemingly relentless enhance in UK common home costs lastly starting to stall?

In a narrative on the 15^th of August, Landlord Immediately detected a 1.3% fall in common home costs this month – the primary month-to-month drop in costs for greater than a yr.

Citing figures maintained by the web listings’ web site Rightmove, nonetheless, the article additionally reminded readers that August usually sees a discount in common home costs – as has occurred each such month for not less than the previous 10 years.