A New Dawn, or Dusk?

Is a new dawn coming for the property world? From listening to the mood music over the last week from both the Government, Councils and investors, it would appear that Councils are requesting more and more help from Landlords as they attempt to balance their books. Additionally, Labour’s flagship housing policies appear – at least in part – to encourage more cooperation in some ways. We shall see. But it would be a welcome change from the rhetoric over the last year or 2. It will come as no surprise that I’d always say that property is a solid long-term investment – you just have to tweak it now and again.

England’s largest council house landlords warn of a financial crisis threatening council housing due to erratic national policy changes and an unsustainable financial model. An independent analysis predicts a £2.2 billion budget shortfall by 2028. They urge immediate government action, including a £644 million financial injection and policy reforms to ensure sustainable funding.

ATTENTION: Housing Cooperatives, Associations, Charities and Councils: We want to help you increase your housing stock and save up to 2 thirds per person housed in the process! Currently, we have units available NOW at 90 day’s notice for lease in central Glasgow for up to 6.5years for use as-is, or lightly modified to suit a C3(b) Supported Living purpose – and other areas may be coming soon. On an ongoing basis, we can offer 1 to 10 properties per year, per organisation we work with in the same vein – depending on your needs. Get in touch here.

Lloyds Bank is set to publish a White Paper on the rental sector at its Housing Forum, bringing together key stakeholders. The bank plans to redevelop redundant data centres and offices into social housing by 2026, starting in Pudsey. It commits £200m to support housing providers and will pilot a scheme in Cambridge to help families in temporary accommodation. Lloyds, via Citra Living, aims to create affordable, quality homes, having already supported the sector with £17 billion since 2018.

Epsom and Ewell council, led by a residents association, seeks landlords of three- to five-bedroom houses for its Private Sector Leasing Scheme. The scheme offers guaranteed rent, advance payments, minor repairs, and management services to landlords, helping local families in housing need. Landlords benefit from reduced costs and hassle-free renting.

(Psst… we also post various things on Social Media daily, including completed projects. Follow us on Facebook here.)

The Renters Reform Bill will return (as the Renters’ Rights Bill), aiming to abolish Section 21 evictions and allow tenants to challenge rent increases. The Starmer government’s legislative programme will include 35 new Bills, focusing on solar panel usage, energy supply, fiscal forecast transparency, anti-social behaviour, and border security. Although it doesn’t look like Section 21 will be abolished anytime soon due to delays from due-process.

UTILITY OF THE WEEK. Stamp Duty Rebate. Bought a house with “defects” in the last 4 years, or bought an investment property but then sold your main residence within 3 years? Then you may be entitled to a Stamp Duty Rebate – which could potentially save you £thousands.

Scottish house prices have reached a record high for the third month, averaging £225,636. Prices rose 2.5% year-on-year and 0.3% from April. Despite rent cap concerns, the market remains resilient, with notable growth in West Dunbartonshire and a decline in East Lothian.

Landlords in their 30s are driving growth in the buy-to-let market, with the average investor age dropping from 46.4 years in 2014 to 42.9 years in 2023. Purchases by landlords in their 30s increased from 21% in 2014 to 31% in 2022. Younger demographics are now beginning to dominate new buy-to-let purchases as they attempt to secure their financial future through investment in the face of eroding pension offerings and decreased job security. Of course, depending on how you wanted to spin this story, this could also be driven at the same time by older Landlords leaving the sector… that’s how maths works.

Who are M2P? Married2Property are a family-run property company that aims to build social good through property.

Rightmove reports a 0.4% dip in UK home prices, exceeding the typical July drop. Despite election distractions, sales agreed are 15% up year-on-year. Home-mover confidence is buoyed by political stability, though high mortgage rates remain a concern. A potential Base Rate cut could boost affordability and market sentiment this Autumn. The market remains 2-sided inside/outside London.

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Song of the Week: 🎶 Summer Son – Texas 🎸

And Finally… Never forget that the media’s job is to attract eyeballs. Cut through the noise and go with the hard data.

What do M2P do? Married2Property aim to help Housing Associations, Cooperatives, Charities and Councils to increase their housing stock – helping to home the homeless as well as other vulnerable groups. We aim to work with investors to enable this.