News

A government initiative pushing for the 'end of the tax return' and a 'transformed tax system', the main goal of MTD, according to HMRC, is to make tax administration more effective, efficient and simple, but the roll out has been pushed back by twelve months.

There’s a lot going on over the next few years, and while there have been promises of investment in the past, Wirral looks set to start reaping the rewards of investment in several long-discussed projects following public consultation.

Leading parliamentarians have joined with members of the House of Lords and leading organisations representing the private landlord sector to call for a change to the Tennant Fees Act 2019 in order to make it easier for landlords to offer pet-friendly rental agreements.

Zoopla predicting an eventual return to normal levels of market activity due to reduced stock of available homes in their latest report which outlines a fast-moving market which sees Merseyside and Wirral properties selling quickly.

Relaxing regulations and reopening of offices and other businesses are driving rental demand according to the latest research from the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), leading to growing optimism around recovery in the north.

With any efforts to improve a property’s energy efficiency currently classed as improvements, landlords are unable to claim tax relief, leading to slowing movement toward the government’s 2025 target for all new tenancies to be for at EPC grade D or above.

The latest HomeLet rental index report shows areas that had experienced drops during the pandemic are beginning to recover while demand remains high elsewhere – including the growing Build-to-Rent market which HomeLet identify as a trend for the future.

A combined report from Hive and Rightmove suggests that a range of eco-friendly improvements could represent up to a nine percent premium on property value when sold by 2030. Is it time for landlords to begin moving the environmental concerns of tenants up the list of priorities?

A survey of more than a thousand UK tenants has found that 93% of respondents felt that there should be an increase in options to rent for longer than the standard twelve months as pandemic uncertainty drives a desire for stability.

Zoopla’s May 2021 UK House Price Index report, which finds a continuing increase in the 2020 price growth, finds further evidence to suggest that their early June predictions of a busy year are set to come true – even as stamp duty holiday comes to an end.

While UK devolved governments put in place anti-eviction legislation during the course of the pandemic, they had previously done little to assist tenants falling behind with their rent due to various lockdowns and business shutdowns.

Following a story in The Mirror a couple of weeks back, a story has been running in many of the regional outlets about the potential for tenants to claim back a year of rent from landlords that breach the conditions laid out in the Tenant Fees Act – but what is it and should you be concerned?

Nationwide predicted a potential crisis of negative equity if bidding wars artificially inflate prices in the final weeks and months of the stamp duty holiday, but is that likely to impact Wirral home-buyers and buy-to-let landlords?

According to recent data, events of the last year may produce the busiest year for property markets since 2007, with an increase of 45% YoY meaning that more than 1.5 Mn homes are projected to change hands in the course of 2021.

The most important recent pieces of news for Wirral landlords are developments from Wirral Waters – a project likely to improve the overall desirability of the local area, and a new scheme from Wirral Council which can help you improve the efficiency of your property.

Last week we noted that HomeLet reported that UK rent had reached £996 (£853 excluding London). Zoopla has the figure slightly lower at £923; but the latest Zoopla Report also predicts that downward pressure on urban properties will be ameliorated as offices reopen.

The average UK rent reached a record high for the fifth consecutive month according to HomeLet, with the average reaching £996 – or £853 excluding London. The latest HomeLet Rental Index Report shows that every region in the UK apart from Greater London has seen increases year on year.

There’s a lot to look forward to in Q2; with things beginning to return to normal by degrees, and the property market still buoyed by the stamp duty holiday and the changing requirements of various office-based roles, it’s an interesting time to be in the property market.

For any new landlord, one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome is getting used to the regulatory requirements for letting a property. For the protection of both landlord and tenant, there are a host of certifications which are required (and some just nice to have) which a landlord will need to safely and legally let a property.

The reopening of parliament on the 11th May is expected to see confirmation that the Renter Reform Bill will be put before parliament and begin the process of becoming law.

Marketing a property is arguably one of the more difficult and most important aspects of being a successful landlord – especially if you decide to go it alone. While we love nothing more than looking after our landlords, we’ve decided to pass on the Wirral Homes wisdom on marketing a rental property.

With Birkenhead regeneration taking its next steps, Wirral Council has opened up a consultation for its Birkenhead 2040 Framework which offers a view of their vision for the area as a green, climate friendly town of the future.

There are many pain points in the management of a property portfolio, but the right advice (or years of experience) can make for an easier experience for both landlord and tenant. As such, we’ve decided to tackle one of the trickier aspects of the landlord/tenant relationships – the management of inventory and deposits.

In addition to the various measures that Rishi Sunak announced to attempt to stave off further economic consequences of the pandemic, there were also various changes to tax law – some of which will need to be taken into account by landlords for the 2021/22 tax year.

In its latest review of the property market, Zoopla has broken down the changes that February brought to property prices and demand throughout the UK. Each month, we bring you the highlights to help you make informed decisions.

The 25th of March 2017 changed New Ferry forever, and progress has been painfully slow in the quest to rebuild and regenerate the area devastated by the gas explosion that left almost 100 people homeless and destroyed businesses. However, things seem to be moving in the right direction as we approach the four-year anniversary of the event.

The recent announcement from the chancellor of the exchequer that the government will be creating freeports throughout the UK has been met with mixed reactions, but data from the UK land registry suggests that the previous Merseyside Freeport was at least good for Wirral property values.

With plans dating back several years, regeneration of multiple areas of the Wirral moved forward this week according to announcements in several of the region’s local newspapers. With the end of lockdown delays approaching and stamp duty extended, could now be the ideal time to buy?

Selective Licensing Areas were updated on the 1st October 2020, so we've created this searchable list to help potential investors in the Wirral property market.

While letting properties can be extremely profitable – with rental payments supplemented by the rising value of property – it is far from a passive source of income and if a landlord begins to increase the number of properties they are letting, it can quickly become a juggling act that can damage a portfolio’s profitability.

Big drops in the rental values of city property – particularly London, which saw an 8.3% drop – have been balanced by growth in commuter towns and rural areas according to the latest Zoopla report.

Once a month, the largest online property sites – Zoopla and Rightmove – release market data based on the tens of thousands of properties they deal with, and in our role as advisor and partner to both landlords and tenants, we make sure we’re always up to date with the latest facts and figures.

New ‘Model Tenancy Agreement’ rules out blanket ban on pets as UK Ministry of Housing seeks to end ‘unfair’ practice – a first step to a possible legal end to a landlord’s ability to restrict their tenant’s pet ownership.

At Wirral Homes, we always do the best we can to provide a return on investment for our landlords – but we also believe that honesty is the best policy, and a letting agent isn’t right for everyone. So, here’s the information you need to decide what’s right for you.

2021 may not have started particularly well, but there's plenty to be optimistic about for landlords. However, to get the most out of the new year, landlords will need to be up to date on what the year has in store.

While we can't begin to cover everything - we've put together this beginner's guide to the legal requirements for a landlord wanting to rent out their residential property.

We're excited to launch our new website! We've worked hard to make sure it's everything you need - but we want to hear if you need more!

The 2020 global pandemic has led to people re-examining their priorities - and a large number of people are not happy with where they live.

Being visible is the first step to letting your property - and that starts online!