House prices fall in 2011

The Land Registry for England and Wales says house prices were down 3.2% in the year to November.The government’s own index, compiled by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), says they fell by just 0.4% over the same period.

The Halifax reckons prices dropped 1% in the year to November, while its counterpart the [...]

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Rental costs see first fall in 10 months LSL finds

The cost of renting a home in England and Wales fell for the first time in 10 months in November, a survey has found.Rent at a typical property dropped by 0.4% compared with October, to £717 a month, LSL Property Services said.

However, a tenant still typically paid 3.5% – or £25 – more in rent [...]

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Flat owners service charge complaints up 46% among leaseholders

Flat owners’ complaints about service charges have risen by 46% in two years to 7,600, figures show.They queried the amount they were being asked to pay for maintenance and repairs, the Leasehold Advisory Service for England and Wales said.

In some cases flat-owners have been asked for payments of tens of thousands of pounds by those [...]

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Gazumping pushing up rent costs for tenants

Gazumping is pushing up rents in England and Wales as the average cost to tenants reached £696 in May according to new research.
Rising tenant demand has led to some potential renters offering above the asking price to rent a home.

The average cost of renting a home has risen for four consecutive months the analysis suggested.

But [...]

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Homecall Plus household emergency call out firm collapses

The Homecall Plus company which provided cover for plumbing, heating and other emergencies in the home has collapsed.
Homecall Plus of Furthergate, Blackburn, has been put into compulsory liquidation after a creditor petitioned the Official Receiver in Blackpool.

As well as plumbing problems, it dealt with drainage and electrical failures, and provided gas safety checks.

Some 10,000 customers [...]

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New scheme launched to protect home renters

A new project has been launched as the number of complaints against estate agents was described as “unacceptably” high by the Property Ombudsman, despite inactivity in the housing market.
Christopher Hamer said he had dealt with 1,338 new cases last year. This was a record number during the scheme’s 20-year existence.

Among the cases, which reach the [...]

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Tenants should get landlords ratings website says consumer group

Tenants should have a rating website which they can share their experiences of landlords, a consumer body has said.Consumer Focus said most people renting in the private sector had little information available to them before they signed a tenancy agreement.

Landlords, meanwhile, can ask potential tenants for references, deposits and other personal information, it said.

The group [...]

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Rent arrears rise again say letting agents

The finances of private tenants deteriorated in December, with nearly 12% of all rent unpaid or paid late.
The arrears were calculated as part of a monthly survey by the property firm LSL, and were up from total rent arrears in November of 10%.

LSL said unpaid rent now amounted to £276m, the highest level since December [...]

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UK home sales down in November official figures find

UK home sales fell in November as the property market showed little sign of fresh life at the end of the year.
There were 77,000 residential properties sold for more than £40,000 in the UK in November, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

This was down from a revised figure of 80,000 the previous month and [...]

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Mortgage lenders predict increase in rental demand for 2011

Activity in housing and mortgage markets is set to remain broadly flat in 2011 the Council of Mortgage Lenders predicts.

And with home loans with both small deposits and high income multiples make up just over 1% of all new lending, first time buyers will have trouble getting onto the property ladder.

The view that next year [...]

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