Nigel Lewis

1 week ago | landlordzone.co.uk | Nigel Lewis

The government has admitted that landlords can raise rents to pay for costly EPC upgrades. Despite Energy Secretary Ed Miliband’s insistence that rents hadn’t increased when standards were raised during previous initiatives, Justice Minister Sarah Sackman (main image) has now said there are grounds for “higher market rents”. Shadow Housing Secretary Kevin Hollinrake (pictured) asked her whether investment in upgrades was a material consideration allowing for a higher market rent.

1 week ago | landlordzone.co.uk | Nigel Lewis

The public has been warned to be vigilant following a new report that shows the number of people relieved of their savings by ‘investment scams’ has increased by value for the first time since 2021, reaching £144 million. Such investment scams can involve gold and other high-value items, but many are linked to property developments, sub-leting activity and land-banks or ‘plots for sale’.

1 week ago | thenegotiator.co.uk | Nigel Lewis

One of the best-known brands in estate agency has begun celebrations of its 190th year in business, making it one of the oldest firms within the industry. Winkworth, which was founded during 1835 in Mayfair, London now has a network of over 100 branches across the capital as well as country and coastal markets. Last year, it sold £3.4bn worth of property, had 175,000 registered applicants, a database of over four million contacts and some four million visits to the Winkworth website.

1 week ago | thenegotiator.co.uk | Nigel Lewis

Dwelly, the AI-based proptech providing a marketplace platform for lettings and property management, has bought its third agency. Its acquisition of established Suffolk firm Pennington for an undisclosed sum sees some 550 properties added to the Dwelly lettings book. The estate agency was originally an offshoot of a local surveying firm established by Tony and Geraldine Pennington in 1989, but later founded as a standalone business by its two current directors.

1 week ago | landlordzone.co.uk | Nigel Lewis

The Norfolk seaside town of Great Yarmouth has revealed plans to introduce a five-year selective licensing scheme for rented properties in three key wards. Councillors representing its borough council are to vote on June 3rd on the proposals which, if approved, will then move to a consultation on the scheme, which would cover 5,000 rented homes representing some 60% of the sector and cost landlords £784 per property.