BUY2LET.COM CALLS FOR AST REGISTER TO ROOT OUT ROGUES & QUANTIFY THE MARKET

November 17, 2015

Buy2Let.com has launched an online petition via the UK Parliament portal, calling for a national register of buy-to-let private rental properties. Just as owner-occupier property transactions are recorded and analysed via the Land Registry, we are campaigning for a register of transactions by buy-to-let investors, to help quantify the market and root out the rogue landlords.

Despite recent attempts by Government and The Bank of England to stifle the buy-to-let sector, the acute shortage of homes and increasing house prices means that the private rental sector continues to pick up the slack.

We frequently see reports and statistics on the owner-occupier market, but the lack of reliable, comprehensive data on the private rental and buy-to-let sector means no-one – including politicians, mortgage lenders and estate agents –  has a clear picture of what is happening in the market. In much the same way as a mortgage charge is registered on traditional house sales, we think there should be a similar requirement for buy-to-let purchases.

The buy-to-let sector generates over £100bn in transactions every year, so it’s vital that we capture the true scale of this important market, and at the same time, use the data gathered to identify and stamp out malpractice and rogue landlords.”

Buy2Let.com is the first portal of its kind to list genuine buy-to-let properties for sale, allowing investors to search and compare properties – which are categorised as vacant, tenanted, and HMOs  – by annual yield; something which current owner-occupier property portals cannot offer.

To view and sign the AST Register Petition, visit: http://bit.ly/ASTPetition

You May Also Enjoy

Overseas Property

The most in-demand holiday home destinations

Alicante is the ideal place in the sun when it comes to Brit foreign property dreams Province on Spain’s Eastern coast is the most popular destination for Brits in TV foreign property series Almeria and the Costa Del Sol are in the top three based on analysis of 1,000 episodes of A Place In The…
Read More →
Breaking News

Two Weeks to Go for First Phase of Renters’ Rights Act

With just two weeks until the first phase of the Renters’ Rights Act comes into effect, letting agents across England are being urged to ensure they are fully prepared for the significant operational and compliance changes ahead. From 1 May 2026, the new legislation will introduce wide-ranging reforms to tenancy structures, possession processes and rent…
Read More →
Breaking News

Housing Insight Report: February 2026

The housing market shows steady activity, ongoing challenges with sales agreed rising slightly and stock levels stable, while affordability pressures and longer transaction times continue to strain buyers and sellers. Demand is strong in the rental sector, with significant competition among tenants despite only a modest increase in available properties. Rents have remained relatively stable…
Read More →
Breaking News

London boasts biggest property market gap

UK’s property price gaps exposed: London tops with £838k difference between top and bottom of the market The latest research from eXp UK has revealed the scale of the price divide between the most and least expensive property markets across each region of the UK, with three areas seeing average house price gaps of more…
Read More →
Letting Agent Talk

Questions raised over tenant-agent trust gap

New research from Propoly has found that while over half of tenants describe their letting agent as professional, quick to respond to queries, and efficient in handling maintenance issues, issues still exist, particularly a widespread suspicion that agents are not working in the tenants’ favour. Propoly commissioned a survey of 1,000 UK tenants* to understand…
Read More →
Letting Agent Talk

29 is the age house sharing becomes ‘embarrassing’

but 11% still do it, according to new Nationwide research That equates to 27 million admitting they have felt embarrassed about their living situation With 69% saying living alone is unaffordable, it’s no surprise the average age of those in house shares is 35 From moving home (12%) to living with an ex (10%), as…
Read More →