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NHF responds to Queen’s Speech
The National Housing Federation responds to the Queen’s Speech Henry Gregg, Assistant Director of Campaigns & Communications at the National Housing Federation response: “We are pleased to see a Housing Bill front and centre of the Queen’s Speech and to see the Government committed to getting more homes built. “Plans to identify and free up…

Allen Walkey
starts today
It starts today. The Consumer Rights Act has made it a legal requirement for all lettings agents in England to display details of all fees and charges on websites and in offices from 27 May. Agents also need to display whether or not they are a member of a client money protection scheme along with…

Allen Walkey
Queen’s Speech
Today will be the first time since 1996 that the Queen’s Speech will include a programme of legislation devised solely by the Conservative Governement, we have to go back to Sir John Major the then Prime Minister to be in a similar situation. There will be no constraints of a coalition Government as we have…

Allen Walkey
Mandatory landlord licensing scheme
David Cameron has highlighted housing as one of key ways in which illegal immigrants can be identified. In his speech on the changes the Government is proposing regarding immigation, he has announced plans that will have a significant affect on Landlords. Landlords will be expected to take measures to check out their tenants so as…

Allen Walkey
Tenancy deposit protection
A recent decision of the Court of Appeal has been codified in the Deregulation Act 2015 to clarify that residential landlords must protect tenants’ deposits and provide tenants with prescribed information, regardless of when the tenancy commenced and when the deposit was received. Tenancy Deposit Protection The Housing Act 2004 (the Act ), which came…

Allen Walkey
The ESTAS
The Regional and National Gold, Silver and Bronze Award winners were announced at the 12th annual Estate and Letting Agents awards The ESTAS on Friday 17th April at the Hilton Park Lnane London. The Grand Prix Winners, Best Estate Agent in th UK was Dale Eddison, a Yorkshire based Estate Agent with 5 offices across…

Allen Walkey
Rents hit record High
Rents increased by 4.6% in April compared with the previous year, marking the fastest annual increase recorded since November 2010, according to estate agents Your Move and Reeds Rains. On a monthly basis, rents grew by 0.8% between March and April according to the study, which started in January 2008 and is based on rents…

Allen Walkey
KELLER WILLIAMS PARTNERS WITH LEADING HONG KONG PROPERTY PLATFORM.
Global property industry giant, Keller Williams, has signed an exclusive deal with Spacious.hk to be the only London estate agent to market all of their London properties to the Hong Kong market through Spacious. “We are very excited to be partnered with Spacious to market our properties in Hong Kong. Buyers in Hong Kong love all of our offmarket property…

Christopher Walkey
OnTheMarket responds to Zoopla. Ian Springett says… …
Ian Springett, Chief Executive of OnTheMarket.com, said: “OnTheMarket.com has now clearly established itself as a serious player within the property portals market. “Since our launch four months ago OnTheMarket.com has already taken almost one quarter of the estate and letting agent members from Zoopla Property Group. Less than 10% of OnTheMarket.com’s member firms are using…

Christopher Walkey
NAEA Conference
When you here Aintree Racecourse you should immediately think of the Grand National, the famous steeplechase held there each year in April, well today The National Association of Estate Agents takes pride of place at Aintree Racecourse, with their May Liverpool Conference. The conference is aimed at the property professional, keeping to date with legislation,…

Allen Walkey
Unsafe private rented homes
Citizens Advice Bureau has just released this report, highlighting the high numbers of children who are living in unsafe privately rented homes. The report was based on research by the UK think-tank New Policy Institute.The £5.6bn and £1.3bn figures below relate to NPI analysis of English Housing Survey homes dataset for 2012, Department for Communities and Local Government, the…

Allen Walkey
Revenue rises at Zoopla
Zoopla has been able to report a 10% rise in revenue despite the loss of almost a quarter of its advertsers due to the launch of property portal Onthemarket.com and their one other property portal policy. Zoopla who is the second biggest property portal in Britain after Rightmove reported that they made 13 per cent…

Allen Walkey
Homes for Londoners
Tessa Jowell told an audience in central London this week that she would be putting housing at the heart of her campaign to become the next Mayor of London. Confirming her intention to stand, the former Labour MP reportedly said that she would establish a new ‘Homes for Londoners’ agency on “day one” of her…

Allen Walkey
House Price Index
House price index in part for March 2015. Figures as taken from the Office for National Statistics UK house prices increased by 9.6% in the year to March 2015, up from 7.4% in the year to February 2015. House price annual inflation was 9.4% in England, 5.7% in Wales, 14.6% in Scotland and 7.5% in…

Allen Walkey
Hunters acquires Country Properties
The sales and Lettings agents Country Properties founded in Hitchen in 1974 has been acquired by Hunters the estate agents who already have 157 branches across the country and abroad. Country Properties who have branches across, Herts, Beds and Cambs have grown their operation to 23 branches, under Managing Director, Ian Wilson . The business…

Allen Walkey