Angela Rayner claims she will avoid fine in stamp duty scandal

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Property118

Angela Rayner claims she will avoid fine in stamp duty scandal

Angela Rayner claims she has been “exonerated by HMRC of deliberately avoiding tax” and does not need to pay a financial penalty.

However, HMRC have declined to comment on Ms Rayner’s claim, with a spokesperson telling the Telegraph it could not respond due to confidentiality laws.

Ms Rayner resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary after admitting she failed to pay the correct amount of stamp duty on her flat in Hove.

Have been exonerated by HMRC of the accusation

As previously reported on Property118, the row over Ms Rayner’s stamp duty centred on allegations she “dodged” £40,000 on an £800,000 seaside flat in Hove, East Sussex, by declaring it her primary residence.

According to The Times, Ms Rayner removed her name from the deeds of her Greater Manchester home weeks before purchasing the Hove property, enabling her to pay £30,000 in stamp duty instead of the £70,000 that would have applied if the flat were a second home.

However, Ms Rayner claims HMRC has now cleared her of “any wrongdoing”, and that she has since paid the £40,000 in unpaid stamp duty and will not face a fine.

In a statement on X, Ms Rayner said: “I have been exonerated by HMRC of the accusation that I deliberately sought to avoid tax.

“When purchasing a home of my own with a mortgage, I did not own any other property and had no personal financial interest in the court-instructed trust set up to manage my son’s financial award. I was advised by experts that I should pay stamp duty at the standard rate.

“I set out to pay the correct amount of tax. I took reasonable care and acted in good faith, based on the expert advice I received, and HMRC has accepted this.

“I have always sought to act with integrity, and I believe politicians should be held to high standards – that is why I resigned from government and cooperated fully with HMRC.

“I wanted to ensure that I paid every penny that I owed, and have done so.”

HMRC have declined to comment

However, HMRC has refused to comment on Ms Rayner’s claim.

A spokesperson told The Telegraph it would not deny that she had been cleared of any deliberate wrongdoing in relation to the stamp duty scandal, but said it could not comment further because of taxpayer confidentiality laws.

In an interview with The Guardian, Angela Rayner admitted some people would still feel uncomfortable about a former housing secretary paying the standard rate of stamp duty when HMRC later ruled she should have paid the higher rate.

She told The Guardian: “I understand that, but this is a very complex area of tax. It’s ambiguous and I did get advice at the time. Therefore, I felt like I’d done everything I could to ensure that I complied.”

The developments come as Ms Rayner is being tipped as a potential future Labour leadership contender, with Keir Starmer facing mounting pressure following Labour’s local election losses last week and growing unrest among Labour MPs.

The post Angela Rayner claims she will avoid fine in stamp duty scandal appeared first on Property118.

View Full Article: Angela Rayner claims she will avoid fine in stamp duty scandal

Higher landlord taxes mean higher rents – NRLA

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Property118

Higher landlord taxes mean higher rents – NRLA

Tax rises affecting landlords which are due next year, could feed through into higher rents for tenants already under pressure.

The warning comes from the National Residential Landlords Association, which found that 46% of landlords plan to increase rents over the next 12 months because of the changes.

That’s because, from April 2027, income tax rates on property income will rise by two percentage points, following an announcement in last autumn’s Budget.

The poll also found that 35% of landlords expect to raise rents by more than they had previously planned, while 33% said they intend to sell one or more properties as a result of the tax rise.

Look in the mirror

The NRLA’s chief executive, Ben Beadle, said: “If the government is serious about easing cost of living pressures, it needs to look in the mirror.

“To be increasing the cost of providing rental housing, whilst keeping housing benefit support frozen, simply makes no sense.

“Renters will be left picking up the bill for the Chancellor’s tax hikes.”

He added: “The government needs to scrap plans that risk pushing rents higher and making it harder for people to find a home.

“And for those proposing rent controls as the answer, they do nothing to address the root cause of higher rents – rising costs and a chronic shortage of homes to meet demand.”

OBR points to tax issues

The Office for Budget Responsibility has previously warned that the policy would lead to higher rents.

Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook has also recently admitted that tax increases by the last government were the main driver of landlords selling properties.

The NRLA says taxes on landlords have grown further under the current government.

The issue comes as housing benefit remains frozen, leaving tenants who rely on support to access the private rented sector facing tighter budgets and greater difficulty sustaining tenancies.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that the government’s tight fiscal position is ‘no excuse for a system that creates uncertainty for renters and unfairness between local areas’.

The post Higher landlord taxes mean higher rents – NRLA appeared first on Property118.

View Full Article: Higher landlord taxes mean higher rents – NRLA

Alteration to pre 1 May student tenancy agreement?

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Property118

Alteration to pre 1 May student tenancy agreement?

Hello, A group of students signed an agreement before 1 May, before the Renters’ Rights Act, which starts later this year. They now want to alter this agreement to change one person named on the tenancy.

Can I amend the agreement (which has quarterly payments), or must a new agreement be issued for monthly payments?

I am aware of the other issues regarding notices, serving a copy of the information sheet, prescribed information, and any other compliance requirements that may arise from amending or reissuing the agreement. It is just this specific point I am seeking opinions on.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Robert

The post Alteration to pre 1 May student tenancy agreement? appeared first on Property118.

View Full Article: Alteration to pre 1 May student tenancy agreement?

High equity, low appetite: why landlords are not reinvesting

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Property118

High equity, low appetite: why landlords are not reinvesting

For years, equity was seen as fuel. Build it, release it, reinvest it. That was the cycle. As portfolios grew and values increased, landlords would refinance, extract capital and deploy it into further acquisitions. That cycle is now slowing, not because equity has disappeared, but because the appetite to use it has changed.

Many landlords now hold substantial levels of equity within their portfolios. In theory, that puts them in a strong position to expand. In practice, a growing number are choosing not to.

That shift is not about capability, it is about intent. Reinvesting equity requires a clear reason to do so. It involves additional borrowing, new commitments and a return to active portfolio growth. For landlords who have already reached a level of financial stability, that trade-off is no longer automatically attractive.

The question becomes more selective, not “can I reinvest?”, but “why would I?”.

This is where behaviour begins to diverge from expectation.

Data from the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey Q1 2026 reflects this pattern, with a large proportion of landlords reporting low loan-to-value ratios alongside a limited appetite for expansion.

That combination is telling. It suggests that capital is available, but not being deployed. Instead, many landlords are choosing to hold their position, prioritising income, stability and simplicity over further growth. Equity remains within the portfolio, not because it cannot be accessed, but because there is no compelling reason to use it.

This creates a different kind of market dynamic. When equity is no longer recycled into new acquisitions, the flow of investment slows. Fewer properties are added, fewer transactions take place and the overall pace of expansion begins to ease. The market does not stop, it becomes more selective.

For now, one conclusion stands out: landlords are not short of equity, they are increasingly short of reasons to reinvest it.

For many landlords, the question is not whether the market is changing, but what that change means for their own position.

If you are holding a portfolio with relatively low borrowing, or are beginning to reassess how your assets are structured, this is often the point where a more joined-up view becomes useful.

An invitation for established landlords

If you find the Property118 articles helpful and are curious about how those ideas apply to your own portfolio, you are welcome to take the conversation a step further.

These conversations are typically most useful for landlords with established portfolios and relatively modest borrowing who are beginning to reflect on how their assets could work more effectively in the years ahead.

/* “function”==typeof InitializeEditor,callIfLoaded:function(o){return!(!gform.domLoaded||!gform.scriptsLoaded||!gform.themeScriptsLoaded&&!gform.isFormEditor()||(gform.isFormEditor()&&console.warn(“The use of gform.initializeOnLoaded() is deprecated in the form editor context and will be removed in Gravity Forms 3.1.”),o(),0))},initializeOnLoaded:function(o){gform.callIfLoaded(o)||(document.addEventListener(“gform_main_scripts_loaded”,()=>{gform.scriptsLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}),document.addEventListener(“gform/theme/scripts_loaded”,()=>{gform.themeScriptsLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}),window.addEventListener(“DOMContentLoaded”,()=>{gform.domLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}))},hooks:{action:{},filter:{}},addAction:function(o,r,e,t){gform.addHook(“action”,o,r,e,t)},addFilter:function(o,r,e,t){gform.addHook(“filter”,o,r,e,t)},doAction:function(o){gform.doHook(“action”,o,arguments)},applyFilters:function(o){return gform.doHook(“filter”,o,arguments)},removeAction:function(o,r){gform.removeHook(“action”,o,r)},removeFilter:function(o,r,e){gform.removeHook(“filter”,o,r,e)},addHook:function(o,r,e,t,n){null==gform.hooks[o][r]&&(gform.hooks[o][r]=[]);var d=gform.hooks[o][r];null==n&&(n=r+”_”+d.length),gform.hooks[o][r].push({tag:n,callable:e,priority:t=null==t?10:t})},doHook:function(r,o,e){var t;if(e=Array.prototype.slice.call(e,1),null!=gform.hooks[r][o]&&((o=gform.hooks[r][o]).sort(function(o,r){return o.priority-r.priority}),o.forEach(function(o){“function”!=typeof(t=o.callable)&&(t=window[t]),”action”==r?t.apply(null,e):e[0]=t.apply(null,e)})),”filter”==r)return e[0]},removeHook:function(o,r,t,n){var e;null!=gform.hooks[o][r]&&(e=(e=gform.hooks[o][r]).filter(function(o,r,e){return!!(null!=n&&n!=o.tag||null!=t&&t!=o.priority)}),gform.hooks[o][r]=e)}});
/* ]]> */

/* = 0;if(!is_postback){return;}var form_content = jQuery(this).contents().find(‘#gform_wrapper_585′);var is_confirmation = jQuery(this).contents().find(‘#gform_confirmation_wrapper_585′).length > 0;var is_redirect = contents.indexOf(‘gformRedirect(){‘) >= 0;var is_form = form_content.length > 0 && ! is_redirect && ! is_confirmation;var mt = parseInt(jQuery(‘html’).css(‘margin-top’), 10) + parseInt(jQuery(‘body’).css(‘margin-top’), 10) + 100;if(is_form){jQuery(‘#gform_wrapper_585′).html(form_content.html());if(form_content.hasClass(‘gform_validation_error’)){jQuery(‘#gform_wrapper_585′).addClass(‘gform_validation_error’);} else {jQuery(‘#gform_wrapper_585′).removeClass(‘gform_validation_error’);}setTimeout( function() { /* delay the scroll by 50 milliseconds to fix a bug in chrome */ }, 50 );if(window[‘gformInitDatepicker’]) {gformInitDatepicker();}if(window[‘gformInitPriceFields’]) {gformInitPriceFields();}var current_page = jQuery(‘#gform_source_page_number_585′).val();gformInitSpinner( 585, ‘https://www.property118.com/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/images/spinner.svg’, true );jQuery(document).trigger(‘gform_page_loaded’, [585, current_page]);window[‘gf_submitting_585′] = false;}else if(!is_redirect){var confirmation_content = jQuery(this).contents().find(‘.GF_AJAX_POSTBACK’).html();if(!confirmation_content){confirmation_content = contents;}jQuery(‘#gform_wrapper_585′).replaceWith(confirmation_content);jQuery(document).trigger(‘gform_confirmation_loaded’, [585]);window[‘gf_submitting_585′] = false;wp.a11y.speak(jQuery(‘#gform_confirmation_message_585′).text());}else{jQuery(‘#gform_585′).append(contents);if(window[‘gformRedirect’]) {gformRedirect();}}jQuery(document).trigger(“gform_pre_post_render”, [{ formId: “585”, currentPage: “current_page”, abort: function() { this.preventDefault(); } }]); if (event && event.defaultPrevented) { return; } const gformWrapperDiv = document.getElementById( “gform_wrapper_585″ ); if ( gformWrapperDiv ) { const visibilitySpan = document.createElement( “span” ); visibilitySpan.id = “gform_visibility_test_585″; gformWrapperDiv.insertAdjacentElement( “afterend”, visibilitySpan ); } const visibilityTestDiv = document.getElementById( “gform_visibility_test_585″ ); let postRenderFired = false; function triggerPostRender() { if ( postRenderFired ) { return; } postRenderFired = true; gform.core.triggerPostRenderEvents( 585, current_page ); if ( visibilityTestDiv ) { visibilityTestDiv.parentNode.removeChild( visibilityTestDiv ); } } function debounce( func, wait, immediate ) { var timeout; return function() { var context = this, args = arguments; var later = function() { timeout = null; if ( !immediate ) func.apply( context, args ); }; var callNow = immediate && !timeout; clearTimeout( timeout ); timeout = setTimeout( later, wait ); if ( callNow ) func.apply( context, args ); }; } const debouncedTriggerPostRender = debounce( function() { triggerPostRender(); }, 200 ); if ( visibilityTestDiv && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent === null ) { const observer = new MutationObserver( ( mutations ) => { mutations.forEach( ( mutation ) => { if ( mutation.type === ‘attributes’ && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent !== null ) { debouncedTriggerPostRender(); observer.disconnect(); } }); }); observer.observe( document.body, { attributes: true, childList: false, subtree: true, attributeFilter: [ ‘style’, ‘class’ ], }); } else { triggerPostRender(); } } );} );
/* ]]> */

From there we can arrange a free introductory discussion to explore how your portfolio works as a whole and what that might mean for the years ahead.

The post High equity, low appetite: why landlords are not reinvesting appeared first on Property118.

View Full Article: High equity, low appetite: why landlords are not reinvesting

Council considers extending selective licensing scheme

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Property118

Council considers extending selective licensing scheme

A council has decided to press ahead with a public consultation on its selective licensing scheme.

Durham County Council has announced a 10-week consultation on whether its selective licensing scheme should go beyond March 2027.

The news comes after Great Yarmouth council was branded “deluded” by a landlord over its claims that selective licensing will not cause rent rises.

Provide additional support to landlords

The new selective licensing scheme would cover more than 20,000 properties in the area, covering 27% of the county.

Councillor Joe Quinn, cabinet member for planning, investment and assets, said: “In County Durham, we have a large private rental sector. In some areas, it is estimated that up to 60% of all homes are in the private rental sector. While many of these homes are good quality, much of the stock is older, not energy efficient, or in need of repair or refurbishment.

“A key priority in our County Durham Housing Strategy is to ensure everyone has access to appropriate, safe, and secure housing. One way in which we are achieving this is by ensuring effective landlord services through our selective licensing scheme.

“Over the last five years, the selective licensing scheme has allowed us to work closer with landlords and provide additional support to ensure their rental properties are of a high standard and meet the needs of residents.

“It has also allowed us, where needed, to take enforcement action when a landlord has failed to engage with the scheme and not provided safe housing for their tenants.”

The council has confirmed areas which are included in the current scheme but no longer meet the criteria for a designated area will be removed from April 2027.

The post Council considers extending selective licensing scheme appeared first on Property118.

View Full Article: Council considers extending selective licensing scheme