Tax & Other Financial

Dorset councillors have recently approved proposals to implement a council tax premium on second homes and to tighten regulations on the existing premium for long-term empty homes. Here are the key points: Council Tax Premiums: Long-term empty and unoccupied...

A  case involving Michael and Bridget Brown, who attempted to avoid Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) by using a tax avoidance scheme through an unlimited company, has reached its conclusion with the Court of Appeal dismissing their appeal against HMRC. Here are the key...

Data released by UK Finance indicates a significant decline in new buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage borrowing among older landlords, with the number of such loans decreasing by half in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. Here are the key points...

Nearly four in 10 (37%) portfolio landlords, those with four or more properties, plan to increase the size of their portfolios in 2024, Paragon Bank research has found. The majority of them will fund the purchases by releasing equity from other properties in their...

House prices strengthened in February as mortgage rates continued to fall. According to Rightmove's latest house price index, average new seller prices rose by 0.9% on the month, or 0.1% year-on-year. It is the first time the annual price change has edged into...

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has released statistics regarding cumulative sales since the launch of the Help to Buy (equity loan) scheme on April 1, 2013. The key points from the release are as follows: Between April 1 and May 31,...

Paragon Bank is currently offering landlords reduced rates on its 2-year fixed-rate buy-to-let mortgages, marking its lowest rate in 18 months and reductions of up to 0.35%. Here are the key highlights of their offer: A new 70% loan-to-value (LTV) 2-year fixed-rate...

Heather Powell, Head of Property and a Partner at Blick Rothenberg, suggests that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt should use the upcoming Spring Budget to incentivize buy-to-let landlords to enhance the energy efficiency of their rental properties. Powell proposes that...

The latest BVA BDRC Landlord Panel research for Q4 2023 reveals a robust optimism among landlords, with improvements seen across various metrics compared to the previous year. This positive sentiment marks a continuation from Q3, following a period of negative scores....

According to research from buy-to-let lender Paragon Bank, nearly four in 10 (37%) portfolio landlords intend to expand their portfolios in 2024 through methods like releasing equity or using existing capital. The Portfolio Landlord Report 2024 indicates that the...