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Thursday, February 28, 2019

Housing costs: Five surprises explained

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London property slump: Foxton's losses

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Supporting a tenant with mental illness

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Rents rise for more tenants in January

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Sunday, February 24, 2019

London Mayor calls for leasehold reform

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Thursday, February 21, 2019

Purplebricks shares dive

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Welsh landlords must notify water co's of tenancy change

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PM to tackle problems of PRS benefit tenants

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Grief for landlords: gas safety & Section 21

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Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Warm start puts Japanese knotweed on track for early emergence

The unseasonably warm start to the year could have an impact on the growing season for Japanese knotweed, according to a national trade body.

Japanese knotweed lives through winter in the soil and starts to sprout in the warmer temperatures of spring.

But the current weather conditions could push the plant’s growth pattern weeks ahead of its usual pattern according to experts.

Dr Peter Fitzsimons is the Invasive Weed Control Group Technical Manager of the Property Care Association (PCA) and is keeping a watching brief on the situation.

He said:

“Traditionally the growing season for Japanese knotweed begins in April, with some variation from north to south nationally, but in 2017 there were reports of the plant beginning to grow in March.

The Beast from the East put the growing season last year back to a more normal timeline, but the climate so far is looking like it will provide the type of conditions for Japanese knotweed to take hold earlier again this year.

Areas where the ground has retained moisture are likely to be particularly attractive to the plant.”


The presence of Japanese knotweed can devalue land and property and lead to the refusal of mortgages on properties affected by it and the PCA is urging caution and prompt action in tackling it.

Dr Fitzsimons added

 “Japanese knotweed is a nuisance plant because it grows so rapidly and is capable of causing disruption around buildings, but we know it can be controlled, like other plants, and managed like many property problems, in that it can be identified and treated with minimal impact.

However, its effective eradication is a job for the experts and the earlier that work takes place the better, so it’s a good idea for anyone who thinks they might have an issue to obtain a professional opinion.

Currently, the law puts the onus squarely on landowners to control and remediate Japanese knotweed infestations, particularly near houses, as soon as they come to light. In the case of property development removal is often the only viable solution and this needs to be handled by qualified knotweed surveyors.

Advice sought quickly will help to control and manage the situation effectively.”


The PCA’s Invasive Weed Control Group signposts the public and private sectors to professional specialist invasive weed control contractors and consultants.

The Association also has a library of information including guidance notes, information leaflets and a Code of Practice - all available for free download - to provide insight and guidance on the issue www.property-care.org/professionals/invasive-weed-control/invasive-weed-control-technical-document-library

A short film is also available - PCA Video guide to dealing with Japanese Knotweed
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Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Cardiff's first Build to Rent scheme

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Illegal eviction: Leeds landlord changes the locks

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Hull landlord prosecuted: overcrowded flat

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Replacing failed shops won't save city centres

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Brexit uncertainty ‘catastrophic’ for housing market confidence

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Fitness for Human Habitation: 4 points

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Monday, February 18, 2019

New free-to-list property portal launches

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Average home ownership age up by 8 years

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‘Greedy’ Barking landlord forged documents

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Imaginative alternatives to renting

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Letting Fees Ban: MSE guide

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At 34 more than 50% of people own home

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Rent control debate: Commons publication

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ICYMI: Rents falling as a proportion of income

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Private Rented Sector: 5 big trends

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Hanley introduces new BTL product

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Tenant Fees Act 2019: Commons release

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Thursday, February 14, 2019

House price growth slows to six-year low

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Rents fall as a proportion of income

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Avoiding an Airbnb disaster

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35,000 properties with inaccurate EPCs

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Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Newport: best performing house prices

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Price of flats fell in England last year

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Latest ONS private rental data

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Tenant Fees Bill gets Royal Assent

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Latest ONS House Price Index

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Rent Smart Wales enforcement data

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Monday, February 11, 2019

Rogue letting agent gets £30,000 fine

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Paris to sue Airbnb over adverts

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Latest Homelet Rental Index - rents up 2.5%

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Average rents up 2.5% in January

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Why I'd dump BTL and invest in this instead

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To-Let boards to be banned in Lincoln

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Prices drop £3k for each minute out of London

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Average first-time buyer deposit falls by 8%

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Sunday, February 10, 2019

UK rents up 2.5% on this time last year

HOMELET’s Rental Index figures for January 2019:
  • The average rent in the UK is now £932, up by 2.5% on the same time last year
  • When London is excluded, the average rent in the UK is now £775, this is up by 2% on last year
  • Average rents in London are now £1,588, up by 3.7% on last year
  • The region with the largest year-on-year increase is the South West, showing a 5.1% increase between January 2018 and January 2019
  • The North East is the only region of the 12 monitored by HomeLet that showed a decrease in rental values between January 2018 and January 2019
Read the latest Homelet Rental Index

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Thursday, February 07, 2019

Fears of a Universal Credit eviction crisis

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UK Residential Yield Hotspots

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Universal Credit reform needed says report

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What we know so far about landlord redress schemes

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London landlords leaving in droves

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Leeds launches HMO mortgage range

Email:info@propertyhawkbtlmortgages.co.uk
Tel: 029 2069 5446

Sharp decline in new build property

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Wednesday, February 06, 2019

There are around 1.5m PRS landlords in England

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Leeds releases holiday BTL product

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Kitchen for rent? Ikea to trial leasing furniture

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Shopping centre sells at an average house price

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Tech Cities in Motion Report : Savills

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Landlords must join redress scheme or face £5,000 fine

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Latest PRS Survey: Knight Frank

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Tuesday, February 05, 2019

10 cheapest places to buy a home in London

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Generation Rent to transform UK High Streets

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Japanese knotweed to be under control by 2040

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Gaining access for a safety inspection

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Weakening ‘no fault’ evictions would lead to exodus of landlords

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Former housing ministers drawn deeper into Grenfell investigations

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Property Guardians revisited

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Tenant Fees Bill: What are the main changes?

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Saturday, February 02, 2019

Mandatory electrical safety checks - ARLA

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