UK Planning Minister Nick Boles has launched a new national online planning guidance resource for public testing and comment as part of the drive to simplify the planning process. The existing technical guidance, often complex and repetitive, is catalogued in 230 separate documents and at 7,000 pages is almost impossible for residents and businesses to use effectively. Boles said...

The number of tenant evictions from rental properties has reached its highest level for five years, according to leading legal information provider Sweet & Maxwell. It says that landlord repossessions have risen by 9% over the last year, from 33,199 in 2011/12 to 36,177 in 2012/13. This type of repossession order, obtained through county courts, is mainly used by...

The percentage of people renting in London has gone up from 18% to 25% in the last two years, new research has revealed. The data illustrates that rental costs in the capital as a percentage of household income rose from 21% in 2001/02 to 27% in 2010/11 – not to mention the upfront costs involved in renting. The rise...

53% of UK Landlords are bypassing letting agents and dealing directly with tenants according to new research. The study, conducted by a leading insurance provider suggests that the majority of UK landlords prefer to deal directly with tenants. 63% of landlords questioned claim that they have not used an estate agent in the past year, potentially resulting in a...

Large numbers of people are returning to flat-sharing after living alone or with a partner, new research has revealed. Flat and house-share website Spareroom.co.uk has found that renting is no longer an affordable option for many people. The website confirmed that 51% of its users have turned back to sharing, while new flat share figures have risen 31% in...