Your weekend roundup of top news, views and analysis

COURTS: Landlord wins 'important' appeal in rent to rent case

Amlendu Kumar wins appeal in what a leading property lawyer says is an "important new decision" affecting rent-to-rent agreements and rent repayment orders.

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Stamp Duty hike to ‘damage’ rental market warn auctioneers

2% rise in budget for SDLT will lead to investors exiting the market, reduce supply and push up rents says NAVA.

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Number of former rental properties for sale rises as CGT changes loom

Research by Rightmove among its listings shows the proportion of former rented properties within the market rising to 18%.

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Guild reports 'thousands of referrals' via network

Guild of Property Professionals chief Iain McKenzie says its referral system has generated 2,086 referrals for its network since the start of the year.

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New workers' rights shake-up to impact estate agencies

Employees working for property businesses will be able to claim unfair dismissal from day one of a new job, under a new government bill.

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BLOG: A truly extraordinary week for lettings M&A

Business sales broker, Adam Walker, says this latest acquisition is a huge vote of confidence in the stability and longevity of the UK lettings market

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Airbnb 'won't take down illegally-sublet listings' claims landlord

The short-lets giant has not taken down a listing despite being informed that the Central London property is being illegally sublet, it is claimed.

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PRODUCT PROFILE: Sales progression tool mixes high tech with a human touch

Rello, is combining live professional support with cutting-edge technology to streamline the home-buying experience, writes Andy Weston.

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Huge rise in number of sales fall-throughs reported

Homebuyers are still struggling with higher mortgage rates and so more and more sales are falling through says Moverly’s Gemma Young.

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Managing agents to face new leasehold insurance rules

The Government is consulting on a new 'permitted insurance fee' that will prevent agents, landlords and freeholders from sharing commission with brokers.

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Estate agent duo recognised for sales success at global event

Mark Buchanan and Amie Brooks, both of whom work within the eXp UK network, flew to the gala estate agent event in Miami.

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CLAIM: High St agents face double threat of rising costs and stiffer competition

Bricks-and-mortar estate agencies facing higher staff costs and increased competition from the growing number of ‘personal’ agents according to Property Experts founder.

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Bill to ban Section 21 evictions published – industry reaction

The Government takes its first step towards scrapping Section 21 'no fault' evictions with the first reading in Parliament of the Renters' Rights Bill.

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MARKET ANALYSIS: England records lowest property price rises compared to other regions

Kate Faulkner reveals that Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have all seen higher property price rises year-on-year than England.

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Airbnb set to compete with lettings agents for longer rentals

Co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky says the company is eyeing longer-term rentals as a lucrative new area of business, putting his firm soon in direct competition with some agents.

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Government reveals plans for radical new EPC rules

Labour is consulting on a number of big changes to EPC rules in its drive for net zero that will affect sales and lettings agents.

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LSL Estate Agency Franchising expands service offering

MD Paul Hardy announces strategic partnership with B-hive Block Management to boost franchisees' growth potential.

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Walsall is consulting on plans that will force both the owners of smaller Houses in Multiple Occupation to apply for planning permission.

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Industry supplier hails Neg Awards win for professional support

Gazeal, a reservation agreement-based service, grabs a gold award for Supplier of the Year in the professional support category.

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Decade of dedication for The Propertymark Trust

Veteran estate agency manager and property consultant, John Oakley, is celebrating 10 years as trustee of The Propertymark Trust.

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Foxtons makes surprise move into London commuter towns with acquisitions

The London-based agent has spent some £12m buying two estate agencies, one in Reading and the other in Watford, both bought from private shareholders.

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'Criminal’ landlord trio hit with huge £450k HMO fine

A group of three West Northants landlords have together been fined a total of £452,796 for a series of unlicensed and unsafe HMOs.

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AGENT BLOG: After Scotland's rent cap lifted, guess what happened next?

Nicky Lloyd of ESPC Lettings in Edinburgh reflects on the rental market in Scotland six months after a rent cap and ban on evictions were scrapped.

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Mortgage rates deter first-time buyers from taking plunge

Analysis by the Mortgage Advice Bureau shows current loan rates force a quarter of first-timers to think twice, while Yopa says those who do go for it pay over the odds.

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LMS opens up transaction network to speed up conveyancing

Commercial Director Travis Scholes says more organisations will now be able to benefit from a faster conveyancing journey with the open-loop platform from LMS.

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