Your weekend roundup of top news, views and features

New interest-free loan scheme for first-time buyers set up

Scottish Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville says the First Homes Fund will offer first-time buyers £10,000 towards a deposit.

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Landlord income up 23% but arrears are significant

Managing risk and the right portfolio structures are vital in keeping rental properties profitable, says LegalforLandlords’ Sim Sekhon.

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Simplify Right to Rent guidance, urges Propertymark

Agents need clearer guidance and practical tools to help them comply with Right to Rent rules.

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Lenders reject flats as service charges breach 1% ‘red line’

SPF Private Clients' Mark Harris warns that if service charges breach 1% of a property’s value, a lender "may decide not to lend".

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PRICE ANALYSIS: How AI interprets town and city data

Property market expert, Kate Faulkner, asked AI to present available data on town and city house price changes, and this is the result.

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BLOG: A difficult summer for student lettings

Business sales broker Adam Walker questions whether the summer voids in student lettings will lead to an exodus of landlords.

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ENTRY GUIDANCE: The good, the bad and the award-worthy

From impressive growth stats to unsupported claims and missing evidence, here’s how the judges sort the wheat from the chaff at The Negotiator Awards.

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Asking prices hit by larger than usual summer drop - Rightmove

"An unusual number of distractions have kept the minds of some potential buyers occupied, namely the World Cup and hot weather," says Rightmove's Colleen Babcock.

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Leasehold campaigners welcome Rayner’s return

Leasehold campaigners have welcomed Angela Rayner back into her former role as Housing Communities and Local Government Secretary.

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Landlords could sell in face of Burnham land tax, Savills warns

Savills' Lucian Cook warns that landlords will ask if they should remain in the rental sector if the Prime Minister introduces a Land tax.

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Industry reaction as new PM Andy Burnham enters Downing Street

Andy Burnham officially became Britain's new Prime Minister yesterday - and here is how agents reacted to the news.

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Petition calling for new property tax hits 100,000 signatures

The petition calls for Council Tax and Stamp Duty to be replaced with a new tax, where homeowners pay 0.48% of a home’s value every year.

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House price growth is no longer guaranteed, warns Zoopla

Homeowners can’t rely on annual house price growth, says Zoopla’s Richard Donnell, but there are regional variations.

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Estate agents back Government homebuying reforms

Colby Short, of GetAgent, says 95% of agents throw their weight behind the proposed reforms to homebuying.

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