In the UK owning your own home has always been an aspiration. It's seen as an achievement to buy your own home. But is that an outdated view? Do young people still have the desire to buy their own home? Many no doubt still do aspire to buy a house. But many people of all ages now prefer to rent. Indeed, the private rental sector has never been so strong. This is great news for private landlords of course. But why do some tenants prefer to rent rather than buy? 

BREAKING NEWS - Ahead of the upcoming tenant fee ban, we’ve decided to remove our tenant fees and here is why.  

As a private landlord you need to keep the right records. And there will be plenty of paperwork generated by your business. There will be digital records as well. But whether you keep hard copies or store digital files on your computer the records you need to keep will be split into three parts 

Joint tenancies are becoming more popular. Not just in student accommodation or HMOs but also with friends or colleagues sharing a house or flat. Though couples in a relationship probably still account for most joint tenancies in the private rental sector. But whatever the dynamic there's little doubt many private landlords will rent their properties on a joint tenancy. 

MakeUrMove have joined forces with Virgin Money Lounge Manchester to host a talk around best practice for buy-to-let portfolio management in this constantly shifting landscape for the private rented sector. We will talk you though how to set up and manage your portfolio to be compliant whilst also getting the most out of your investments using our innovative platform developed to introduce landlords and tenants and make letting simpler. 

January to March is a hectic time for private landlords. This is when many students will be looking for accommodation for the forthcoming academic year. And once the Christmas break is over that search will move into overdrive. Especially during the first few weeks of the New Year. If you're a student landlord you must take advantage of this peak period. 

The turn of the New Year isn't always about setting goals or making resolutions. And pinning a calendar to the wall isn’t the only thing which happens in January. It's also the deadline for electronic tax returns. But also, an opportunity for all private landlords to prepare for their new tax year. It's a chance for you to ensure your paperwork and accounts are in order.  

January is a difficult month for many of us. We’ve all enjoyed the excesses of Christmas. But then comes the harsh reality of the new year. When all that extra spending comes back to haunt us. Especially when we’re trying to meet the credit card payments or to last the whole month until pay day.  

It's enough to give any private landlord nightmares. Every January you’ll see horrendous stories in the press about tenants giving New Year’s Eve parties in which dozens of people have turned up with properties completely trashed. Most of those stories concern Airbnb or similar short-term rentals. But nevertheless, the fear of a tenant or their guests damaging their property is a real one for many landlords. This is why they will try to pre-empt the problem by banning tenants from holding parties. 

It's that time of the year again. The Christmas excess leads to thoughts of New Year resolutions. They usually revolve around adopting new habits. Either to make us fitter or happier. But we can also make New Year resolutions in our professional lives. Just in case you're struggling for inspiration here's our suggestions for resolutions private landlords can make this year. 

An empty property is a private landlord's enemy. Void periods disrupt cash flow and can make the difference between a profit and a deficit over the year. This is why all landlords will go out of their way to minimise the time their property stands empty. But it can happen anyway. 

The Right to Rent Scheme is now under judicial review since yesterday from The High Court after the application to challenge it was granted on Wednesday.