Property prices have declined by one per cent in February, according to a recent report.

Data published by the Nationwide building society revealed the month-on-month decline and said it could be attributed to decreased activity in the housing market as a result of the snowy weather.

Residential landlords could be among those who face increased pressure to improve the energy-efficiency of their properties in the future, it has been suggested.

The National Home Improvement Council (NHIC) has suggested that mortgage restrictions should be imposed on properties that are not energy-efficient.

Property trade organisations have claimed that the sector is already open to scrutiny and transparent practices.

The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) and the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) have said the sector has already shown a willingness to adopt transparent practices in regard to professional fees.

Residential landlords in the UK could be among those to benefit from new pressure being placed on the government in regards to professional fees.

There are currently a number of examples of "unwelcome practice" in regards to the transparency of the charging of service fees including administration cots for leasehold contracts, commission on letting renewals, commission for home information packs and energy performance certificates.

The Scottish mortgage market is recovering at a slower rate than the UK as a whole, according to a new report.

Figures recently published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) have revealed that 14,200 home loans were approved in Scotland in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Landlords who let their properties on contracts with all bills included could be among those to be affected by "mixed news" on water prices.

While average water bills appear to be set to remain "relatively steady" according to regulator Ofwat, the Consumer Council for Water has voiced concerns that prices are still set to increase from some customers.

Letting agent renewal fees are unfair and should be scrapped, it has been claimed.

The call comes from the National Landlords Association (NLA), which described the fees as a means for agents to receive "money for nothing".

It follows the Office of Fair Trading's pursuit of a court order to protect landlords from "severely camouflaged" fees for services they have not requested or "consciously agreed to".

Energy customers who are loyal to their local suppliers are likely to be charged more, it has been claimed.

The news could be of interest to a number of residential landlords who offer properties to tenants with all bills included.

A recent report from price comparison service Confused.com has revealed that a number of suppliers are charging customers in their host regions more than their national average.

Residential landlords in the UK could be among those to be interested in a new energy scheme taking place in Germany.

The i2home project in the town of Saarbrucken is monitoring the value of home automation, which allows residents to operate household products and systems through devices like mobile phones and touch screens.

Residential landlords in the UK could be among those who are benefitting from a "wider range of products" in the mortgage market, it has been suggested.

Recently-published research into fixed-rate mortgages has revealed that the cost of such products has continued to decrease over the last 21 years.

Increased regulation of the housing market will help consumers see the difference between professional estate agents and those who fail to deliver high standards.

This is the view of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), which said it would like to see a "greater level" of regulation.

Housing market proposals put forward by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) could mean savings for both buyers and sellers of property.

This is the view of online property website Briffy.com, which said the findings of the report could see vendors cut out "all the nonsense" of dealing with estate agents.

Current legislation on how properties are bought and sold in the UK, which dates back to 1979, could be "hindering the development of new business models" in the housing market, it has been claimed.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has published the findings of its latest report and suggested that buying and selling houses could become cheaper and more efficient if the UK were able to adopt new methods, similar to those practised in the US.

Residential landlords and other homeowners are put off from installing green measures by the costs involved, it has been claimed.

Build It Magazine, which offers advice on self-build and home improvements, said many green measures are "just too expensive to install".

Residential landlords who are looking to add to their property portfolios with buy-to-let mortgage deals could notice that the lending market will remain static for some moths, it has been suggested.

Independent property investment consultancy Ducalian has claimed that mortgage lenders will take time to return to confidence despite being pressured by the government to increase their lending.

A balance between supply and demand in the Scottish housing market will see property values remain "steady" in the coming months.

This is the view of legal firm Russel + Aitken, which said the market has recently been boosted by "more plentiful mortgage lending".

Mortgage lending in the UK declined by 32 per cent last month, a new report has revealed.

Figures from the latest research conducted by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) have shown that gross mortgage lending for January was £9.1 billion.

Residential landlords who are looking to increase the size of their portfolios could be among those who are picking up properties from below the asking price.

Figures from independent estate agent haart have revealed that properties are regularly being sold for up to eight per cent below sellers asking prices.

Landlords who are looking to add to their portfolios with new-build properties could be among those to be interested in the result of a recent report.

Some landlords may find it more difficult to locate such properties as the latest Glenigan Index has revealed that new construction projects have decreased by eight per cent last month, when compared to January 2008.

The government could risk damaging the private rented sector if it increases regulation of the buy-to-let market.

This is the view of the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), which said "inappropriate" regulations could offset the effects of other government policies brought in to boost the rental sector.

Residential landlords are being hampered by a "dearth" of available products in the mortgage market, it has been suggested.

A new survey has revealed that confidence in the mortgage market is continuing to grow.

However, the report also revealed that buy-to-let customers are suffering from the fact that the market is being "dominated" by just two lenders.

The government's Boiler Scrappage Scheme should be extended to include boilers other than those that are G-rated.

This is the view of the eco homes and sustainable residential development website whatgreenhome.com, which said to meet the demand for the scheme, the government should open the offer up to households which operate boilers from all ratings.

Residential landlords in Scotland could be among those to have noticed an increase in the valuation of their properties, a new report has suggested.

Figures from the latest Scottish House Price Monitor, from banking group Lloyds TSB Scotland, have revealed that the average property in the country is now worth £160,074.

The latest Mortgagee Market Review from the Financial Services Authority (FSA) should not "excessively restrict" the mortgage market.

This is the view of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI), which said proposals which have been put forward to protect a small number of consumers could have an "adverse" effect on the property purchasing majority.

The Housing market is to "continue steadily forward" in 2010, it has been claimed.

Property investment adviser, Assetz has claimed that the market is set to grow by a "modest" five per cent over the next 12 months.

Stuart Law, the firm's chief executive said the growth could be attributed in part to a rise in the number of first-time buyers.

Stamp duty is a "persistent and pernicious" hurdle to overcome in order to purchase a new property, according to one industry body.

The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), which described the charge as "Britain's most unpopular tax", has called on the government to make stamp duty "fairer and more manageable".

Recently-published mortgage arrear figures have demonstrated that the private rented sector has shown "resilience" during "difficult times".

This is the view of the National Landlords Association (NLA), which said the buy-to-let market has proven to be "robust" during the economic downturn.

The number of residential landlords in arrears on their mortgages has decreased, a new report has suggested.

Recently-published figures from the Council for Mortgage Lenders (CML) quarterly report, which include both homeowner and buy-to-let arrangments, have revealed a decline in the number of mortgages in arrears.

Residential landlords in the UK could be among those who took advantage of the increased stamp duty threshold before the December 31st deadline.

New data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has revealed that 55 per cent of all home loans approved in December 2009 were for properties valued under £175,000.

The "worryingly high" level of tenants' rental arrears could see a number of residential landlords default on their mortgage, one industry body has warned.

According to the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), despite a monthly decrease, more than half of its members have reported an increase in the number of tenants that are "struggling" to meet their rental demands.

Residential landlords could be among the "brave" house hunters who purchased new properties during last month's cold snap.

Recently-published figures from the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) have revealed that the number of people registering with estate agents to buy a new property increased from 251 in December 2009 to 291 in January.

The number of buy-to-let loans approved in 2009 was 58 per cent lower that the previous year, new figures have shown.

Data from the latest report from the Council for Mortgage Lenders (CML) has revealed that 93,500 buy-to-let loans were approved last year, compared to 222,700 in 2008.

Homeowners and landlords with tracker mortgage deals are going to be in for a shock when the Bank of England (BoE) increases the rate of interest.

This is the view of Stephen Robertson, director general at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), who said the low rate paid by some customers could rocket when their initial two to five-year tracker rate comes to an end.

Residential landlords do not need to spend a fortune when redecorating their properties to attract tenants, it has been suggested.

By using paint instead of wallpaper, feature walls can be created at a much cheaper cost, according to leading interior designer Adrienne Chinn.

Residential Landlords could be among those to benefit from a recent announcement from the Environment Agency (EA).

The organisation has unveiled plans to double the number of businesses and homes that can receive free flood warnings.

According to the agency, the move will see around 500,000 properties at risk of river and sea flooding receive free warnings from the end of this month.

The extreme weather conditions in the UK over the last few weeks had a negative affect on the housing market, it has been claimed.

According to the latest report on house prices by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), more surveyors reported a fall, rather than a rise, in new instructions during the adverse conditions.

The repossession system should benefit those who are doing all they can to pay off their debts, it has been claimed.

Al Elliott, co-owner of the Home-owners Advice Centre, has called for a system which "differentiates" between those who make an effort to pay and those who are "reckless" with their borrowing.

Residential landlords, who may be looking to redecorate their properties in order to attract new tenants, have been advised to go for a black and white theme this year.

Carolyn Trevor, interior designer to the stars, has advised that teaming "dark and dramatic" shades together is "the look for 2010".