Residential landlords operating in Scotland and Wales could be among those to have noticed a decline in mortgage activity in the countries.

New figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) have revealed that in 2009, Wales and Scotland saw the number of approved mortgages decline by two per cent and 23 per cent respectively.

Residential landlords operating in the UK could be among the homeowners advised to remortgage their property in the current market.

According to Stuart Law, chief executive of property investment advisor Assetz, there are currently some very good deals available.

The recently-revealed rise in UK rents is not surprising, according to one industry expert.

Tom Entwistle, director of online information source LandlordZONE.co.uk, said the current climate is very much geared towards the rental sector as mortgages are still "out of reach" for many first-time buyers.

Residential landlords operating in the UK who are looking to acquire new-build properties for their portfolios will notice little activity in the construction sector this year.

This is according to two new reports by leading industry bodies in the country.

Residential landlords in the UK's private rented sector are experiencing high demand from the country's student population, according to a new report.

A survey by AccommodationforStudents.com has revealed that 88 per cent of Britain's 1.2 million undergraduate university students live in properties rented out by private sector landlords, the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) reported.

Residential landlords in Scotland could be among those who were put off from acquiring new properties in the first three months of this year.

According to new figures published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), Scotland has experienced the same 33 per cent drop in mortgage activity as the rest of the UK in the first quarter of the year.

Residential landlords could be among those putting their properties at risk by not taking out adequate insurance.

A recently-published survey from moneysupermarket.com has revealed that almost 1.5 million homeowners are inadequately insured.

Residential landlords operating in the UK could be set to benefit from the national roll-out of an accreditation scheme.

After successful trials in Bournemouth, Hastings, Middlesbrough, Rother and Tameside, the National Landlords Association (NLA) has announced that it is to make its NLA Accreditation scheme national.

Residential landlords in the UK could be pleased to know that rent prices are being pushed up by an increase in demand.

According to a recently-published report by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (Rics), demand for rental accommodation is outstripping supply.

The value of residential landlords' portfolios is on the rise, according to a new report.

Figures from a recently-published study by Paragon Mortgages revealed that the average value of landlords' portfolios has increased by 6.1 per cent in the first three months of 2010.

Landlords looking to purchase new properties for their portfolios could be encouraged to take out a tracker mortgage following the comments of one expert.

Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at independent mortgage adviser John Charcol, said tracker mortgages offer the best value in the current climate as interest rates are likely to remain low for "some time".

Residential landlords who offer fully-furnished properties need insurance to protect themselves against other things besides burglaries.

This is the view of Malcolm Tarling, media relations manager at the Association of British Insurers, who said there are many scenarios that could lead to the loss or damage of property.

UK landlords could maximise the potential of their properties and increase their rental and sale value by transforming garage spaces.

A recently-published report by Santander has revealed that 1.1 million garages are no longer being used to house cars, as homeowners look to use the space for studies, bedrooms and utility rooms.

Residential landlords who let part or fully furnished properties could be inspired to make sure they are adequately insured following the publication of recent burglary figures.

According to a report by the Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks, uninsured burglary victims face an annual bill of £200 million.

Residential landlords who are looking to add new-build properties to their portfolios could be among those to benefit from an increase in new developments in the UK.

Figures recently published by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) revealed that there were 24,930 house building starts in the first quarter of 2010.

The announcement that the new government has suspended home information packs (Hips) with immediate effect should be seen as the start of things to come.

This is the view of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (Rics), which said it is looking for the coalition to use the measure as a springboard to improving the home buying process in the UK.

Buying and selling properties has become a simpler and cheaper process for residential landlords and other home buyers with the suspension of home information packs (Hips).

The news has been welcomed by many organisations in the housing sector and lender Paragon Mortgages has said "goodbye and good riddance" to Hips, which it said were the "wrong vehicle" to improve the house buying process in the UK.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has called on the government to address funding issues in the UK's housing market.

It follows the publication of the organisation's latest monthly mortgage lending data, which revealed a decline in the value of home loans.

The news that home information packs (Hips) have been suspended has been welcomed by the UK's estate agents.

Trade organisation the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), said the news is "very welcome" after the "turbulent" market conditions seen over the course of the last 12 months.

Confidence among British residential landlords is at a three-year high, according to a new report.

Figures from the National Landlord Association's (NLA) latest Landlords Optimism Index have revealed that 57 per cent of residential property investors rate the overall prospects of their lettings business as "good" or "very good" over the next three months.

Residential landlords in the UK are feeling "reasonably confident" about the future of the housing market, according to one expert.

Chris Horne, editor at information website Property Hawk, said that rents are currently stable and rising in some cases and demand is "strong" as first-time buyers are putting of purchasing their own property.

A technology expert has said that home automation offers many advantages to an existing property.

Engineer Andy Stanford-Clark, a visiting professor at the University of Newcastle, said that home automation is about having infrastructure in place.

Mortgages for new homes are increasingly being taken out through intermediaries, new research has revealed.

The report from trade body IMLA found that 62 per cent of total mortgage lending in the first three months of the year was sought through brokers.

Landlords and homeowners in the prime property market support the new coalition government, estate agents have said.

Hirch Way & Ambler said that the Conservative-led coalition has made the property market "enthusiastic" about the future.

Residential landlords in the UK could be set to see the rental market sustained as potential buyers are finding it more difficult to obtain mortgages.

Paul Holmes, chief executive officer of first-time buyer information service Firtsrung has said trying to get a mortgage in today's market is like attempting to get a home loan in the 1970s and 1980s.

The housing market needs more buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage products to deal with the "robust" demand from investors, it has been claimed.

Paragon Mortgages has announced that it is in discussions about supporting new lending and feels other lenders should do the same in order for the BTL market to grow.

The appointment of Conservative MP Grant Shapps as the housing minister for the new coalition government shows a certain level of consistency.

This is the view of the National Landlords Association (NLA), which pointed out that Mr Shapps has held the shadow brief for a number of years.

Residential landlords in the UK could be set to benefit from the emergence of a new player in the buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage market.

Home loan lender Kensington has announced its entrance on the market with the launch of a new range of products aimed at BTL investors.

Residential landlords and UK tenants could both be benefiting from low interest rates on buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage deals.

This is the view of private rental sector expert Malcolm Harrison, who said if interest rates are kept low, it is easier for landlords to pay off their mortgages, which is also a good thing for tenants.

Increasing capital gains tax (CGT) and applying it to residential landlords could "undermine" any return to confidence in the UK's private rental sector (PRS).

This is the view of the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) following an announcement from the new coalition government that an increase in personal income tax allowances for low and middle income earners is to be paid for by a rise in CGT rates for non-business assets.

Landlords may be adversely affected by the proposed increase to the capital gains tax, an industry group has warned.

The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) said that raising the tax will threaten the private rental sector, which currently represents more than three million homes.

Landlords looking to offload or purchase properties in the UK could be among those to benefit from the end of home information packs (Hips).

Selwyn Lim, director of property market information website Mouseprice.com, said it looks as though Hips will "definitely be abolished" as both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties campaigned for this in their manifestos.

Residential landlords in the UK could be among those to benefit from the current low cost of short-term fixed-rate mortgages.

According to the latest figures from the Bank of England, the cost of short-term fixed-rate deals is at its lowest level since record began in 1995.

Residential landlords in the UK could be among those to notice volatility in the country's residential market.

Andrew Styles, a senior consultant at independent property investment consultancy Ducalian, said the market remains in a fragile state and the "green shoots" of recovery that were predicted last year have yet turn in to a full recovery.

Residential landlords in the UK could be among those to benefit from a change in attitudes among the country's mortgage lenders.

According to price comparison website moneysupermarket.com, the mortgage market has relaxed and this could be "great news for borrowers".

Residential landlords in the UK should not have to pay tax on capital gains from the sale of their properties.

This is the view of the National Landlords Association (NLA), which said the sale of residential property must be included as "generous exemptions" if capital gains tax (CGT) is increased under the new government.

Residential landlords operating in the UK could be among those to have lost confidence in the country's mortgage sector following the banking crisis.

Recent research carried out on behalf of Kensington Mortgages revealed that 44 per cent of Brits now have less confidence in their ability to get the right mortgage product for their needs.

With interest rates at an all-time low, mortgage borrowers are choosing tracker deals over fixed-rate loans, according to new research.

A survey by Paragon Mortgages showed that the proportion of borrows opting for trackers has overtaken those taking out fixed-rate mortgages for the first time in 12 months.

April saw an increase in seller activity in the UK housing market, according to figures from the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA).

The data showed that the average estate agent branch had 62 registered sellers on their books last month, up from 60 in March.

A quarter of all available mortgage deals are restricted to existing customers, according to a new report.

Figures taken from a recently-published study by financial research expert Defaqto have revealed that the number of mortgages available in the UK has increased from 1,686 in July 2009 to 2,948 today.

Residential landlords look set to benefit from increased competition among buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage lenders, it has been suggested.

Earlier this week, lender Mortgage Works announced that it is increasing the loan-to-value ratio of its BTL home loans to 80 per cent.

The UK housing market has been lifted by "spring optimism" despite the political uncertainty that currently grips the country.

This is the view of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (Rics), which said a number of surveyors are expecting a post-election "bounce".

While the UK's housing market is "more positive" than it has been, a return to "sensible" mortgage lending levels is needed before a sustainable recovery is seen.

This is the view of the Home Builders Federation (HBF), which said house building stabilised toward the end of 2009 after going through "probably the most difficult period in its history" in the last two years.

Landlords operating in the UK could soon benefit from cheaper buy-to-let (BTL) loans, it has been suggested.

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) said some current deals have seen a number of lenders reduce their rates and increase their loan-to-value (LTV) ratios.

Residential landlords in the East Midlands are set to benefit from free advice at a forthcoming event in the area.

The National Landlords Association (NLA) is to host a series of events across the region in a bid to highlight changes to the law that will affect the way landlords operate.

Residential landlords operating in the UK expect to see the value of their properties remain stable this year.

That is according to the latest quarterly index from the Young Group, which revealed that 78 per cent of landlords feel that property prices will remain "relatively stable" over the next 12 months.

Residential landlords in Scotland could be among those benefiting from an increase in house sale activity in the country.

A recently-published report from the Registers of Scotland revealed that housing transactions increased by 24.3 per cent in the first quarter of this year.

Residential landlords who are looking to add to their rental portfolios could be among those to benefit from an increase in mortgage activity this year.

Home loan advice service What Mortgage said business has been improving in recent months and mortgage brokers are "fairly confident" about the rest of the year.

Tenants cannot afford to be too choosy over new properties with regard to energy efficiency due to the current demand for rented accommodation, it has been suggested.

Private rented sector expert Malcolm Harrison said UK landlords are unlikely to become more proactive in achieving energy efficiency as they are "quite happily" letting out properties at the moment.

Residential landlords in Scotland could be among those seeing the value of their property being boosted by strong demand.

Property agency Rettie & Co said prices in the country are holding up as a result of strong demand and limited supply.

Residential landlords and other property owners will notice a slow recovery to the housing market, it has been suggested.

Catherine Hearnden, director of MyMortgageDirect, said the slowdown in mortgage lending can be attributed to "good" increases on what was a very low starting point.

The £16.7 million the Scottish government has spent on its Landlords Registration Scheme would have had a greater effect on raising standards in the sector had it been spent on training and advice.

This is the view of the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL), which said the scheme has had an "extremely limited effect" on addressing bad practice in the private rented sector.

The consequences of not complying with Housing Act Improvement Notices have been highlighted for UK residential landlords by an incident in Haydock.

Paul Vincent O'Shaughnessy, of Grange Road, who was convicted of failing to improve a hazardous flat, has lost an appeal against the conviction, the St Helens Star reported.

Residential landlords in the UK could be among those to be encouraged by a recent house price forecast by the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR).

According to the organisation, UK house prices will increase by five per cent by the end of 2010 despite the "sluggish" start to the year.

Residential landlords in Scotland look set to benefit from expert advice at a forthcoming roadshow.

A series of events has been scheduled in the country by the National Landlords Association (NLA) which are intended to give landlords a platform to discuss the future of renting.

There is no place in the private rented sector for "amateur landlords", it has been claimed.

Alan Ward, chairman of the Residential Landlords Association (RLA), called for all landlords within the sector to act professionally.

Residential landlords in the UK could be set to benefit from the publication of new advice on how to be more tax efficient.

According to specialist lender Paragon Mortgages, buy-to-let landlords need to ensure they are "making the most" of their allowable tax breaks.