With more buy-to-let mortgage products are available than ever before, it seems that news just keeps getting better for landlords after the latest report from Nationwide.

The buy-to-let market has bloomed in recent times due to a wide range of factors, and it seems like there's no better time to take advantage of the popularity of life in a rented space, according to a new report.

A new report concerning the private rented sector (PRS) has discovered that around one in five (19.1 per cent) of landlords in the UK had added additional residential property assets to portfolios during 2011.

Both landlords insurance customers and letting agents alike are looking forward to another "bumper year", according to a new report from Gloucestershire.

It looks like fewer people are lending money in order to secure their home, after a report from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) revealed that gross mortgage lending in December was around £11.7 billion.

Landlords struggling to make ends meet may have been handed a bit of good news this week, after it was revealed by the British Property Federation (BPF) that a "welcome" government review could see Whitehall pull back from imposing powers that could force renters to share information on changes of tenancy with water companies, as well as making then liable for tenants' debts.

After months of bad news from a range of authorities regarding the finances of homeowners in the UK, the Bank of England finally had something good to say: that inflation has fallen to 4.2 per cent, down from 4.8 per cent in November and above the five per cent mark in September.

After a strong 2011, tenant demand is expected to increase even further in 2012, according to predictions from one market specialist.

Research, from buy-to-let lender Paragon Group, suggests that buy-to-let insurance will be even more in demand in 2012, with over half of landlords indicating that they expect demand from tenants to either grow or boom. Only six per cent of landlords predicted a decline in demand.

Individuals buying new properties paid more in November compared to the same month in 2010, according to new figures.

Statistics released by the Department for Communities and Local Government show that homeowners and buy-to-let landlords alike paid 7.7 per cent more than the previous year when buying new dwellings.

Rented property insurance may be in demand if landlords take advantage of the falling cost of buying a home.

Land Registry's House Price Index showed the average value of abodes in England and Wales in November dropped to £160,780.

Landlords with houses in the London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea may need to take out rented property insurance to ensure they protect what could be strong capital gains, as it has been revealed these are the two most expensive areas to buy homes in the UK.

A study by Lloyds TSB showed the most costly street to purchase an abode is Campden Hill Square, where residential real estate sets people back an average of £4,863,000.

Landlords property insurance may be better taken out on homes in the north by buy to let investors that want to expand their portfolio, as new research has revealed abodes are more affordable there than in the south.

The Halifax First-Time Buyer Review found the the average house paid for by those purchasing their initial domicile is achievable for those on typical earnings for their area in 44 per cent of all local authority districts.

Protecting valuable assets in London with landlords insurance could be an important consideration for buy to let investors next year, as it has been predicted house prices will see further rises.

Graham Lock, director of estate agent Housenetwork.co.uk, explained holding the Olympic Games in the city is bound to have an inflationary effect on the amount of money required to buy real estate in the area.

It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of rented houses are owned by accidental landlords, which could mean landlords insurance customers will see even greater tenant demand when these reluctant investors leave the sector.

And it looks like this time may not be too far in the future, as chairman at the Residential Landlords Association Alan Ward has predicted those who only leased their abodes because they could not sell them will put their domiciles back on the market as house prices increase.

Purchasing buy to let insurance on a home in the Hampshire town of Hart could be a good investment for landlords, as a new survey ranking the location as the best in the UK for quality of life may suggest it is in demand with renters.

Research by Halifax showed 95 per cent of residents in the settlement said they were in good or fairly good health, weekly average earnings were high at £841 and the crime rates are among the lowest in the country.

Tenants referencing services may be particularly important to landlords nowadays, as occupants are generally staying in their contracts for longer and one expert's comments suggest this trend could continue next year.

One of the reasons people are living in leased accommodation instead of entering the property market themselves is that they are unable to access finance to buy real estate.

The National Association of Estate Agents' chief executive Peter Bolton King thinks this situation will stretch into 2012.

"Next year will see a continued lending barrier facing those entering the housing market for the first time, with major lenders sticking to tight mortgage policies," he said.

In fact, he warned the difficulties first-time buyers will face trying to take out a home loan will become even greater in the second quarter of 2012, when the Stamp Duty holiday ends.

The struggle to get a mortgage seems to be affecting tenants far more than landlords, however, as property consultant at Knight Knox International Iqbal Hussain recently stated it is not as hard for buy to let investors to access finance as it has been over the last couple of years.

Get a buy-to-let property insurance quote today from Simple Landlords Insurance.

Posted by Luella Ravelin

Landlords property insurance could be essential for those with high-value portfolios who need to protect their capital gains, particularly as it seems house prices will remain buoyant in 2012.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' (RICS) Housing Market Forecast suggested falls in asking prices will be limited by a shortage in available residential real estate.

Buy to let investors worried about having to claim on their landlords content insurance may have tried putting booby traps in vacant properties, but they have been warned this could make matters worse not better.

A survey by More Than found almost 14 million Britons have thought about setting up amateur obstacles in their abodes before leaving them empty.

This paranoia could be even worse for buy to let investors who have left expensive appliances in properties that are currently void.

Five per cent of people have considered putting trip wires and ropes up around the house, while the same proportion have thought of greasing doorknobs and propping up external doors with household objects.

As many as 21 per cent have mulled over leaving a talk radio station on loudly so people think there is someone in, while 13 per cent have been tempted to ice up their driveway and seven per cent have come close to putting cardboard cutouts or dummies behind netted curtains.

In fact, a third of respondents admitted they had actually gone through with some of their ideas, but it was explained these traps could advertise the fact there is no one in.

"Home security isn't about employing tricks and gimmicks that belong in fiction," Matt Pernet of More Than Said.

"If you want to minimise the likelihood of a break-in while you're away over the festive season then stick to the basics," he added.

Burglars are not the only people that could leave landlords out of pocket. Malcolm Harrison of Tenancy Deposit Scheme recently reminded buy to let investors to ensure they use a regulated letting agent.

Get a cheap landlords insurance quote today from Simple Landlords Insurance.

Posted by Royston Hunter 

Buy to let insurance customers may be able to benefit from the indications of a two-tier housing market reported by property website Zoopla.co.uk.

It was revealed that while the real estate sector is stagnating in most areas, higher-end assets are performing well.

As many as 26,744 British property millionaires were created this year, with the average value of a home that costs over £1 million now standing at £1,688,379.

This shows there has been a rise in prices among abodes in this very high end of the market, which were typically going for £1,657,858 a year ago.

While this is happening, the average value of a UK home has fallen by three per cent in the past 12 months to reach £221,128.

Nick Leeming of Zoopla.co.uk explained: "At the upper end of the market, cash and equity rich buyers are enjoying some of the lowest mortgage rates in recent history. And strong demand from overseas buyers has boosted prices for homes in the capital."

This could be good news for buy to let investors who have been able to buy up properties in London and also those who want to extend their portfolio while the cost of most houses is down.

Renters may also be rushing to get into rental accommodation at the moment, as FindaProperty.com said this is a good time to move to a new leased home, as the amount charged by landlords tends to dip at the end of the year.

Get a cheap landlords insurance quote today from Simple Landlords Insurance.

Posted by Luella Ravelin

Tenants referencing and rent guarantee insurance are likely to be important products to landlords who are worried they will have to deal with an unreliable occupant, but even if buy to let investors are faced with someone unexpectedly giving notice to move out of their property, they may not need to worry about losing too much cash.

This is the opinion of experts at Belvoir lettings, who explained that high tenant demand means an abode should not be vacant for too long.

Indeed, this echoes the sentiment of many commentators on the private rented sector, with research from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors recently showing the supply of rental real estate is not able to keep up with the number of people looking for accommodation.

As well as reducing the chance of long void periods for landlords, this has also put upward pressure on rents, with the body reporting 19 per cent more surveyors saw asking prices rise rather than fall in the three months to October.

Sales director at independent residential lettings and property management Daniel Cox explained this is partly due to a lack of available finance for first-time buyers.

"The lending criteria is still pretty stringent at the moment, so it is quite difficult to get a mortgage ... That is why renting is the way to go at the moment," he said, adding: "It is difficult to save while you're renting, so it is a catch 22 situation."

For this reason, landlords may notice tenants staying around for a longer period of time while they try to build up enough cash to pay a deposit.

This could be difficult for many young people, as Mr Cox noted even those on a reasonable salary of around £25,000 to £30,000 will have great difficulty accessing finance to purchase a home.

However, some tenants may decide to leave and, even in a climate that could make it easy to fill vacant properties, it is better to retain the same occupants, Belvoir stated.

"If they have looked after the property and always paid on time, they are clearly worth trying to hold on to. If they leave you will have re-let fees to pay out and a possible void period," proprietor of Macclesfield Belvoir Rosemary Millican explained.

The lettings agent suggested buy to let investors find out why people are keen to move to a different abode and see if there is anything that can be done to change their minds.

"It may be they are finding the house expensive to heat and you could investigate ways of making the property more energy efficient, for example. Or maybe they are wanting to cut down on their rent," Ms Millican said.

She also suggested offering a fortnight of reduced charge to stay in the house that is the equivalent cost of re-let fees and other expenses they would have to pay if they had to find someone else to move in.

Some individuals may need to leave for work or because they are buying a house, in which case landlords are likely to need to look for someone new, but they could still ask for the occupant's help, Ms Millican advised.

"If you have looked after your tenant well, they may well be happy to help you find a new tenant, which will minimise the void period. Perhaps offer your tenant a £20 shopping voucher to say thank you," she stated.

Belvoir urged those landlords left with a vacant house to use the time between occupants well.

"It's an opportunity to reappraise your property in terms of rental income, appearance and maintenance to ensure long-term prospects for the property are still good," proprietor of the organisation's Luton branch Adrian Mason said.

He also advised landlords to evaluate how much other portfolio investors are charging their occupants and make sure they meet the standards required of the area they are operating in as well as charging the right amount to tenants.

Ms Millican agreed, stating: "Take a look at the rent you have been getting ... with rents increasing in many areas, it may be that you could now re-market it at a higher rent."

When it comes to the standard of accommodation landlords should aim for, she warned tenants may have increasing expectations in this arena, with buy to let investors refurbishing their properties and owner-occupiers leasing their homes because they will not sell.

This means portfolio holders may be competing with a higher quality of housing than before, so a lick of paint and some maintenance work is a good idea while tenants are out of the house, Ms Millican added.

"Never be complacent and say, 'it will do, it's just a rental property'," she advised. "Importantly, a well-prepared property reduces problems during the tenancy and minimises issues at the end of tenancy too."

Get a cheap landlords insurance quote today from Simple Landlords Insurance.

Posted by Luella Ravelin

Now is the time to sign a contract to stay in rented property, tenants have been told, which may mean buy to let insurance customers see an increase in the number of people viewing their houses.

FindaProperty.com explained the amount landlords are charging people to stay in leased homes dropped slightly recently.

Rent guarantee insurance and tenants referencing services may be vital for landlords at the moment, as the Association of Residential Lettings Agents has warned the number of people falling into arrears could rise next year.

Ian Potter, operations manager at the body, noted there is not enough housing stock to meet the demand from potential occupants.

Rent guarantee insurance may be a good idea for landlords operating in London, as it has been suggested tenants could be feeling the squeeze when they try to pay for accommodation.

Liam Bailey, head of residential research at property consultancy Knight Frank, explained the amount occupants are asked for is likely to keep rising despite the fact it is verging on unaffordable at the moment.

Buy to let insurance customers are likely to be investing in the private rented sector due to the promise of strong returns and it seems they are not the only people who are trying to cash in on the booming market.

Law firm Wedlake Bell has reported that banks and insurers are taking increasing interest in the UK's housing stock, pouring billions of pounds into leased homes.

The organisation revealed that in the last financial year, such firms spent as much as £2.2 billion on houses compared with £765 million in the previous 12 months, according to the Telegraph.

This represents a change of heart among institutional investors, as the benefits of renting abodes now outweigh the potential drawbacks to a more significant extent, head of residential property at the organisation Jeremy Raj stated.

"Financial institutions have previously been reluctant to invest in residential property as they felt that the relatively high costs of managing a residential portfolio, made up of so many small individual properties, cut too deeply into returns,” the Financial Times quoted him as explaining.

However, the law firm revealed rental values have been rising for nine months in a row and now average at £720 per month, making buy to let houses an increasingly appealing opportunity for those looking to make some money.

"Institutions are being attracted to residential property because of improving market fundamentals, including high tenant demand, high rents and a supply shortage that shows no immediate signs of abating," Mr Raj said.

Some areas of the private rented sector are more alluring to these investors than others, including student accommodation.

Iqbal Hussain, property consultant at global real estate group Knight Knox International recently recommended landlords buy up houses in lesser known university towns like Bolton, where there are fewer competitors.

Get a cheap landlords insurance quote today from Simple Landlords Insurance.

It may be a good idea for buy to let investors in London to take out landlords insurance to protect their assets, as one expert has said the value of prime properties in the city is likely to remain high.

Ed Mead, director at Douglas & Gordon, explained foreign buyers are supporting the buoyancy of the market and they will probably not lose interest.

"The only possible change on the horizon is that there has obviously been a lot of turmoil in the eurozone," he said, warning this could cause significant changes.

"But at the moment there seems a very strong momentum towards trying to keep the euro together," the specialist added.

This is protecting the best London real estate for the time being and there are no indications foreign buyers are dropping out of the market, Mr Mead stated.

His comments followed a recent report by Knight Frank, which said the average prime central London property increased in price by one per cent in November and 12.6 per cent in the past 12 months.

Get a buy-to-let property insurance quote today from Simple Landlords Insurance.

The National Landlords Association (NLA) has responded positively to the discussion of the private rented sector among the candidates for the London mayoral election.

Chief executive of the organisation Richard Lambert noted the city-wide non-profit lettings agency proposed by Labour member Ken Livingstone - which may affect those seeking building contents insurance for landlords - is comparable to the Held2Let scheme in Harrow, which the NLA supports.

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, 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".

Changes to how the Local Housing Allowance operates have been urged by the National Landlords Association (NLA).

The organisation, which represents the interests of people letting out their properties, said that the payment system is causing problems for landlords.

Landlords have been advised to check whether their tenancy deposits are being managed correctly.

The call came from rent collection firm Landlord Assist in response to news of cases of homeowners having to pay back deposits they are not required to.

Residential landlords could be seeing tenants vacate their properties to get away from neighbours, new research has suggested.

A recent survey by Abbey Mortgages revealed that 95,200 people have moved home in the last two years to get away from their neighbours.

Residential landlords are set to benefit from improved rents as more "accidental landlords" take advantage of house prices and leave the lettings market, it has been suggested.

The number of rental properties on the market has decreased for the first time since January 2008, according to the latest quarterly survey by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Residential landlords in Coventry, who suspect illegal activity may be taking place in their properties, are being urged to "shop dodgy tenants".

West Midlands Police have written to 2,500 people, who rent out properties in the city, encouraging them to take part in scheme called Tenant Watch, the Coventry Telegraph reported.

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) has expelled a London-based estate agent who failed to safeguard a tenant's deposit or pay compensation.

Global Realty, which has two north London offices, has had its membership to the ombudsman scheme revoked after failing to comply with a £1,600 award decision.

More than a quarter of residential landlords reported decreased or stagnated revenue during the third quarter of the year, new figures have shown.

Almost 25 per cent were found to either be making a loss or struggling to break even, according to the latest quarterly report from research agency Business Development Research Consultants (BDRC).

The National Landlords Association (NLA) called on the government yesterday to raise the tax threshold on its rent-a-room scheme.

Under current regulations, landlords who let out spare rooms in their homes are entitled to £4,250 of tax-exempt earnings.

Buy-to-let landlords in Brentwood are benefiting from increased property sales, according to estate agents in the area.

An increase in property sales in the borough has lead to less rented accommodation being available on the market.

In turn this has meant that landlords have been able to put up rental rates and increase profits.

A recent boom has been reported in the market for letting rooms to workers in need of affordable weekday accommodation.

The growing trend of people renting affordable rooms throughout the week, as opposed to making a long daily commute, is producing a huge impact on the buy-to-let sector, the Daily Mail reported.

Landlords showed "renewed" confidence in their industry during the third quarter of 2009 in a new study.

Findings from Paragon Mortgages' PRS Trends report revealed that many landlords anticipate the value of their portfolio will increase during the next 12 months.

Landlords who let homes of multiple occupancy (HMO) were reminded of the importance of licensing this week (Monday November 2nd), after a Brighton landlord was fined more than £1,200.

HMO licences have been required by landlords since 2006, and under the Brighton and Hove City Council scheme, can last for up to five years.

An increasing number of landlords and letting agents are using video evidence in tenancy disputes, according to one deposit protection organisation.

Up to five pieces of video evidence per week are now be submitted to the online dispute service of mydeposits.co.uk, a government-approved scheme.

The number of homeowners reluctantly letting out properties has fallen for the third quarter in a row, according to figures from the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA).

Six in ten of the organisation's members reported property being rented out rather than sold between July and September.

Rents in the UK have risen by almost three percentage points in the last two months following an increase of 1.2 per cent in September, a new report has shown.

London and the south-east proved to have the strongest growth with increases of 4.5 and 6.5 per cent respectively.

Residential landlords on the south coast will be able to learn about their expectations and responsibilities during a meeting later this month.

Gosport Borough Council is hosting its Landlord's Forum on October 22nd, which will allow those involved in residential lettings to ask questions about any issues they are unsure of, the Southern Daily Echo reports.

Residential property owners in Loughborough wanting to know more about landlords insurance can attend a free advisory surgery later this month.

Charnwood Borough Council is hosting the event at its offices in Southfields Road on October 26th between 16:00 and 18:00, inloughborough.com reports.

The importance of taking out appropriate landlord insurance has been highlighted by one property expert.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Zoomf's Katie McLoughlin said that property-related problems, albeit small ones, are inevitable "regardless of the size of their property portfolio".

More than half of property experts have seen a "significant improvement" in the way in which investors view UK property investment conditions over the past three months.

This is according to Reita's Property Investment Perspective, which showed that this is true among 54 per cent of those surveyed.

Being a homeowner for increasing numbers of younger people has become an unrealistic expectation.

This is according to Steven Hilton, spokesperson for the National Landlords Association, who was responding to new research revealing that the average age of those renting accommodation has risen.

Portfolio values are expected to increase over the next 12 months for landlords, a development that could see demand for landlord insurance to increase.

Paragon Mortgages latest quarterly survey has revealed that landlords expect, on average, a 0.8 per cent increase in the value of their portfolios during the next year.

Increasing numbers of landlords could experience a rise in property activity following the publication of new research.

Abbey Mortgages has found that those looking at buying a property in the capital would be better off renting.

It was revealed that the 187,000 people looking to get on the property ladder in London would be £466.19 worse off each month if they chose to buy as opposed to rent because of continued high prices in the capital.

Individuals letting a property have seen the average age of tenants increase during the past three years.

According to research by Spareroom.co.uk, the average age of a tenant is now 28-years-old, which is up from 2006's average of 25-years-old, the Press Association reports.

Landlords need to get their finances in order to make sure that their property investment are a success.

That is the view of Mortgages for Business, which has called for more professionalism within the sector.

Financial considerations for landlords include arranging let property insurance, sorting out mortgages and deciding whether or not to look for and purchase new homes.

House prices increased by 0.9 per cent in the UK last month, new statistics have shown.

Research from the Nationwide Building Society revealed that during September property rose in value for the fifth month in a row.

The organisation claimed that home prices have increased by 4.1 per cent in 2009 so far, though they are still 13.5 per cent lower than at the peak of October 2007.

More housing needs to be available in the rented sector, a property website has claimed.

According to upad.co.uk, there needs to be action from the government to help stimulate growth in the marketplace.

A combination of economic factors and social issues has resulted in more potential tenants, which in turn provide more opportunities for landlords.

There is never a wrong time to enter the buy-to-let market, a property expert has claimed.

Lovemoney.com indicated that there are always good deals available for shrewd landlords and now is no exception.

Tim Wilson, head mortgage broker at the website, pointed towards non-standard buildings as a good investment option at the moment.

There has been a rise in demand in the rental market for the first time since the start of the recession, new statistics have shown.

The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) indicated that the rental sector is stabilising and more new tenancies are being agreed.

Rent prices in several regions of the UK are on the rise, according to new statistics from Gumtree.com.

The website has indicated that landlords in cities such as Birmingham, Leeds, Oxford and Glasgow have all seen average rents increase.

Many people are choosing to rent properties rather than trying to buy a home while the market is not in their favour, an expert has claimed.

Yolanda Barnes, director of research at Savills, has explained that the rental market is offering good short-term opportunities for people used to owning homes, as well as long-term benefits to others.

Conditions within the UK housing market are steadily improving, according to property experts.

Smiths Gore has suggested that there are still good opportunities for people looking to buy new homes.

This is in part due to the relatively poor state of the housing sector, with the property consultants explaining that a weak market offers better value for money for shrewd investors.

Both landlords and tenants have a responsibility to ensure that deposits are secure and systems are in place to ensure both parties are satisfied.

That is the view of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, which has noted that many people are trying to find rented accommodation at the moment.

People with landlords insurance will see the property market "kick-start" in spring 2010, it has been suggested.

Jane Marr, company director at the Little House Company, said that although prices were rising at the moment, the "real" increases would only be seen next year.

Landlords have been urged to maximise the rental potential of their properties but making minor adjustments.

ServiceMaster has called for homes to be spruced up this summer in order to gain an edge over the competition and secure new tenants.

Tenants that can be relied on by landlords are worth keeping - even if the rent they are willing to pay is slightly less than other people.

That is the view of Marc Lockley, who suggested that receiving payments on time and in full is more valuable to landlords than charging more rent but being fraught with problems.

People renting property for the first time have been given advice by a government-approved tenancy deposit protection service.

According to mydeposits.co.uk, people entering the rental market need to know the rules in advance regarding privacy, money and deposits.

The government has been called upon to intervene in order to stop house prices from increasing to unpractical levels.

PricedOut.org.uk has suggested that home values will become more reasonable over the next few months.

However, the affordable property campaign website indicated that action must be taken to "prevent a future boom in house prices".

The UK housing market crash may not yet be over and properties could continue to fall in value next year, according to an influential commentator.

A new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has suggested that, despite "green shoots" in the property market, prices could still fall in 2010, although at a slower rate than has been seen over the past year and a half.

Young people are increasingly choosing to rent properties because of the financial downturn, according to an expert.

Jon Brown, partner relationship manager at iammoving.com, an online change of address service, explained that many young adults are finding it difficult to get on the property ladder, with mortgage availability low and fears of redundancies high.

Landlords across the country are losing out because of a change to how the government pays benefit to private tenants, according to a report.

A number of buy-to-let investors spoken to by the BBC said that the new scheme, where tenants rather than landlords receive rent payments from the government, is leading to unscrupulous behaviour.

Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has backed plans to invest in the rented sector on a large scale.

Upon launching the new London Housing Design Guide consultation, he explained that he is "keen to attract institutional investment into rented housing in London".

The chief executive of the RSA has called for a change of attitude towards rented accommodation.

Matthew Taylor, writing in the Times, explained that the British psyche has for too long equated property ownership with success.

He said that people should feel no shame in renting, given that the recent property market crash has indicated that houses may not be as safe an investment as people think.