A ‘slum’ landlord is set to be the first in the country to be banned, via the conditions on an ASBO, from letting his homes out to vulnerable tenants – namely people on benefits. 

The extent to which Britain is turning to the private rented sector has been highlighted by the latest Census figures. 

The surge in private tenants reported in the latest census highlights the need for immediate Government intervention. 

Despite the huge growth in buy-to-let, the private rental market is ‘inactive’ in three-quarters of Britain, lenders have been warned. 

A ‘slum’ landlord is set to be the first in the country to be banned, via the conditions on an ASBO, from letting his homes out to vulnerable tenants – namely people on benefits. 

A free iPhone app listing all the latest buy-to-let mortgages has been downloaded by landlords and brokers nearly 1,500 times since launching in September. 

Ministers are to press ahead with their plans to pay benefit tenants their rent money and trust them to hand it over to their landlords. 

Almost one in five landlords do not have specialist insurance, instead relying on standard home insurance policies in the mistaken hope that they cover rental properties. 

Four in ten landlords plan to increase rents next year, with 10% planning rises of more than 5%. 

An Early Day Motion has been tabled by Lib Dem MP Annette Brooke calling for a new regulatory framework for letting agents. 

The importance of mobile phone coverage to tenants has been underlined in a new survey of over 2,000 people. 

London agent Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward says rents have increased by an average of 5% compared with the same time last year – with rents in some areas up by as much as 13%.