New Rights for Consumers
New rights came into force on 1st October 2014 that give consumers greater powers to challenge rogue traders and get their money back. Under the changes, consumers who are bullied or misled into buying services or goods they neither need nor want will now have a period of up to 90 days to take legal […]
Flat Prices Rise Sharply
The average price of a flat has risen sharply over the past decade, outperforming other types of properties, according to a recent report from Halifax. Over the past ten years, flat prices have increased by 32% on average, while the price of other residential properties has only grown by 15%. The lowest growth has been […]
Arguing Neighbours Top Nuisance List
As many as a quarter (27%) of people have had a problem with nuisance neighbours in the past year, according to new research from consumer rights organisation Which?. Loud voices and arguing (41%) top the list of annoyances caused by problem neighbours, followed by loud music and noisy TVs (29%), doors slamming (27%), people stomping […]
Rent in Scotland Rising Above the Rest of UK
Between June and July this year, property rental prices rose by 10 per cent in Scotland, marking a considerable jump when compared to the 4.4 per cent rise in the UK in the same period last year. The figures, according to the July 2014 HomeLet Rental Index – the biggest monthly survey of private tenants […]
Contractual Rights and Doorstep Traders
In a decision that has been welcomed by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the Supreme Court has recently ruled that a consumer who entered into a doorstep selling contract was entitled to cancel his contract and get his money back when a trader failed to tell him about his legal right to cancel. The […]
Reminder to Landlords of Obligations to Tenants
Recent research from the National Landlords Association (NLA) shows that a quarter of landlords have been letting properties for less than five years. With so many new landlords entering the market, the NLA is urging property owners to take proactive steps to understand and meet their legal responsibilities to tenants. If you are a landlord […]
Stonehaven Firm Fined After Fatal Crush Injury
A Stonehaven animal feed company has been fined after a lorry driver was crushed to death when a two-tonne, fully-loaded grain bin fell onto him from a forklift truck. David Leslie, who was 49, was helping with a grain loading operation when the incident happened. The grain bin had been picked up by a forklift […]
Sharp Rise in Scottish First-time Buyer Numbers
The number of mortgage loans to first-time buyers in Scotland reached 7,500 in the second quarter of 2014, according to recent figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). This is an increase of 29% over the previous quarter, and up 23% on Q2 2013. In total, Scottish first-time buyers borrowed £790 million over the […]
Aberdeen to Run Domestic Abuse Pilot Scheme
Aberdeen is one of two Scottish locations that have been selected to pilot a new domestic violence disclosure scheme. The Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse, also known as Clare’s Law, will undergo trials in Aberdeen City and Ayrshire. The pilots will start in late November and run for six months before a thorough evaluation takes […]
Failure to Check can Cause Problems for Landlords
The failure to carry out basic checks on prospective tenants is leaving many UK landlords exposed to potential risks and problems, according to insurance company AXA. AXA’s research found that almost 60% of tenants admit to breaking the terms of their rental agreement, and a third had broken the law in relation to their rental. […]
