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You and Yours: Student landlords; NS& I woes; Holiday trends

Student landlords; NS& I woes; Holiday trends

BBC Radio 4 - You and Yours, Student landlords; NS& I woes; Holiday trends

The race to find student digs as more landlords sell up because of high mortgage rates.

We talk to a landlord who has been in the business of renting properties to students for the last 23 years, but is pulling out and selling up because of high mortgage rates.

A shortage of rooms for students means the hunt for suitable digs has started earlier than ever. We look at how an acute shortage of university accommodation is being exacerbated by landlords leaving the private rental market because of rising mortgage costs. We talk to a landlord who has been in the business of renting properties to students for the last 23 years, but is pulling out and selling up because the mortgage rates are so high. Meanwhile, StuRents which lists around 750,000 student rooms across the UK says there is now an "acute shortage"  of accommodation. 

Higher interest rates can mean good news for savers. The government's own savings bank -  National Savings and Investments -  recently offered an interest rate of  6.2% if you left your money in for a year.  It was a market-leading rate and the money piled in. The offer closed after only a few weeks. Systems seemed to struggle to cope with all the extra business but complaints shot up. We hear some of those complaints and how the Ombudsman had to be called in to resolve some disputes.

We report on the latest attempt to improve the quality of new homes.  The new consumer watchdog for new-build homes in England, Scotland and Wales  has just published its first report for developers about problems with houses and what they should do about them. The New Homes Quality Board, was set up a year ago to try to tackle some of the really poor build quality in some developments and the lack of  proper aftercare services to deal with snagging problems buyers have with new homes.  Buyers can now refer their complaint to an independent New Homes Ombudsman if they're unhappy with the way their complaints have been handled. 

We look back on the summer holidays of 2023 and review where people travelled to from the UK – and we look forward to how holidays are likely to change over the next 10 years, in the face of climate change, growing markets like China, and changing tastes in holidays as people look for more of a sense of adventure from their breaks.

PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: CRAIG HENDERSON

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Student landlords; NS& I woes; Holiday trends

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