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Today we’re by John Myers, co-founder of London YIMBY, which stands for Yes In My Back Yard. The group campaigns for more homes in London and the rest of the UK. Interviewed by IEA News Editor Kate Andrews, John talks through the main obstacles that stand in the way of building more homes, and how the current system makes it near impossible for quantity and quality in the housing sector to go hand-in-hand. John explains how the severe imbalance between supply and demand for housing in the UK, means that desperation to become a homeowner takes precedent, and often the aesthetics of property go out the window. John talks us through some solutions to the housing crisis, including allowing homeowners to have more control over planning permissions on their own street. Finally, the pair discuss the perverse incentives in politics around the housing crisis, and what decisions could be made in Westminster to help more young people secure cheaper mortgages and cheaper rent.

Another month and another set of mixed messages about the state of the housing market is revealed. First-time buyers who have a deposit and home movers in the North are doing fine. But London is on the ropes and second and third movers are staying put, bringing the market to a standstill. In this week’s This is Money podcast, editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Rachel Rickard Straus and money broadcaster Georgie Frost get into the aural attic to unbox the facts. The villain of the piece, they agree, is stamp duty. It used to be a 1% tax on purchases but it got tweaked into a giant cash cow for the Treasury by successive Chancellors. Stamp duty is stalling the market and needs to change but how? Also on the show: Paddington Bear 50p Gate.

High house prices mean that the biggest barrier to buying a home in Britain is raising a deposit. With mortgage interest rates at near record low levels, many would-be homeowners could afford monthly payments - but saving the average £30,000 deposit would take years. For a lot of first-time buyers that means a trip to the Bank of Mum and Dad, but what if that's not an option? It is possible to buy a home without raising tens of thousands of pounds, if you take a 95% mortgage. With one of these deals, a first-time buyer able to pass mortgage affordability tests could put down a 5% deposit of £10,000 and buy a £200,000 home. But is that a good idea? Didn't small deposit mortgages crash the economy a decade ago? Are they not leaving themselves heavily overexposed to falling house prices? In this week's podcast, Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost dig into the world of buying a home with a small deposit mortgage, busting the myths and considering the benefits and the risks.

Under this directive, from 25th May 2018, tenants will have the right to sue landlords for misuse of data. The NLA’s Chris Norris and Marlon Fox from Outlook Property talk to Richard Blanco about what landlords and agents need to do to comply. They discuss Ellie Flynn’s BBC Three documentary Rent For Sex (watch here) which exposes so-called landlords offering free rooms for sexual favours. A parliamentary select committee has proposed that landlords’ properties could be confiscated should they commit certain housing offences. And Tory party conference promises to fully regulate letting agents have now precipitated proposals for a legally enforceable code of practice, compulsory membership of a trade body, and a new regulator. Could this sound the death knell for ropey agents? Inside Property is produced in collaboration with the National Landlords Association.

Richard Blanco asks Douglas Haig, Vice Chair of the Residential Landlords Association and Richard Lambert, Chief Executive Officer of the National Landlords Association about the work of landlord associations; whether they can be legitimately seen as the voice of landlords; how their offer supports the landlord community; and why campaigns to prevent – and now roll back – recent tax changes have been thwarted. Also joining the debate is Vanessa Warwick, landlord and founder of propertytribes.com, who outlines the role she sees for digital platforms. What role might these organisations play as the government tries to professionalise and regulate the sector, should landlord associations merge to give them more clout, and is it fair to criticise web portals as a forum for ranting?

It’s one of the biggest contradictions in British politics. Across the country, baby boomers who own a house cheer as the value of their property rises. Meanwhile their millennial children watch on in horror, as owning their own home increasingly falls out of their reach. Politicians talk about building more homes but very few of them talk about directly reducing house prices. If house prices are too high for people to be able to buy houses, how can we bring them down? And can we do it without upsetting homeowners and crashing the economy? Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined by Joe Beswick, who leads on housing for the New Economics Foundation, and housing campaigner Beth Stratford, a PhD researcher at the University of Leeds.

Commercial property has had a good run recently. Does that mean you shouldn’t include any in your portfolio? Ed finds out from Mark Callender, head of property research at Schroders, Colm Lauder of Goodbody stockbrokers, and Scott Longley of ETFstream.

Chris Norris, NLA Director of Policy, and Nigel Lewis, Head of Content at The Negotiator, join Richard Blanco to discuss the latest issues affecting the world of property. There’s a new Ministry of Housing and we exchange views on the seventh housing minister to be appointed since 2010. There’s an update on changing gas, electricity and carbon monoxide safety regulations, the new Fitness for Human Habitation Bill and some unexpected changes to arrangements for licensing and Article 4. Will you be contributing to the consultation on the proposed Landlord Redress scheme, and what do you think about Labour’s proposals to give tenants the right to have pets? Inside Property is produced in collaboration with the National Landlords Association.

Following new research which reveals that two thirds of us don’t love the home we live in, Adam Cox talks to Will Jones and Andrew Weiss of BHETA. They discuss the emotional aspect of home ownership, home improvements and renting, as well as how a bit of courage and enthusiasm could be an opportunity to create huge equity in your property – and to climb the property ladder.

How would you define an ethical landlord or investor? Richard Blanco speaks to Susan Aktemel, founder of Glasgow based Homes For Good, Landlord Mary Ann Richmond-Coggan who created Green Farm Kent and Ed Fowkes, Development Director of Prosperity Capital Partners to find out what motivates them and how their practice stands out. We hear about how their businesses are structured, who benefits and what could be done to encourage more landlords and investors to nurture their social conscience. Inside Property is produced in collaboration with the National Landlords Association.