An Oxford landlord has been fined for endangering the lives of his tenants after consistently failing to provide safety records for gas appliances at a property he rented out in Didcot.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently prosecuted William Edwards, 42, of Oxford, for breaching three charges under the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998.

Rightmove’s first Consumer Confidence Survey of 2012 finds that the proportion of those forecasting prices to be the same or higher in 12 months’ time has edged up to 66% from 62% a year ago.

The survey also finds that the majority of the public believes that the balance of power currently lays firmly with buyers, with 60% of the view that it is a ‘buyers’ market’ and just 13% a ‘sellers’ market’.

Analysis of new data from Assetz House Price Watch in 2011 reveals that December saw the biggest monthly fall in prices last year, down 1%.

Prices over the year were virtually unchanged with annual growth recorded at -0.1% for 2011.

Landlords are expecting tenant demand in the UK to remain high throughout 2012.

And with renting becoming ever more popular, landlords can very much afford to be choosy about who rents their properties.

The cost of moving house in the UK has risen at a faster rate than house prices over the past decade, according to new research by Lloyds TSB.

Since 2001, the average cost associated with moving home for someone who already owns a home rose by 69% (£3632) from £5290 in 2001 to £8922 in 2011.

A generational divide in the UK property market is likely to cause housing stagnation in 2012, with young people unable to buy and older homeowners unwilling to sell, according to HSBC.

Its 2012 Moving Home Survey revealed that only 12% are thinking about moving home or getting on the housing ladder.

First-time buyers keen to take advantage of 0% stamp duty should act now - as from March 24, the land tax will become payable again on all homes costing more than £125,000.

The concession, which was announced by the government in the 2010 March Budget, meant those who had never before purchased a home would escape the first 1% threshold of the tax which usually applies to all property costing between £125,001 and £250,000.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps has hailed a new partnership between the Government and the National House Building Council (NHBC) to gain a greater insight into how efforts to get Britain building again are making a difference in communities across the country.

In an innovative new deal between the Government and NHBC, Ministers will have access to a wealth of information on the ins and outs of housebuilding - from details of the materials used to build a home, to insights on the journey from the start of the construction process through to the final sale.

An easing in the demand for rental property and a rise in the numbers of tenants struggling to meet their monthly rent payments signals that the rental market may be softening, new research suggests.

According to ARLA's latest research, in Q4 2011 just over half (55%) of ARLA members reported more tenants than properties available.

The sales market in Portugal remains subdued, according to the latest RICS/ Ci Portuguese Housing Market Survey.

Demand, supply and prices continue to fall. However, sales activity dropped at a slower rate than November.