Latest Articles

The Ombudsman has ruled, fair or not, you decide ….

21/05/2013

I previously posted information about a problem Estate Agent who had let my property in Dover to a family on DSS with 7 children contrary to my instructions of no DSS tenants and no pets. I was very specific about my requirements due to a nightmare and costly experience with a previous tenant on DSS who trashed… Read more

Harry Oatten – Words of Wisdom from a landlord of 50 years

Thank you to Vanessa from Property Tribes TV for allowing me to share these Words of Wisdom from Harry Oatten, a landlord with 50 years experience. This video was recorded at the Welsh Landlords Day on 20th May where the youngest landlord was 21 years of age and the oldest was 80. I particularly enjoyed Harry’s… Read more

The latest on the BOI Tracker rate scandal

Bank of Ireland issued the following press release and wrote to 1,200 borrowers today:- “In February this year Bank of Ireland UK wrote to 13,500 mortgage customers to advise that their base rate tracking differential would increase on 1st May.  This increase is permitted by a specific clause in these mortgage contracts, which allows an… Read more

Capita enter Tenancy Deposit Protection Price War

If you didn’t already know, there are now four Deposit Protection providers in England and Wales and between them they have seven schemes, all with different rules! The new kids on the block are a corporate giant called Capita, a FTSE 100 company. You may not have heard of them before as they generally service… Read more

Landlord being repossessed for mortgage arrears – what rights does the tenant have?

I stumbled across one of your articles outlining Squatters rights.  I hoped you might be able to assist me in a current quandary I face. I am a tenant, I have paid my landlord on time, every month, for the last 5 years.  I have just discovered that he has not been paying his mortgage… Read more

Smoke drift between flats

I am aware of a potential dispute regarding smoke drift between flats. The block in question comprises 24 flats in three blocks. One of the leaseholders on the first floor has recently taken up smoking.  The resident on the second floor immediately above has lodged a formal complaint with the managing agents citing intolerable levels… Read more

Rent increase – your thoughts on this idea please

I normally only increase the rent when I have tenants move out of the property and new tenants move in. However, over the last few years I have noticed tenants remaining longer and longer. I have a tenant that is now running behind with the rent and the rent is quite low for the style… Read more

What to do about Tenants with Rent Arrears

20/05/2013

Watch this video and learn the solution you need to deal with rent arrears in just 60 seconds. Then simply complete the form below

Moving Tenant left house in a mess, how much should I deduct from her deposit

19/05/2013

I rented out my house just over 5 months ago to a Tenant who actually begged me to rent to her since her family lives on same street. I agreed on compassionate grounds since she was a single mother with 3 children. Got her to pay deposit after she and her guarantor failed credit check…. Read more

Problems dealing with utility companies when the students leave?

Every summer I have to sort out the new names and contact details for my 120 plus students in all my HMO properties for the Gas, Water and Electric. Council tax is pretty easy as the University send these across to the council automatically. The process I go through is checking who the utility provider… Read more

Do you trust the Financial Conduct Authority with your personal data?

16/05/2013

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), partially taken over from the FSA, is to collect the personal information from mortgage applications for use by its policy risk and research division to monitor the lending of banks. This raises serious Data Protection act questions and we are also asked to trust another body Phoenixed out of the… Read more

Help! – My Letting Agent didn’t tell the Council I was renting to students

My house is rented to students and is managed by a letting agent. Now as we know, students are generally excepted from Council Tax. However, neither my tenants nor my managing agents appear to have informed the council. I have now received a summons. Please let me know what I should do in this situation. Thanks in… Read more