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John 's Articles
About John
John Paul is a portfolio landlord in the North East and founder of the Castledene Group of letting agents which employs 17 ARLA-trained staff. The business has client money protection with NALS, PI insurance and subscribes to the Property Ombudsman Code of Practice. Offices are located in Seaham, Easington, Bishop Auckland,South Shields. Leeds, Manchester, and Belfast, Both John Paul and the The Castledene Group have earned an enviable reputation of being leading experts in the management and letting of residential property to benefits claimants in receipt of Local Housing Allowance "LHA".
Resolving LHA rent arrears and overpayments
28/03
LHA Top Tips for landlords. Article 7 in a series of 8
If prevention has failed the next best thing is speedy resolution.
- Be organised. Know when your rent or rents are due and what date you are expecting top-up payments. Never allow arrears to mount up before taking action.
Managing LHA tenancies
26/03
LHA Top Tips for landlords. Article 6 in a series of 8
Stay in contact to build a positive relationship.
- The most valuable asset to a trouble free tenancy is regular, open communication. Ensure both you and the tenant maintain up to date contact details and if possible obtain details of next of kin or close contacts so that you can always reach the tenant if issues arise. Ask the tenant to complete a form for this which states that you can contact all names given for any matter relating to the tenancy. Call from time to time to ensure they know that you want to be told of any maintenance issues as they arise. Some tenants will be nervous about seeming to make a fuss and this can be more costly for you if an issue is left unresolved.
The LHA Claim procedure for landlords
20/03
LHA Top Tips for landlords. Article 5 in a series of 8
Be thorough, do it once and do it right.
- Offer to complete all paperwork with the tenant but always hand it in to the council yourself. Ensure that you give the tenant copies of all paperwork. When you deliver paperwork to the council always keep copies for yourself and always obtain a receipt. Lost paperwork will seriously delay the application and you will need to be clear where the responsibility lies if you have to go through a complaints procedure.
Forms and procedures for LHA Landlords
16/03
LHA Top Tips for landlords. Article 4 in a series of 8
The most important things are that you need everything in writing; you need to keep it clear and simple for the tenant and you must understand timings. read on
Finding reliable LHA tenants
14/03
LHA Top Tips for landlords. Article 3 in a series of 8
The longer you keep a tenant the less paperwork and voids you will experience. Start by finding a tenant you feel confident is right for your property and your management strategy and start as you mean to continue.
read on
Vital Contacts for LHA Landlords
09/03
LHA Top Tips for landlords. Article 2 in a series of 8
Inform yourself. If you don’t know all the rules about being a landlord for Local Housing Allowance tenants, at the very least be sure you know where to look when you need information fast. read on
Introducing The LHA Expert for Landlords – @TheLHAexpert
06/03
-By Guest Columnist John Paul- Part 1 of an 8 part series
Welcome to the first in a series of eight articles giving you top tips for renting your property to tenants in receipt of Local Housing Allowance (LHA).
I have personally built a successful portfolio by letting to LHA Tenants and the profits and cash flow exceed those I could have achieved with working tenants. In some areas rents are as much as 30% higher than market rents in the private rented sector. I think you’ll agree that’s a premium that makes some additional administration worth the effort. read on