Marlena Topple, Author at Property118

Marlena Topple

Reply to the comment left by Martin Thomas at 29/04/2026 - 17:41Thank you for sharing your strategy. I am hoping other student LK will lob in their thinking about how they will respond to RRA. My fear is that raising...

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Am I the only (ex) student landlord that is much more concerned about students leaving after 8 or 9 months or less than the abolition of fixed term tenancies? In the 20 years I have rented to 100s of students...

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Please can the author this piece share the evidence to support these observations relating to student lettings. I am particularly interested in any evidence relating to student tenants behaviour regarding termination of contracts and if and how private LL ate...

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Reply to the comment left by Kate Gould at 14/04/2026 - 11:37Most of our student tenancies start in September. We have a property in Birmingham that commences in July. Irrespective of start time, after May 1st tenants can end tenants...

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This was always the most concerning dimension of the RRA for us as student landlords. In the 20 years we have rented to students I have never once been asked if someone could stay past the start of the following...

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The biggest threat to the sustainability of the student lettings market is the ability of tenants to give 2 months notice. I have been asked by students to terminate a lease early dozens of times. In 20 years of renting...

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Can new tenants just cancel and walk away?

23rd February 2026, 2 months ago

I am a student landlord. I feel these people have done you a favour by bailing on the contract giving you plenty of time to find replacements. In addition by signing a contract so early I believe you would have...

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Reply to the comment left by Tony Clements at 04/02/2026 - 14:08Can you speak to the Council to have his UC transferred to you?

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Selling a HMO property with tenant in arrears?

2nd February 2026, 3 months ago

Do you have other tenants that are paying rent at the property? Or is this the only person living there? If it is just one person left I would contact the utility companies and try to have bills put in...

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Grenfell coach house trap?

13th January 2026, 4 months ago

Do you have a lease or freeholder agreement? Your liabilities should be set out in that document. I would go over that with a fine toothcombe. I would also ask the resident management company on what basis they believe that...

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EV charging points are easy and relatively inexpensive to install. The potential to install an EV charging point must be more relevant than if one exists or not.

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Hilarious! Perfect item for the Sunday supplement. Gave me and my husband a much needed laugh. Landlords don't always have to take ourselves too seriously.

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You would certainly fall foul of your HMO license which will be relevant to a specific address and number of permissable tenants. I assume the annex has a slightly different address to the main house. Could you create internal access...

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What offends me most about the RRB and the anti LL narrative is the impact it has on vulnerable tenants not the impact on my livelihood. I will be affected of course; but I know this well meaning but utterly...

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It is not just potential damage that concerns me. I am also concerned about noise and the impact on neighbours, the breed of the animal and whether it will be properly trained, the welfare of the animal if people are...

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I would be interested in hearing views about the appetite of lenders in the post RRB world. Due to the increased risks surely it will be become harder and more expensive to obtain BTL finance which of course will further...

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This article ignores the elephant in the room which is of course the Renters Rights Bill. I don't see how the impact of the Bill on the student rental market will be anything other than catastrophic.

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I had a HMO selective license awarded then withdrawn by a large West Midlands council because, according to the Council, my lease prohibited renting to sharers. I disputed the interpretation of the wording in the lease and the license was...

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This is not the only issue. The ability of students to leave after 2 months is an even more significant issue.

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Unless you love living there I would find somewhere else to live with a more professional landlord. I find the nature of the comments made concerning.

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Showing 20 of 171 comments

Marlena Topple

Marlena Topple


Registered with Property118.com

13th July 2016

Total Posts

0

Total Comments

171

Bio

I am a student landlord with 4 properties. I own 2 leasehold flats. I purchased my own home as leasehold and went through the enfranchisement process to buy the freehold. The house is in a historical site managed by a management company