On the other hand, the risk of "group think" or "echo chambers" might be higher with a group of friends group compared to 5-6 individuals. So if the group decides to stop paying, then none will pay. Families and known...
Reply to the comment left by Paul Essex at 30/12/2025 - 11:23I am not sure that would work (but delighted to be proven wrong!): No break contractual break clause can override legislation, and the legislation is set up for tenant...
Reply to the comment left by Jo Westlake at 30/12/2025 - 10:15I agree entirely, so why DO those lenders still insist on one AST if that risks causing more defaults for borrowers? What's the advantage for the lenders?
Thanks again Mark, and with more detail comes even more to think about! To me, the complexity seems to be in avoiding having everything in the structure unravel upon one person's death, causing additional burden for the survivors/heirs. Much to...
Thanks Mark for the well-researched guidance paper! It does trigger more questions, especially on the aspects of estate and succession planning. If beneficial ownership of a portfolio is with a Ltd Co (50/50 owned by a married couple), but title...
Stopping RTB for council housing should also extend to killing the idea of tenants having a legal right to buy from their private landlords at a discount.
Well done Julie, that's very helpful! Further leverage from CCJs is that, depending on the former tenant's job/profession, it can badly affect their career path if they cannot have CCJs against their name. I don't know if there is a...
Common Fallacy: “Even something as simple as getting a new gas or electrical safety certificate means that home is safer than it was before.” If I go for an eye test, the test on its own does not improve my...
Kudos Mark! Before reading your post, I didn't know your whole backstory ... wow, you've certainly gone through the trenches! I remain ever-grateful for when you took on West Brom and won (I had two with them at the time),...
Reply to the comment left by David Judd at 06/07/2022 - 12:44Thanks David and Jo. In the meantime I discovered lots of different "induction adapters" on Amazon and even Ikea sells their own too. I would provide a couple of...
Thank you all very much for that feedback! We will fit induction on this first one to try it and see how it goes (and yes, that image above is an "artist's impression", not mine) :-)
*Minimum room sizes* - another poorly-thought-out policy idea with “unexpected” consequences. When the Govt increased minimum room sizes to supposedly “improve living standards”, thousands of previously affordable and comfortable-enough bedrooms were taken out of the market overnight, especially in HMOs....
Reply to the comment left by Rob Guy at 06/10/2021 - 09:31If you tried to increase the rent too much in one step, it would be thrown out out in Court if the increase were judged to be "unreasonable" and...
Reply to the comment left by Richard Mann at 09/10/2021 - 08:48There are two factors in this particular case that prevented us from putting bills in this one tenant's name: (1) our ASTs are on a per-room basis with bills...
We had a similar situation with 4 of the 5 working tenants of the HMO already gone or happy enough to go when we served the separate S21 notices, but the 5th refused. The refurb included a new boiler (in...
Reply to the comment left by David Lawrenson at 25/03/2020 - 11:31I agree too: there was already what everyone called a "housing crisis", which has been trumped but not eliminated by the "virus crisis". It must therefore be "essential" work...
Reply to the comment left by Monty Bodkin at 20/03/2020 - 12:09Self-Cert is the way to go, even with the risk to Govt of abuse of the support. My next concern is that, once this pandemic has passed, the authorities...
I spoke to Topaz/Jasper (successors of Mortgage Express) earlier, and they don't have a clear position yet, either on process or evidence that might be required. I can see a big problem in a HMO scenario (our main concern), if...
3rd January 2026, 3 months ago
But thinking of Borrower vs Lender, would such terms (joint tenancies only) in existing HMO mortgages be unenforceable in court (before or after RRA)?
Read More →Reply to comment left by David Tyler at 30/12/2025 - 17:23
On the other hand, the risk of "group think" or "echo chambers" might be higher with a group of friends group compared to 5-6 individuals. So if the group decides to stop paying, then none will pay. Families and known...
Read More →Reply to comment left by Paul Bond at 30/12/2025 - 11:23
Reply to the comment left by Paul Essex at 30/12/2025 - 11:23I am not sure that would work (but delighted to be proven wrong!): No break contractual break clause can override legislation, and the legislation is set up for tenant...
Read More →Reply to comment left by Jo Westlake at 30/12/2025 - 10:15
Reply to the comment left by Jo Westlake at 30/12/2025 - 10:15I agree entirely, so why DO those lenders still insist on one AST if that risks causing more defaults for borrowers? What's the advantage for the lenders?
Read More →14th April 2025, 12 months ago
Thanks again Mark, and with more detail comes even more to think about! To me, the complexity seems to be in avoiding having everything in the structure unravel upon one person's death, causing additional burden for the survivors/heirs. Much to...
Read More →14th April 2025, 12 months ago
Thanks Mark for the well-researched guidance paper! It does trigger more questions, especially on the aspects of estate and succession planning. If beneficial ownership of a portfolio is with a Ltd Co (50/50 owned by a married couple), but title...
Read More →28th March 2025, 1 year ago
How and when would private landlords be able to trigger and access this process, to try to mitigate rent arrears and perhaps claw some back?
Read More →4th September 2024, 2 years ago
Stopping RTB for council housing should also extend to killing the idea of tenants having a legal right to buy from their private landlords at a discount.
Read More →15th July 2024, 2 years ago
Well done Julie, that's very helpful! Further leverage from CCJs is that, depending on the former tenant's job/profession, it can badly affect their career path if they cannot have CCJs against their name. I don't know if there is a...
Read More →28th December 2023, 2 years ago
Common Fallacy: “Even something as simple as getting a new gas or electrical safety certificate means that home is safer than it was before.” If I go for an eye test, the test on its own does not improve my...
Read More →19th October 2023, 2 years ago
Kudos Mark! Before reading your post, I didn't know your whole backstory ... wow, you've certainly gone through the trenches! I remain ever-grateful for when you took on West Brom and won (I had two with them at the time),...
Read More →Reply to comment left by David Judd at 06/07/2022 - 12:44
Reply to the comment left by David Judd at 06/07/2022 - 12:44Thanks David and Jo. In the meantime I discovered lots of different "induction adapters" on Amazon and even Ikea sells their own too. I would provide a couple of...
Read More →6th July 2022, 4 years ago
Thank you all very much for that feedback! We will fit induction on this first one to try it and see how it goes (and yes, that image above is an "artist's impression", not mine) :-)
Read More →30th December 2021, 4 years ago
*Minimum room sizes* - another poorly-thought-out policy idea with “unexpected” consequences. When the Govt increased minimum room sizes to supposedly “improve living standards”, thousands of previously affordable and comfortable-enough bedrooms were taken out of the market overnight, especially in HMOs....
Read More →Reply to comment left by Rob Guy at 06/10/2021 - 09:31
Reply to the comment left by Rob Guy at 06/10/2021 - 09:31If you tried to increase the rent too much in one step, it would be thrown out out in Court if the increase were judged to be "unreasonable" and...
Read More →Reply to comment left by Richard Mann at 09/10/2021 - 08:48
Reply to the comment left by Richard Mann at 09/10/2021 - 08:48There are two factors in this particular case that prevented us from putting bills in this one tenant's name: (1) our ASTs are on a per-room basis with bills...
Read More →7th October 2021, 5 years ago
We had a similar situation with 4 of the 5 working tenants of the HMO already gone or happy enough to go when we served the separate S21 notices, but the 5th refused. The refurb included a new boiler (in...
Read More →Reply to comment left by David Lawrenson at 25/03/2020 - 11:31
Reply to the comment left by David Lawrenson at 25/03/2020 - 11:31I agree too: there was already what everyone called a "housing crisis", which has been trumped but not eliminated by the "virus crisis". It must therefore be "essential" work...
Read More →Reply to comment left by Monty Bodkin at 20/03/2020 - 12:09
Reply to the comment left by Monty Bodkin at 20/03/2020 - 12:09Self-Cert is the way to go, even with the risk to Govt of abuse of the support. My next concern is that, once this pandemic has passed, the authorities...
Read More →19th March 2020, 6 years ago
I spoke to Topaz/Jasper (successors of Mortgage Express) earlier, and they don't have a clear position yet, either on process or evidence that might be required. I can see a big problem in a HMO scenario (our main concern), if...
Read More →Showing 20 of 158 comments