The buy to let brand of Foundation Home Loans, Buy to Let by Foundation, has announced reduced rates on its buy to let products. The lender is offering competitive rates for both portfolio and non-portfolio landlords, with a new 4.99% five-year fixed-rate mortgage for portfolio landlords. Rates on existing products have also been reduced by […]

Hello, I’m posting for a friend who is a landlord with a 2-bed flat in London. I’m hoping other landlords can help. I would like to know: Who is the most most effective landlord’s insurance for a tenant in receipt of housing benefit? May I also admit, the tenant is paying between £3/400 pm under […]

Hello, after five and a half years, a CCJ debtor still hasn’t paid their outstanding rent (£3k). Attachment to earnings and Sheriffs have been unsuccessful (they are an agency worker, albeit full time). I’m wondering if anyone has experience of issuing the N316 form for debtor to attend court to declare income and earnings? He […]

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has cleared Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner of not paying capital gains tax (CGT) when selling her council house. According to The Guardian, which claims to have seen HMRC documents, the tax body has decided that Ms Rayner’s home in Stockport was her main home throughout her period of ownership, […]

Sadiq Khan has called the failure to pass the Renters (Reform) Bill “a huge betrayal” to renters. The London Mayor reveals the number of no-fault eviction claims against private renters in London increased by 52% in the past year, which is more than five times the increase seen in the rest of England and Wales. […]

West Lothian Council has declared a housing emergency, citing the mounting pressures on housing and homelessness due to an imbalance between supply and demand. The move comes after the Scottish government declared a housing emergency earlier this month. The council says the Housing (Scotland) Bill introduced in March is expected to add more pressure on […]

In a challenging and uncertain time for landlords, one legal expert gives advice no landlord will want to miss. Solicitor and managing director of Landlord Law, Tessa Shepperson shares her insights on how to handle rent arrears, navigating the eviction process and the uncertainty surrounding the Renters (Reform) Bill. Ms Shepperson also explains the importance […]

Dear all, our property has been let out to a conscientious couple with children for several years during which time tenants have been carrying out various minor maintenance works on the property themselves – they have really looked after the property. Now they have proposed more and slightly larger maintenance works which they emphasised that […]

Landlords and letting agents in England are conducting Right to Rent checks at an unprecedented rate, with a staggering 577% rise year-on-year, according to research. Credas Technologies says the surge comes after big increases in fines for non-compliance with the Right to Rent scheme. It requires verification of a tenant’s immigration status before they can […]

Social housing landlord Sanctuary Housing has been accused of prioritising profits over tenants and staff well-being by the union, Unite. The UK’s leading union is highlighting ongoing strikes by Sanctuary’s London repair workers. It points to a recent Housing Ombudsman report criticising the landlord’s service provision as evidence of a systemic problem. Sanctuary, with assets […]

Hi, as far as I am aware, while the cost of a selective licence is determined by councils, the process of paying in parts is set out in legislation. This was further clarified after the case R (Hemming t/a Simply Pleasure v Westminster CC [2017] 3 WLR 317). The case stated that under Part 2 […]

Hi, we own the freehold of a property in Wales containing three individual leasehold flats, one of which has recently had a change of owner, who is failing to uphold or comply with his legal obligations. Note, we own the entire freehold. We sold the ground floor leasehold flat approximately 5 years ago, and it […]

The UK’s housing market is experiencing a surge in the number of homes for sale, with Zoopla reporting the highest levels in eight years. This influx of properties is expected to dampen house price growth for the rest of the year while offering more choice for buyers. The platform’s research highlights that while sales are […]

Hi, I have prospective tenants who own two coastal properties (to let out in summer), who wish to live in my city house for five months over the summer season on a short-term corporate let, not AST. They’re happy with a corporate short-term contract with two named occupants. With election looming is this advantageous over […]

I’d appreciate your thoughts because it seems to me that the only realistic hope for landlords teaching the two major political Parties a lesson is to vote Reform in the hope of a Labour  / Reform coalition. Surely that would put the cat among the pigeons! Reform appears to me to be the only UK […]

What does the upcoming election mean for landlords? With a Labour majority in the polls it looks increasingly likely that they will be taking office soon, so how could a new Labour government change the landscape for Landlords? However, you never know! The Conservatives are starting to turn things around so maybe they will cling […]

Angela Rayner will not face any further action from Greater Manchester Police over housing allegations, but details of the probe have been passed onto HMRC and Stockport council.   Ms Rayner faced allegations of avoiding capital gains tax when selling her former council house in 2015 and electoral roll fraud. She has maintained that she […]

Hi, does anyone have any information regarding the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill particularly with the redress scheme? ie will Leaseholders who are also Joint Freeholders who manage their building have to pay the same registration fee as Professional Letting Agents? The two government approved redress schemes are: The Property Ombudsman (TPO) which Letting Agents […]

Hi all, I am a Ltd Company B2L investor looking to expand my portfolio. One of the key barriers I face is the additional rate of stamp duty. I’m considering whether purchasing a Ltd company in its entirety might be a more cost-effective approach. My understanding is that this would be classed as a purchase […]

More than 40% of landlords are still undecided on who to vote for in the upcoming general election, according to a new survey. A report by Landbay, reveals, 41% of landlords haven’t made up their minds. Among those who have, 31% back the Conservatives, while a mere 12% support Labour. The Liberal Democrats barely register […]

The number of HMO licences issued in England surged to 27,177 last year, according to data firm Searchland. Since the introduction of mandatory HMO licensing in 2018, the number of licences has seen a remarkable increase. Starting from 7,839 licences in 2018, the figures rose sharply to 26,312 in 2020. However, the numbers dipped to […]