Hi, my daughter is a newcomer in a block of flats. A young NHS carer and a first-time buyer the lease is for 999 years. A company (let’s call them X) holds the freehold via a share in the company she has a 1/35th share in the freehold. The leaseholders (most of whom take little […]

Landlords and owners operating furnished holiday lettings (FHL) may still be reeling from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s announcement in the Budget that tax relief will be abolished from 6 April 2025. Now tax accountants BDO have revealed what the financial impact will be from next year. Paul Falvey, a tax partner at the firm, said: “While […]

Last night you were invited to learn all about the No Mortgage – No Deposit Strategy in a live online Master Class with me, Simon Zutshi. I hope you were able to get in because it was oversubscribed. If you were able to listen in live, as we did, your head is probably still spinning […]

Buy to Let by Foundation, the BTL brand of Foundation Home Loans, has unveiled two innovative HMO products tailored specifically for first-time landlords. The criteria for first-time landlords, as defined by the lender, include individuals who have not managed a residential buy to let property in the past 12 months. Also, applicants must currently be […]

UK house prices have risen for the fifth consecutive month, rising by 0.4% in February, Halifax reveals. The rise is equivalent to £1,091 in cash terms and the average house price is now £291,699. House prices are 1.7% higher than a year ago, although this growth has slowed from 2.3% in January. However, the average […]

Several buy to let lenders have updated their products and rates to attract more landlords and investors. The Mortgage Works (TMW), a specialist BTL arm of Nationwide, has cut its Interest Cover Ratios (ICR) for both higher and lower rate taxpayers, as well as its ‘existing portfolio rental calculation’ stress rate. This means that landlords […]

Tenants are facing mounting difficulties in paying their rent as the economic situation worsens, research reveals. The data from Reposit, the FCA-regulated deposit alternative, found a worrying increase in the value of rent arrears claims. They jumped from £1,344 in October to £2,108 in November and remained high at £1,954 in December. At the same […]

Hi, my rented top floor flat (4 storeys up and on the corner of the block) has developed horizontal cracks along the living room ceiling edges. Some now are starting to go down vertically. My personal surveyor has seen videos and says it should be referred for building insurance inspection – the flat roof frame […]

What does the spring budget 2024 mean for property investors and property developers? Some property investors will suffer a massive tax blow! Join Ranjan Bhattacharya as he discusses the Spring Budget in his latest video. 

Industry leaders in the property and finance sector have reacted to the Chancellor’s Spring Budget. The Spring Budget is seen as the last chance to woo voters before the upcoming General Election this year. Announcements included a crackdown on holiday lets, more housing for first-time buyers and abolishing stamp duty relief for people buying more […]

The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced the end of a tax scheme that offered tax incentives for landlords with holiday lets in favour of long-term renters. He said the Furnished Holiday Lettings regime was causing a ‘distortion’ in the housing market and depriving local people of affordable homes. Mr Hunt said: “I am concerned this […]

A political party has hit back at claims made by the Scottish Association of Landlords which said that 22,000 homes have disappeared from Scotland’s private rented sector (PRS). The Scottish Greens says the landlords are offering ‘misleading claims’. The Greens say the figure is based on self-reported data from a limited pool of member landlords […]

A professional organisation has voiced its fears over the fate of selective licensing in the UK after the government pledged to look at Renters (Reform) Bill proposals. The licensing schemes operate within designated areas where privately rented properties must obtain licenses from local authorities. However, an amendment proposed by Conservative backbenchers as part of the […]

Despite an increase in the overall number of private rented sector (PRS) properties, the proportion of these homes in England has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, research reveals. The findings from Zero Deposit highlight the decline is attributed to the government’s focus on supporting homeownership, leaving the rental sector under-resourced and leading […]

Hello, There is a government consultation on proposed changes to some permitted development rights – the deadline 9 April. I have posted the link below. It seems crazy to me that developers can get permission to go ahead from a council to add rooftop flats without providing proof that the structure can cope with the […]

As the UK government struggles to help landlords facing tough financial situations, landlords have rallied together to help themselves. This year is the year of the sale: with landlords rushing to sell up their property portfolios to either get out, or invest their money in safer bets. The rise in landlords wanting to sell has […]

One of the UK’s largest buy to let lenders, The Mortgage Works (TMW), has called on the government to use the Spring Budget to introduce four key actions that will help the private rental sector. TMW, which is part of Nationwide, said that many landlords are facing difficulties due to increased regulation and taxation, as […]

Hi, I planned to sell my flat this year, but have only recently been told (by chance) that there is an existing issue within the buildings in the same development – i.e. the possibility of pipes, embedded within cement, leaking and causing extensive damage to the flats involved. A few days later, my managing agent […]

Last month, landlords saw an increase in rents and demand for rental properties across England, according to Goodlord’s latest Rental Index. It says the average rent of a property in February was 7% higher than in February 2023, and 1% higher than in January 2024. The average rent was £1,162, up from £1,154 in January. […]

Hello, Does anyone know if a guarantor letter is still valid, if I renewed the original tenancy agreement with the same tenant? I have got a guarantor letter when the tenant first moved in 2009. A year later, a new agreement was issued changing payment terms from weekly to monthly to help the tenant managing […]

A court has fined a landlord almost £1,500 for neglecting her gas safety obligations and ignoring council warnings. Tracey Robinson, from Cold Hesledon, Seaham, was the landlord of a terraced house in Sorley Street, Sunderland. She failed to produce a gas safety certificate and other documents as required by the Housing Act 2004. South Tyneside […]