Page 259 – Property118

Is my Tarmac trespassing?

7th February 2024

Hello, There is tarmac to the front and side of my property and my neighbour has told me that it is trespassing on their land along the side of their house where it is under their eave projection, ie it oversteps their boundary if a notional line is taken from their roof eaves to the […]

Mortgage sector urges government to rethink EPC rules for landlords

7th February 2024

Mortgage lenders and advisers have called for a government U-turn on the relaxation of energy performance certificate (EPC) legislation for landlords, new data from the Mortgage Advice Bureau shows. The survey of some of the UK’s largest mortgage lenders and advisers found that 49% of lenders and 32% of advisers would support any decision to […]

Property maintenance landlord agent costs property118.com

The top 5 property management services Londoners need in 2024

7th February 2024

Londoners looking for property management services in 2024 should pay attention to the latest trends and insights from SBA Property Management. The provider of property management solutions says it has identified the top five service areas that will be most sought-after by landlords and customers this year. A director of the firm, Tim Darwall-Smith, said: […]

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A question on section 21 documents needed?

6th February 2024

Hello, I have issued a section 21 notice to my long term tenants recently, their latest rental agreement was dated back in 2010 on a rolling basis. I got advice from NRLA that I don’t need to comply with the current legal requirements – I should just put a note on my application that the […]

Mortgage rates fall and buyer confidence rises

6th February 2024

The UK housing market is showing signs of recovery in 2024, as mortgage rates fall, buyer confidence rises, and sales activity increases, according to a leading estate agent. Nicky Stevenson, the managing director of Fine & Country, says that the Bank of England’s decision to keep the interest rate at 5.25% for the fourth month […]

Shortage of homes to rent sees tenant demand remaining high

6th February 2024

Tenant demand for rental properties remained high in the last quarter of 2023, a survey by Paragon Bank reveals. The survey found that 63% of landlords saw an increase in tenant demand for their properties in the final three months of last year, with 37% reporting a significant increase and 26% a slight increase. Just […]

Housing benefit rates increase but still lag behind private rent rises

6th February 2024

While the Government has confirmed new rates for Local Housing Allowance (LHA), the amounts are lagging behind rent rises, a report from Savills reveals. The new rates, which are the maximum amount that people renting from private landlords can receive in Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, will apply from April to March 2025. They will […]

Pic of EPC dial being moved landlord property118.com

Charity demands swift reforms for outdated EPC system

5th February 2024

One charity is calling for major reforms to EPC’s saying the current system is “not fit for purpose”. The Building Research Establishment (BRE) demands reforming EPCs to be net zero-ready claiming it will help decarbonise UK homes. The charity is calling on the government to cut the validity of EPCs from ten to five years. […]

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Prescribed Information date works both ways – beware!

5th February 2024

Hello, During Covid, my letting agent sent the Prescribed Information (PI) to my tenant by email the night before the tenant paid his deposit and took the keys. Four years later, after issuing a s21 via the letting agent, followed by an Accelerated Possession Order prepared by my solicitor and sent to the court, the […]

pic of bailiff gaining entrance to a rented home to evict property118

What happens if my tenant doesn’t remove her belongings?

5th February 2024

Hello, Finally, after 8 months I have had the court bailiffs in to repossess my property. However, the tenant wasn’t in and has left all her belongings, including her furniture, in the house. I was notified by my solicitors to put a notice on the door advising the tenant to contact me within 14 days […]

The best month to list a home for sale revealed

5th February 2024

February is the best month to list a home for sale, according to new data from Rightmove. The data reveals on average homes listed in February typically find a buyer the quickest, as well as being most likely to be marked sold subject to contract. The data also reveals that March is another strong month […]

Alarming surge in the number of rough sleepers in London

5th February 2024

Rough sleeping in the capital is now the highest level in a decade, according to new figures. According to the new combined homelessness and information network (CHAIN) 4,389 people were counted sleeping on London’s streets ­– more than half were sleeping rough for the first time. The Mayor of London has said the figures should […]

‘I’m a landlord, get me out of here’: landlords rush to sell before March

3rd February 2024

For landlords who thought they’d left their problems in 2023, think again. 2024 isn’t letting up, and the system continues to be unfair for a growing number of them. The Guardian recently highlighted a report from Hamptons that said in the last year landlords will have sold 294,300 more homes than they have bought since […]

2024 Property Market Predictions – With John Howard

2nd February 2024

This is the first episode of the Succeed In Property Podcast. In this first episode, Ranjan Bhattacharya is joined by John Howard, fellow Property Angel from the hit Sky TV show, Property Elevator. Together, Ranjan and John share their predictions for the property market and the impact of it being an election year. Plenty of […]

Urgent help needed: Tenant troubles, rent arrears, and court setbacks

2nd February 2024

Hello, I rented out my only house in April 2022 due to a job opportunity in a different city. Two months into the agreement, the tenant claimed job loss and sought support from DWP and the council. Throughout the process, the tenant was uncooperative and failed to provide evidence for her claims. Unfortunately, I couldn’t […]

Existing tenants in auctioned flat?

2nd February 2024

Hello readers, I am again seeking people’s superior knowledge. A flat in a block where I have the Freehold has been sold by auction owing to repossession. It has tenants in situ and they are nice, quiet, hard-working people. The Leaseholder went into mortgage arrears and let’s just say he never wanted to spend money […]

Pic of old houses for HMO property118.com

Help with HMO selective licence

2nd February 2024

Hello, I own an ex LA flat which I have rented to a group of 3 students since 2016. I have recently applied for a selective HMO licence. This was granted and then revoked because the Housing Office at the council said that my lease does not permit me to sublet other than to a […]

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Liverpool city council face massive rise in homelessness costs

2nd February 2024

Liverpool City Council is turning to the private rented sector to address the homelessness crisis. The city is facing huge rises in temporary accommodation costs from £250,000 in 2019, to a projected £25m by the end of this financial year – a rise of 10,000%. That’s the budget equivalent of everything the council spends on […]

Rayburn safety concerns and tenant dispute?

2nd February 2024

Hi, we bought a property with a tenant on an AST periodic tenancy from a company that owned a large amount of land as well as our property. The EPC was only an F rating so we set to work on meeting the requirements to bring it up to at least an E (our intention […]

Help please! I need to move into my BTL property

2nd February 2024

Hello, I have a BTL property which I have had for two years now. But my circumstances have changed and I now need to move into the property. Can anyone advise me as to whether I am entitled to do so (obviously providing notification to the lender) Do any Property118 readers know what the ramifications […]