Page 276 – Property118
Person calculating mortgage costs with house model on desk.

Yield Vs bank savings rate for BTL property?

11th August 2023

Hi fellow landlords, we have one BTL and I wonder if it’s getting to the point where it’s better sold and money placed in a 5% savings account, especially when you consider the yield at the moment. Here are some more details below: Purchase price: 128k Current value: approx 260k Let for: £1150 per calendar […]

pic of woman with fingers in ears not communicating with landlord property118

Tenant has stopped communicating – what to do?

11th August 2023

Hello, Our tenant stopped lines of communication in March. We were communicating by way of email and text, occasionally we tried a phone call but she texted us and said use email and text as her preferred method. It says on her contract we can email etc. Well, we served a section 21. The notice […]

landlord news commercial landlords EPC property118.com

Where will tenants go when EPC work is carried out on properties?

11th August 2023

Hello, regarding the proposals to upgrade all properties to an EPC ‘C’ rating, where are the tenants of a two-bed back-to-back going to live whilst the work is carried out? Don’t forget that pets are as important as kids in many families. Where will the mum/dad go during the day when the property is full […]

Number of BTL landlord repossessions jumps

11th August 2023

Growing numbers of landlords are struggling to pay their mortgages and are having their rental homes repossessed, official figures reveal. According to UK Finance, there were 440 buy to let landlords who had properties repossessed in the second quarter of 2023 – that’s up 7% from the first quarter. And the number of BTL mortgages […]

Contrast between traditional terraced houses and a large modern social housing block in an English city

New social housing standards could cost councils £18 million

11th August 2023

The new standards to boost safety and landlord accountability for the social housing sector could cost councils £17.9 million in the first two years of implementation – and £3.7 million a year afterwards. And now the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils in England and Wales, says that these costs should be fully covered […]

Eviction notice with keys and scattered coins highlighting rent arrears

Serving S13 during eviction?

11th August 2023

Hello, I hold a possession order and applied for a warrant on 20 June – nearly two months ago. No news at all from CC bailiffs. Emailed – no reply. At this rate, I have no idea when, if ever, eviction will occur. Meanwhile, the rent hasn’t been increased since 2019 and is significantly below […]

Portrait of a business leader in suit and tie

Scotland’s property taxes rocket by 50% in two years

11th August 2023

Property tax collections in Scotland have surged by 50% in just two years, an analysis reveals. Lettings and estate agents DJ Alexander Ltd, shows how revenues for the Scottish Government originating from the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) have soared in June 2023. It says the Scottish Government collected £61.7 million in June 2023 […]

Shelter hits out at rise in the number of no-fault evictions

11th August 2023

The number of no-fault evictions by bailiffs has risen sharply, according to new government figures. The latest data from the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) shows the number of households removed from their homes by court bailiffs is up by 41%. Between April and June this year, more than 2,000 households were evicted by bailiffs using […]

The Property Ombudsman logo

Letting agent expelled from TPO owing landlord £10k appears to be still trading

10th August 2023

A letting agent operating in Stratford, East London, has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) due to its failure to honour a compensatory award amounting to £10,264 to a landlord – but appears to be trading still. The award came after a landlord lodged a formal complaint with TPO after a dispute involving the […]

Help with selective licensing form?

10th August 2023

Hello, I was trying to fill in the selective licensing form online, and I came across an abbreviation which I didn’t know, so I thought, go on to the next page, in case there are any more, and look them all up at once, but the online form would not let you go on to […]

Poole and Bournemouth landlords need to attend this free event!

10th August 2023

With high-interest rates, huge uncertainty & opportunity in the market, there has never been a better time to consider the structure for your property investment. As landlords, tax will be one of the biggest costs you face and you will want to find a way to legitimately reduce this. If you are a landlord living […]

Plea to keep landlords in the PRS

10th August 2023

The government needs to act fast to prevent a housing disaster, with more people renting than ever before and fewer landlords willing to invest in rental properties, one expert says. Neil Cobbold, the managing director of automated rental payment firm PayProp UK, points to an analysis of HMRC data by accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young. […]

Sold signs on a street of houses

PRS could be damaged beyond repair warns industry body

10th August 2023

The lack of housing supply is creating huge problems in the private rented sector, an industry body has warned. The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (ACII) blames the Renters Reform Bill and energy efficiency proposals for creating “the perfect storm in the rental market.” With more and more landlords leaving the private rented sector, many […]

pic of electrician testing a fuse board property118

Landlords electrical supply testing?

10th August 2023

Hello, I am told that the landlord’s supply for the common parts of a small block of flats (4) needs an EICR every 5 years as that is the law. OK, if a flat is rented then the electricity supply/unit needs to be checked or tested at a max of every 5 years – but […]

Smartphone showing smart home energy efficiency rating in a modern kitchen

EPC upgrades can boost a property’s value by £28,000

10th August 2023

Landlords and homeowners could boost their property value by to £28,000 when upgrading its EPC rating, research reveals. Development site finder Searchland has analysed how much value is added and how much it costs to do the necessary work. The firm says that moving from a D to a C rating adds 3% to a […]

RICS logo representing the organisation behind the latest UK housing market survey

Rental demand soars as buyer demand plummets

10th August 2023

According to the latest RICS Residential Market Survey for July, the rental market is experiencing a strong surge in demand, while the sales market is facing a sharp decline. The survey reveals that +54% of respondents reported an increase in tenant demand over the past three months, the highest quarterly figure since the beginning of […]

UK’s rental market shrinks by 400,000 homes in just seven years

9th August 2023

The UK’s private rented sector (PRS) has seen a significant decline in the number of homes to rent since 2016, one leading real estate advising firm reveals. According to CBRE, it estimates that 400,000 rental properties have been sold in the past seven years, as landlords face increasing costs and higher mortgage rates. According to […]

key in door for a lodger landlord property118.com

Lodger or tenant?

9th August 2023

Hello, my situation is a bit complex and I hope I will get some answers here.  I was leaving alone in my 4 bedroom house and took on some lodgers to live with me. In 2020 I got a job in another country and spent time going back and forth to my house in London. […]

The times newspaper logo

The Times is looking to speak to cash buyers

9th August 2023

The Times is looking to speak with a cash buyer, who has recently bought a property, to hear about their experience of the buying process. The piece will cover the rise of cash buyers focusing on whether these buyers have an advantage in the current market. Lucy Alderson, the money reporter, from The Times, would […]

pic of blocks showing a rent rise for a tenant property118

Tenants refusing to accept rent increase!

9th August 2023

Hi, I am facing issues with implementing rent increases. The tenancies are AST that have rolled on to periodic tenancies on the expiry of the initial fixed term. The rents have to go up as costs have gone up and rents have not been revised for over a year. In one of the properties, the […]

Pic of darts missing a dartboard as govt new build target will be missed property118

Government will fall short of its one million new homes target

9th August 2023

The government is unlikely to deliver the one million new homes it promised by the end of this Parliament, according to research. Property developer Stripe Property Group (SPG) has found that an average of 67,500 new homes every quarter will need to be built by the end of 2024 to meet its target. However, the […]