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tenancy agreement

Notice requirements at end of tenancy?

12th July 2023

Hello, my tenant’s current rental agreement ends in October. I need to give notice as the house needs modernisation and won’t be habitable. What are the important things to know? Is there a template notice document? I have an up-to-date gas certificate and EPC. There are no outstanding repairs. Anything else I need to be […]

property sales falling

High interest rates drive down property sales

12th July 2023

Property sales are falling across the country due to rocketing interest rates, according to new research. Data from House Buyer Bureau reveals across Great Britain there were just 43,209 transactions in February 2023  this was -45.2% less than in December 2021. The Bank base rate currently sits at 5%, following a 0.5% increase in June. […]

Colourful fishing boats moored in a Cornish harbour surrounded by stone cottages and green hills.

Holiday homes worth billions in England and Wales

12th July 2023

New research reveals there are £21 billion worth of holiday homes in England and Wales. Letting agents Barrow and Forrester discovered there are 71,140 holiday homes found across England & Wales. Cornwall ranks as the nation’s holiday home hotspot with more than 6,000 properties worth an estimated value of £1.93 billion. South-West England ranks as […]

Business professional in blue suit representing NRLA leadership on housing crisis.

Shelter demands 12 months of no re-letting in new Bill

11th July 2023

The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee has been told that the Renters (Reform) Bill needs strengthening to prevent landlords from using a loophole to evict tenants for no reason. The follow-up meeting heard that under the proposals, the law will enable landlords to take possession of their rented property when they or a family […]

Are you a Birmingham Midshires customer?

11th July 2023

We remember the times when Birmingham Midshires allowed us to submit 100+ mortgage applications for one Client, in one week. Those were the days, but even now, with all of the new stress testing calculations, LTV caps, and restrictions on how many properties BM will allow you to have with them, we still have plenty […]

Portrait of a confused young casual girl shrugging shoulders isolated over pink background

Buy the freehold or just renew lease?

11th July 2023

Hello, looking for some advice from Property118 readers. I currently have a lease with 65 years left to run. The property is a house and converted into two flats. My question is would it be a better option to buy the freehold or just renew the lease? Also, any recommendations on companies to help with […]

Welsh Government faces backlash over holiday accommodation licence plan

11th July 2023

The Welsh Government’s plan to introduce a statutory licence for tourist accommodation providers has met with strong resistance from the industry and the public, according to a consultation report. The report, which summarises the feedback from 1,595 respondents, reveals that 65% of them opposed the proposal, citing various concerns and criticisms. Some of the main […]

When do I ask the court to make a possession order?

11th July 2023

Hello, my claim for accelerated possession was issued on 15th June. The court served the claim on the tenant on July 6th and they now have 14 days to file a defence should they wish to. My question is when do I send to the court my ‘Request for Possession order and costs?’ Do I […]

rent reduction

Should we be offering our tenants a rent reduction?

11th July 2023

Hello, we have a student let. After some leaks last winter we have decided to replace the roof and install room-in-roof insulation. We were unable to do the work in a void period as we’d signed up the tenants before the leaks started. The builders can do the work from the outside and have advised […]

How the Renters’ (Reform) Bill could backfire on tenants: Higher rents and fewer homes

11th July 2023

The Government’s plan to reform the rental sector may have unintended consequences for tenants, the Daily Telegraph reports. The Renters (Reform) Bill, championed by the housing secretary Michael Gove, aims to protect renters from unfair evictions and improve standards in rented properties. However, a government net assessment analysis warns that the Bill will also increase […]

Lendlord logo representing property finance and landlord tools.

Top Property Investment Strategies

10th July 2023

Investing in property can be an incredibly rewarding journey, offering financial stability and the potential for significant returns. Whether you dream of becoming a landlord, a savvy house flipper, or a successful property developer, having a solid investment strategy is the key to making your dreams a reality. Today, we’ll guide you through the top-known […]

The times newspaper logo

The Times wants to speak to the next generation of landlords

10th July 2023

The Times is looking to speak with the next generation of landlords who are still investing in buy-to-let despite challenges around interest rates, tax and regulation. The piece will interview landlords who have recently invested in property for the first time or plan to grow their portfolio. Perhaps they have a unique business model which […]

transaction levels tumble, housing prices fall

Number of home sales halved since last year

10th July 2023

Transaction levels have plummeted by -54% this year, according to a new report. Research by letting agents Barrows and Forrester, reveals both transactions and total market values of homes sold, fell by more than 50% across every area of England and Wales. The research shows that 147,223 homes have been sold in England and Wales […]

Propertymark representative discusses rent control concerns in Scotland

Challenging issues for leaseholders highlighted in new report

10th July 2023

A leading industry body reveals 78% of agents believe that leasehold property with an increasing ground rent will struggle to sell. The report by Propertymark has highlighted ongoing issues in the buying and selling of leasehold properties. The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 restricts ground rents to zero but only on newly created long […]

Smart home energy dashboard displaying EPC efficiency ratings for property upgrades

What is the best way to get my properties to an EPC rating of C?

10th July 2023

Hi, I bought two houses in the 1990s and these have a D rating. One is a five-bed and the other is a six-bed house both of which are HMOs. I have made improvements as requested by the council to obtain and renew the HMO licences. Both houses are on three floors NOT including the […]

Pic of rent increase for tenant who won't pay landlord property118

Can I increase rent to market rate?

10th July 2023

Hi all, I hope you’re well, am I right to say that I can increase rent to market rate as long as it’s fair and if the tenant does not contest with the tribunal as the increase is legally binding? It’s a huge increase as the tenant was paying below market rate from £1000 per […]

Property Sourcers Deal Corner

9th July 2023

Recently, we had the privilege of participating in a live online event alongside a group of 75 UK Property Sourcers and property portfolio sales specialists. During this event, Property118 was invited to present on the topic of how collaborating with our Landlord Tax Planning team could greatly enhance their ability to close more deals. By […]

How We Escaped The Landlord Tax Trap

7th July 2023

On paper my spouse and I were worth £3,000,000 but the reality was that we had no savings, no money whatsoever to live on after paying our tax bills, and this was despite having rental income of £300,000 a year coming in. In fact it was even worse than that, our tax bill exceeded our […]

House prices cooling amid high interest rates

7th July 2023

Average house prices fell by -0.1% in June, Halifax’s third consecutive monthly fall. Its latest House Price Index reveals house prices fell to £285,932 in June, down by around £7,500, compared with the same month last year, recording the largest year-on-year decrease since June 2011. The high street lender also reveals average house prices are […]

Time to scale up your property business

7th July 2023

Massive uncertainty = Massive opportunity I don’t know about you, but I am very excited about what is happening in the UK property market right now. There is massive uncertainty due to high interest rates, government legislation etc. so many landlords are selling up and retiring early. This massive uncertainty is understandably putting off many […]