QUESTION If a UK letting agent collects say £10,000 in rents from tenants and passes this onto landlords net of the agents 5% fees, what income does the agent need to declare to HMRC? Would it be the full £10,000 of rent collected or would it be his 5% agency fees only? ANSWER FROM PROPERTY118 […]

Up and down the country landlords are caught in the trap of having to pay for a selective licence. These licenses aren’t cheap and for the money landlords spend, councils don’t appear to be inspecting properties. In a series of special reports, Property118 looks at the issues surrounding selective licences starting with the expansion of […]

Landlords have been reducing their property portfolios across England and Wales due to unfavourable policies by the past few Conservative governments, one letting and estate agent says. The research by Benham and Reeves compared the number of properties owned by investors in the first quarter of 2022 and 2023. It found that the average portfolio […]

Hello, my flat which I let out, is in a block of 15. As leaseholders, we applied and got RTM. Even though no other buildings are on the land, which now has a separate title, the landlord charges out for gardens. The landlord has now decided to charge £200 every 2 years to register tenant […]

A survey has revealed that 72% of renters in the UK are either actively searching (46%) for new accommodation in different areas or contemplating it (26%) due to the unprecedented surge in rental costs. The findings from the platform SpareRoom also highlight that 7% of those surveyed are considering leaving the UK to escape the […]

Amidst the recent economic turmoil, the average amount owed via buy to let mortgage loans has surged by 19% in the past year, one firm reveals. Lenders Octane Capital says that BTL landlords in England and Wales have seen debt levels grow from £467,548 per landlord in the first quarter of 2022 to £558,423 in […]

As the new academic year kicks off, the UK’s rental market is witnessing a seasonal peak characterised by a substantial increase in demand, minimal void periods and a surge in renters looking to renew their tenancies, one property expert highlights. Recent data from HomeLet reveals that the average monthly rent reached £1,261 last month, marking […]

Landlords in the private rented sector (PRS) and social landlords have been given guidance from the government on how to deal with damp and mould in tenant homes. The government stresses that mould in a property should not be seen as a tenant’s ‘lifestyle choice’. The guidance sets out the legal responsibilities of private sector […]

Hello, How can I find out what happened at county court yesterday? I rang and they can’t tell me! Long story short. There was an eviction, the tenant’s possessions were all left behind – abandonment notice. The tenant then got an emergency court hearing! To extend the time his possessions are kept in my flat. My […]

Within the sphere of UK property investment, astute investors are perpetually on the lookout for ways to optimise their financial strategies, especially when it pertains to safeguarding family wealth and mitigating Inheritance Tax (IHT). One sophisticated strategy that’s gaining traction is the utilisation of Family Investment Companies (FICs) in tandem with carefully structured share classes […]

Landlords in the UK are now requesting ‘pet references’ complete with photographs and biographies of dogs and cats, due to the increased popularity of pet ownership during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, the i newspaper reports. Renters are going to great lengths, crafting detailed descriptions of their pets’ behaviours and temperaments, to secure a rental […]

Hello, I moved from Kent to another part of the country for my son’s education and I rented out my house to a family with 3 kids. It didn’t work out for my son’s school and we wanted to come back to our home, but the tenant didn’t want to move out. We had to […]

In response to growing media speculation over whether landlords are leaving the private rented sector (PRS) and if tenant demand is reaching an all-time high, one survey says it has definitive proof of what is happening. The findings from RentTech firm Goodlord and Vouch show that a staggering 78% of letting agents have witnessed a […]

Are you a landlord who has already started making your properties energy-efficient? Then Rachel Mortimer, Assistant Money Editor, at the Times would like to speak with you. Rachel is looking to speak with landlords who have already begun making eco upgrades to their rental properties, despite the government proposals on minimum EPC ratings being uncertain. […]

A housing market forecast is offering an alarming prediction that rents could rocket between 2023 and 2026 by 25%. The prediction is being made by estate and lettings agents Hamptons which says that both London and Great Britain tenants will see rents rise by the same figure. It says that this year in Great Britain […]

Hi, I have a PCOL (Possession Claim Online) claim for a failed section 21 in progress. The defendant filed his defence but it is not the truth. He claimed he had paid rent arrears, but the payment was never received. He also claims section 21 was never received – I have proof of postage and […]

Hi, my tenants have a joint tenancy agreement (4 of them), 6 months then rolling on contract. One of the tenants wants to move out before the 6 months expires. If they find another tenant, do they need a new agreement for another 6 months or can the new one be added to the agreement […]

Hi, I wrongly used an AST in an agreement to allow someone to use my property as an Airbnb. She is not resident there and signed the agreement as xxx trading as xx – a business. Does this make the AST void? I would like to end the agreement as I cannot get her to […]

An Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey has revealed that 45% of renters and homeowners say they are struggling to pay their rent or mortgage.  It also found that 52% are not having problems paying and 2% didn’t know. However, 2% of respondents said they were behind on rent or mortgage payments and 97% were […]

Private rent prices in Scotland have soared to unprecedented levels, marking a significant surge in the housing market, one firm reveals. Scotland’s largest estate and letting agents, DJ Alexander Ltd, says there has been a 5.7% year-on-year increase in rents to July 2023. That’s the highest monthly figure recorded since the firm began data collection […]

Only an average of 3.6% of private rented sector (PRS) properties were estimated to have dangerous types of mould and damp, according to new government figures. That’s in stark contrast to the popular belief by tenant activist groups and the media that most PRS homes are riddled with mould. The figure comes after the Housing […]