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Landlords are helping tenants cope with utility bills

16th May 2023

Landlords are keen to help their tenants cope with their rising utility bills, a survey reveals. The findings from the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) show that while 85% of renters hadn’t discussed financial issues with their landlord – 14% of them had. And 66% of tenants report that their landlords responded positively when the […]

Interest rate rise CRISIS – May 2023 update

16th May 2023

On Thursday the Bank of England, Monetary Policy Committee voted 7 to 2 to raise the base interest rate to 4.5%, which is the highest since 2008, and the 12th consecutive rise. Anyone who is on a variable interest rate will receive another all too familiar letter over the next few weeks, to say that […]

Selective Licensing and new tenancy?

16th May 2023

Hello, selective licensing is now coming to an area I have a property in. The SoS (Secretary of State) agreed to it as the council stated it met the requirements as specifically as it is an area of high deprivation and anti-social issues. One of the requirements within the SL I need to adhere to […]

Sadiq Khan calls for a London rent freeze – AGAIN!

16th May 2023

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has repeated his calls for a rent freeze to help Londoners in the week that the Renters Reform Bill is due to be published. Mr Khan demanded rent freezing powers last month and in a speech on his delivery of 116,000 affordable homes for Londoners between 2015 and this year, he […]

e-scooters

Charging e-scooters in the house?

16th May 2023

Hello, I have two tenants, who pay on time and look after the house well and I would like to keep them on as tenants. However, I am a bit worried as one has an e-scooter which he rides to work and charges the scooter in the house. I am now getting paranoid that there […]

Hybrid LLP structures GAME OVER!

15th May 2023

It’s game over for most Hybrid LLP tax structures. A “Hybrid” / Mixed LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership where one or more Members is a Limited Company. Following our article “How Property118 Are Helping A Landlord To Resolve A Serious Hybrid LLP Tax Planning Blunder” we have discovered two other firms of Accountants that […]

How Shelter helped my tenant become homeless

15th May 2023

As a landlord, I recently faced a difficult situation with one of my tenants, a 68-year-old man who was struggling with drug addiction and had fallen severely behind on rent payments. Despite my efforts to work with him, I had to use a section 8 eviction notice to remove him from the property. Unfortunately, the […]

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I want my land back but will the council let me have it?

15th May 2023

Hello, The footpath that runs along the side of my house is on my deeds. This was left as a right of way for a road to be built between the gap in the house in 1936 which has never happened. I would like to have a driveway installed but the only way to do […]

Propertymark representative discusses rent control concerns in Scotland

Inadequate benefits ‘excluding people from the housing market’

15th May 2023

A leading industry body has urged the UK government to improve access to housing for people in receipt of benefits in the PRS.  Propertymark told the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee that many people in receipt of benefits are excluded from some housing options due to Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates. LHA rates […]

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Fire escape route in 3 storey HMO?

15th May 2023

Hello, A tenant has filled a cupboard on a fire escape route with clothing etc… He refuses to move it, claiming poor mental health, shouting harassment and discrimination. I find myself stuck between fulfilling my legal duties and being sued if I touch his possessions. He is a litigious person, BSc in Law studying for […]

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Average rents hit £1,000 for the first time

15th May 2023

Tenants moving into a newly let property are facing average rents outside of London of more than £1,000 for the first time, data reveals. Hamptons says renters are facing a £1,002 bill and in April, that was £72 or 7.8% more than it was in April 2022. The real estate firm also highlights that the […]

An open letter to Polly Neate at Shelter

15th May 2023

Below, we publish an open letter from Property118 reader, ‘Dismayed Landlord’. He details issues about helping his tenants – and wants Polly Neate, the chief executive of the homelessness charity Shelter, to help him find housing for his tenants as he is intending to sell up. He has not yet received a reply offering help […]

Landlords rushing to sell as mortgage costs soar above tenants’ rent

12th May 2023

Private landlords across the UK have found themselves in hot water, and it’s no surprise that many are rushing to sell their property portfolios. A recent article by the BBC reported that private landlords had expressed critical concerns that their rents won’t cover the cost of mortgage payments, especially for those with fixed-rate mortgages coming […]

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Could the solution to the housing crisis be our empty homes?

12th May 2023

The UK is going through a housing crisis, with landlords leaving the private rented sector in droves and many people unable to find a home. But could the solution to alleviate the housing crisis be in offering England’s 250,000 empty houses and flats for rent? This Property118 investigation highlights the massive number of empty homes […]

finger pressing red keyboard key with piggy-bank icon to represent holding deposit dispute

Deposit still held after tenancy has ended?

12th May 2023

Hello, a deposit is still being held by a registered scheme more than six years after a tenancy has ended. The tenant ended the tenancy early and they agreed I could keep the deposit and I have this on video. Shortly after they vacated they made a claim for the deposit and I blocked it […]

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How will tenants cope with the landlord demographic timebomb?

12th May 2023

To say I was stunned to find out that just 15% – that’s 15% – of landlords are under the age of 45 would be an understatement. Even worse, a government survey puts the average age of a BTL landlord at 58 – and 63% of landlords are over the age of 55. (The median […]

Landlords Boiler Cover and Gas Safety Certificates Package

Landlord’s gas certificate needed for a CHP system?

12th May 2023

Hello, I am going to rent out my modern (2017 build) 2-bedroom flat via a new letting agent. The heating and hot water are supplied by a combined heat and power plant (CHP) situated in the basement. The CHP unit is gas-fired and backed up by four large additional gas boilers. All 42 flats are […]

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Landlords at ‘high risk’ from fraud

12th May 2023

Landlords are among those most at risk of fraud, according to a new report. A report by Thirdfort has identified the top eight types of property most at risk from property fraud. Data from the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS) reveals identity fraud remains a key threat and the number of cases recorded has […]

Pic of holiday lets in Scotland HMRC rules property118

Short-term room rentals and damage deposits?

12th May 2023

Hello, I run a company that specialises in Airbnb holiday lets and short-term room rentals. Last year a lady contacted me and asked if she could rent a room on a monthly basis I took a damage deposit as she was only meant to be there short term. Fast forward she refused to leave the […]

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80% of landlords say they have carried out EPC work

12th May 2023

A survey has revealed that 80% of landlords have already carried out work to meet their future potential EPC requirements. The study from Foundation Home Loans says some remedial works have been carried out in anticipation of Government action and measures. However, 52% of landlords say the work was carried out at ‘minimum cost’ and […]