The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on London’s private rental sector (PRS), with new research revealing a 41% drop in the number of properties available for rent since March 2020. The study, conducted by the LSE and Savills and commissioned by a group of organisations led by London Councils, warns that this trend […]

Since tenants pay for their landlord’s buy to let mortgage repayments, they should get a share of the profits, one leading commentator says. John Bird is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Big Issue, a social enterprise and street newspaper, and in the latest issue he says that ‘making money from buy-to-let properties has long […]

Hello, My company owns the freehold of a property which is divided into 2 self-contained flats, one of which is sold on a long lease and the other let on an AST. We are looking to secure a B2L mortgage but the lender requires that the AST flat is held on a long lease. That […]

Thousands of landlords and second homeowners are exploiting a legal loophole to avoid paying council tax, leaving local authorities with a huge shortfall in revenue, the Daily Telegraph reveals. The loophole allows owners of holiday lets and second homes to register as small businesses and pay lower business rates instead of council tax, if they […]

A damning report by the Housing Ombudsman has exposed a ‘culture of apathy’ at the London Borough of Haringey, which has failed to address serious issues such as leaks, damp and mould in its properties. The report, based on 32 individual investigations and six months of engagement with the landlord, found that Haringey had a […]

Hello, I have a property which is two flats where I own the share of freehold with the other flat owner. Our leases are at about 80 years each and I want to extend the leases to 199 years, but the other flat owner is refusing to engage in this. How can I extend my […]

A survey reveals that landlord confidence is strong as 41% of landlords say they are planning to buy more properties over the next 12 months. Landbay has polled 1,127 landlords and found that the main reason for expanding their portfolio was the high demand from tenants, cited by 35% of respondents. Another factor was the […]

Hello, I live in a block of 9 flats and we are interested in buying the Freehold. I understand that if the Freeholder wants to sell the Freehold they will need to offer it to us first before a third party. Before I moved in, the Freeholder offered the Freehold for purchase to the existing […]

In a bid to combat its growing housing crisis, one UK city has launched an appeal for the government to hand over powers to impose rent controls. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to help private tenants, who make up nearly one-third of the city’s residents. The Bristol Living Rent Commission has published […]

Hello, I am trying to find out how the law has changed regarding fire doors in converted buildings with 3 flats and one communal staircase leading to the main front door. I understand that a new law came in this January. The doors were renewed about 5 years ago and are 30 minute fire doors. […]

Hello, I would be grateful of some advice about a tenant that is refusing to leave, even after a S21 notice. We’ve had the property up for sale as our fixed rate mortgage is coming to an end, and we are going to struggle keeping up with the repayments, but now we have lost our […]

Hello, We are in a block of 15 flats some rented, some of us live here. We own the freehold. Is it common practice for a director to use the building insurance when their tenant had an internal fire in the flat that was fuelled by their hoarding habits? We have had to pay £1,000 […]

Hi, I am trying to evict a tenant via s8 with over 6 months of arrears. My solicitor issued papers to the court without a statement of truth attached to my witness documents and rent arrears schedule. The judge adjourned the case for 10 weeks and a new court date has been set. Can I […]

Hello, I asked my solicitor this morning to issue a section 21 notice for a property that I intend to sell. The house is in a selective licensing area in Leicester. I have not applied for a license because I was selling. The solicitor tells me he can’t issue section 21 until I’ve applied for […]

Landlords who want to avoid disputes with renters over their deposits might want to follow some expert advice from The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS), the UK’s largest protector of deposits. The DPS says that one of the most common mistakes that landlords make is not submitting images or copies of invoices to support their […]

The Telegraph personal finance reporter, Alexa Phillips, would like to speak to landlords who are selling properties now because of concerns about the costs of higher EPC ratings and future tightening of the regulations to a minimum C rating. How is the sale price going and have buyers used your EPC ratings to negotiate? What […]

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has praised independent landlords for their ‘vital’ role in the private rented sector (PRS). He has written for the member magazine of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), and argues that landlords offer tenants more options, flexibility and value for money. Mr Gove also outlines the Government’s plans to reform the […]

Propertymark has called on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to reconsider its current Local Housing Allowance (LHA) scheme and communicate with landlords more. Speaking at a recent Commons Committee hearing, the organisation’s Timothy Douglas detailed how the existing level of LHA is affecting the private rented sector (PRS). Propertymark, along with various other […]

The lender Landbay has unveiled its upgraded buy-to-let affordability calculator, complete with a new comparison feature. Its innovative tool is designed to simplify the process of comparing the different financial products offered by the company. The calculator offers a user-friendly platform for landlords and intermediaries to evaluate various scenarios related to product selection and pricing. […]

Hi, I am in the process of purchasing a freehold house, which has covenants attached to the land. One of the covenants doesn’t allow for a HMO. The beneficiary (limited) company cannot be found at Companies House. Can someone tell me: Can the covenants be deemed unenforceable? Is it possible to seek an order to […]

Hello, I own the freehold to the house and the leasehold to my flat. There are only two flats as it is a house converted. My lease has about 50 years left to run so I want to extend it and thought as I own the freehold and leasehold it would be straightforward forward but […]