Page 305 – Property118

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 […]

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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 […]

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Landlord Crusader: Why landlords should not share equity profits with renters

7th July 2023

Knowing that those who hate landlords will be spitting when they read this, I must explain why sharing the capital gains made from a rental property investment is nonsense. This is the argument made in a recent article in The Big Issue, which claims that renters should get a share of the profits from a […]

Social housing landlords slammed for ‘creating harm to tenants’

7th July 2023

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has revealed that 13 social landlords have breached current consumer standards over the past year. The regulator says in breaching the standards, the landlords posed actual – or created the potential for – serious harm to tenants. And now the regulator, which protects thousands of tenants in England, wants […]

Close-up of a Rent Guarantee contract with pen and calculator.

Rent guarantee firms ‘are pushing out tenants’

7th July 2023

Some rent guarantee companies are allegedly encouraging landlords to evict tenants who are not deemed profitable enough, even if they pay their rent on time and have no other issues, an investigation reveals. According to the openDemocracy website, some rent guarantee providers are advising landlords to use Section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction notices to terminate tenancies […]

Local authority tells tenants not to leave the property?

7th July 2023

Hello, tenants were due to vacate the property this weekend. However, the tenants have told the management agency that they have been advised by the local authority to stay put as they are a couple with a young child. Where do I stand on this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you, Sheila Editors […]

Can the freeholder charge ground rent under new regulations?

7th July 2023

Hello, I exchanged on a new build flat before June 2022 when the new regulations on Ground Rent came into force. The property is due to be completed this month and the freeholder wants to charge £350 pa Ground Rent with five yearly reviews. Can the freeholder do this under the new regulations? Any advice […]

True cost of housing reaches record breaking high

7th July 2023

Housing affordability is at its worst in decades, according to new research. According to House Buyer Bureau, today’s homebuyers have by far the toughest financial task when it comes to housing affordability – with house prices sitting at 8.8 times the average earnings. The research reveals the average house price throughout the 1970s sat at […]