Page 313 – Property118
Pic of old houses for HMO property118.com

HMO clarity within a ‘residential ‘lease’?

23rd May 2023

Hello,  I manage staff accommodation for our company and recently the company split and the original directors of the company went off and started a new company. These directors own houses in which we have staff living in them. I personally completed all the HMO licenses for them and they signed them. Since then those […]

pic of student tenant renters reform may mean she can leave after a month property118

Renters Reform Bill – the end of fixed term tenancies

23rd May 2023

By abolishing fixed term tenancies, the Renters’ Reform Bill will cause serious problems for landlords of student accommodation. The issue is not that the tenants may stay after the end of the tenancy but that they might leave early. Even now it can take months to evict over-stayers. Many properties are unlikely to let to […]

BTL repossessions rocket by 28% in the first quarter

23rd May 2023

There’s grim news for BTL landlords and homeowners alike as the cost-of-living crisis tightens its grip to push up mortgage repossessions, UK Finance reveals. The trade body says that in the first quarter of the year, there were 410 buy-to-let properties that were taken into possession – a 28% increase from the previous quarter. For […]

Happy tenant holding a playful French Bulldog outdoors, highlighting pet-friendly rental rights.

Smokers more likely to find a rental home than pet owners

23rd May 2023

Pet owners are facing a ruff time finding rental properties, with landlords more likely to welcome smokers than a tenant with furry friends, research reveals. According to the Vape Club, just 7% of available rentals are listed as ‘pets considered’ – compared to a whopping 44% for smokers. That means tenants who quit smoking are […]

HMRC will get a tax ‘gold mine’ with the new landlord database

23rd May 2023

The Renters’ Reform Bill has unveiled a new database that could turn into a tax ‘gold mine’ for HMRC to chase after landlords who haven’t been paying their taxes, one firm warns. Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO say the new private rented sector database will have a record of all landlords and their properties […]

Project to support landlords meet energy efficiency requirements

23rd May 2023

The Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) has launched an innovative project to help landlords nationwide meet the proposed energy efficiency requirements. The work is being funded by the TDS Charitable Foundation and there’s a one-stop website that is packed with helpful tips and advice. Landlords can now easily learn how to ensure their rented homes […]

How to increase the profit from your property portfolio

22nd May 2023

As we all know, thanks to the current high-interest rates, purchases of single-let properties don’t really stack up for many investors at the moment. For those property investors who already own single-let properties on variable rate BTL mortgages, now the monthly mortgage interest can be higher than the rent they receive, despite the rise in […]

Oli Sherlock the managing director of insurance at Goodlord

The Renters’ Reform Bill complexities unpacked in a free webinar

22nd May 2023

As landlords and letting agents gear up to say goodbye to Section 21 and hello to a tenant’s furry friends, property experts are offering advice in a free webinar to explain the complexities of the Renters’ Reform Bill. Property tech firm Goodlord is organising the webinar that will have expert insights tomorrow (Tuesday 23 May) […]

pic of a tenant signing tenancy contract property118

Forged signature? Court hearing for possession claim

22nd May 2023

Hello, I have a tenant who denied that she signed the tenancy receipt document at the court hearing in April. I tried to evict her using section 21. The judge told her to write a witness statement that she did not sign the NRLA Tenant Receipt Document. She denied receiving How to Rent, the EPC, […]

pic of landlord changing a light bulb tenants property118

How many tenants does it take to change a light bulb?

22nd May 2023

Hello, During a routine property inspection by my letting agents, the tenant advised that the bulb in a bathroom wall fixture had failed. He said he did not know how to undo the fixture to replace the bulb and the inspection report has come back that it is a “landlord repair”. The fixture itself is […]

pic of sun and climate change as landlords worry about epc ratings property118

41% of landlords see the ‘importance of EPC regulations’

22nd May 2023

Landlords are apparently feeling the pressure over proposed environmental regulations with 41% believing it is essential to meet the planned Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) requirements, research reveals. According to Mortgage Advice Bureau, landlords are keen to do their bit ‘for the greater good of the planet’. There is currently no legal obligation for a landlord […]

Smart home energy dashboard displaying EPC efficiency ratings for property upgrades

EPC A-C proposals affecting landlords/tenants and owner occupiers alike?

22nd May 2023

Hello, the Renters’ Reform Bill, should it be enacted, will as we know mean even fewer rental properties available and higher rents (supply and demand). Never mind rental properties not being able to meet EPC A-C  that cannot legally be rented out! What happens to those tenants living in properties that cannot meet EPC A-C? […]

property prices, rents,

Improving house market pushes prices up to a record high

22nd May 2023

The UK’s property prices are rocketing again with the latest figures revealing a surge in the average price of homes being put up for sale, research reveals. Rightmove says there has been a whopping 1.8% increase – or £6,647 – in price to push them up to a new record of £372,894. The property platform […]

pic of a cannabis farm - landlords warned about criminals property118

Landlords warned of criminals using properties as cannabis farms

22nd May 2023

A new campaign has been launched to raise awareness of rented properties being used by criminal gangs to produce cannabis. The charity Crimestoppers has launched a campaign after it received more than 14,000 anonymous reports in 2022 about cannabis being illegally grown in their community. It says that illegal cannabis cultivation can cause thousands of […]

Knight-themed Landlord Crusader logo symbolizing landlord advocacy

Landlord Crusader: Section 21 abolition – congratulations to Shelter et al

19th May 2023

And so, it came to pass – section 21 notices to gain possession of a rented property will be no more and there was only the wailing of landlords that could be heard. So, I guess, congratulations to Shelter and Generation Rent and all the others on a media campaign that focussed on the vilification […]

pic of major works sign leaseholder wants to know about paying upfront property118

Do I pay upfront for major works?

19th May 2023

Hello, I own two flats in a block of four, so there are 3 lessees. There is a managing agent for the freeholder who is less than efficient and very expensive but that’s another matter. Major works are scheduled (and required) and we have agreed on the contractor after tenders went out. The agent has […]

Hybrid LLP Action Group Motives

19th May 2023

Mark Smith, Head of Chambers at Cotswold Barristers said … “This (the Hybrid LLP Action Group) is not a knee-jerk reaction or an attempt to undermine other advisers’ work for the sake of it.  The Hybrid LLP Action Group arises from a number of landlords approaching us with concerns about the robustness of their structures […]

Pic of frustrated landlord because a tenant will not leave.

Tenant will not let anyone into property?

19th May 2023

Hello, Can anyone from the Property118 community please offer me any advice? My tenant has not paid for a year (Don’t ask, that’s a whole other story!) and the gas and electric certificates are due but the tenant will not let anyone into the property or answer any communications directed to her at all! My […]

Is this the death of property investing?

19th May 2023

Many people believe that we are seeing “The Death of Property Investing” because single-let properties, just don’t stack up any more.  And for the 82% of landlords who only have single lets properties this might be true. However, at times like this, the only way to prosper with property is to control property which generates […]

pic of man hugging a tree greens want a rent freeze and evictions ban property118

Greens want rent freezes as part of the Renters’ Reform Bill

19th May 2023

The Green Party is calling for the Renters’ Reform Bill to go much further than the government is planning for – and says there should be an ‘immediate rent freeze’. The party is also urging for councils to get the power to implement rent freezes where they might be necessary. There is also a call […]