Page 314 – Property118
Illustration of houses with the word eviction, symbolising Section 21 rental evictions

Can two Section 21s be running at the same time?

10th March 2023

Hello, There is an existing Section 21 which has been contested and waiting to go to court. My question is: Can a landlord issue a new section 21 that will running simultaneously with the old Section 21? If the first one fails because the tenant has lied, the second section 21 will not have to […]

RICS says rents will rise as landlords leave the PRS

9th March 2023

Despite rising rents and continued demand from tenants, there will be more landlords leaving the private rented sector, a new survey reveals. The latest RICS survey found that tenant demand has increased by 32% from January. However, the organisation points out that while tenant demand is high, more landlords are selling up over fears of […]

Telegraph Property 118

Daily Telegraph wants to talk to landlords who are happy in the PRS

9th March 2023

The Telegraph understands landlords are facing many challenges at the moment amid stricter rules, higher mortgage costs and tax changes. But the paper would like to hear from landlords who are enjoying the PRS. Rachel Mortimer, the Telegraph’s senior personal finance reporter, would like to talk to Property 118 readers about:  Landlords who have a […]

Pic of leaking pipe landlord leasehold issues insurance property118

Legal clarity on flat to flat water leaks?

9th March 2023

Hello, There was a leak from one flat down to several other flats caused by a damaged waste pipe from the sink. The flats are 20 years old. Once discovered, the damaged pipe was repaired straight away. There has been no malicious or negligence by the leaseholder from where the leak came from. Secondly, the […]

Pic of fire in block of flats landlord insurance property118

Landlord insurance for flats?

9th March 2023

Hi, I own a few flats that are in blocks, they are all unfurnished (so I have no contents) and the buildings insurance is provided for the block via the managing agents/service charge. There doesn’t appear to be any products out there that will provide ‘landlord cover’ without also taking buildings or contents – I’m […]

high rise building, property 118

Owners of high-rise buildings warned of ‘legal obligations’

9th March 2023

A new campaign aimed at owners and managers of high-rise residential buildings in England will highlight their new legal duties. The new ‘Be Ready’ campaign will call on those responsible for the safety of higher-risk residential buildings to protect residents from unsafe building practices. The owners have six months from April 2023 to register with […]

Buy-for-Uni: How to be a student student landlord

8th March 2023

It’s that time of year when students will be looking to sort out accommodation for the upcoming year, so what better time to learn more about our Buy-for-Uni proposition? A Buy-for-Uni mortgage allows students to purchase a property local to their university, live in it, and rent the other bedrooms to fellow students, making themselves […]

Telltale signs on how spot a bad tenant!

8th March 2023

A bad tenant could cost you thousands but how do you spot the bad ones? There are so many stories I read every day of a tenant who trashed a landlord’s property, leaving the landlord to pick up the tab. Perhaps you’ve even had a tenant who appeared polite and passed all the credit checks, […]

Pic of people queueing for social housing UK landlord tenant s21 property118

My tenants want to apply for social housing?

8th March 2023

Hello, I am a private landlord. I had my tenants before 2016. They have been on a rolling tenancy since the AST fixed term expired. I also had a ‘Deed of Guarantee’ signed by their guarantor when they moved in. We have been on good terms with each other. My tenants have small children. They […]

landlor question uk epc rating for btl mortgage property118.com

Welsh government to consider financial help in decarbonising rental properties

8th March 2023

The Welsh government is being urged to consider offering financial incentives to landlords to help them decarbonise their rental properties. The move follows advice given by industry body Propertymark to the influential Senedd Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee’s inquiry into the decarbonisation of the PRS. Some of its recommendations include starting a national campaign […]

pic of landlord changing the locks s21 tenant eviction property118

Sec 21 issued, 1 tenant leaves, 1 stays?

8th March 2023

Hi, I have been a landlord for 20 years and am now selling all my properties, one a year, as I’ve had enough of the way things are going against the private landlord. I have done evictions in the past but have now come up against a situation new to me, so would appreciate advice […]

pic of Helsinki cathedral rent controls rent freeze uk property118

Why Finland shows that rent controls don’t work

8th March 2023

A growing private rental sector crisis in the UK with landlords leaving and rents increasing has seen a growing clamour to introduce rent controls. However, the experience of renters in Finland shows that this might be the wrong approach. Politicians such as Nicola Sturgeon who unveiled a ban on rent rises in Scotland last September, […]

Unfair UK taxation of privately owned rental PROPERTY businesses

7th March 2023

I’ve written this post in response to an article that appeared this weekend in The Guardian entitled “Landlords accused of ‘making up stories’ in drive to change UK tax rules”. What a load of tosh that article was! Nothing more than twisted words to suit the narrative of a left-wing rag, but the link is […]

Pic of vacant possession on letter after tenant deceased property118

Tenant deceased – permitted occupier not paying rent?

7th March 2023

Hello, I have recently been notified that the tenant on the agreement has passed away following no rental payments. His son (who is over the age of 21) was a permitted occupier, is refusing to agree a new tenancy and is not paying rent. Is a section 21 still applicable? Where do I send it […]

Andy Hulme of Hyde Housing Association responding to Housing Ombudsman report

Social housing landlords slammed for not complying with complaint orders

7th March 2023

The Housing Ombudsman says that a quarter of the complaint handling failure orders (CHFOs) issued in the last three months to social housing landlords were not complied with. The Ombudsman says it issued 38 failure orders, including the most orders yet for failing to fulfil membership obligations. There were 38 CHFOs issued to 28 different […]

Pic of UK cash paid to tenant section 21 landlords council property118.com

S21 notice/Rent arrears/repossession order?

7th March 2023

Hello, I have a question: My tenant is in rent arrears by 6 months and those arrears now stand at £9,600. I have served the tenant a S21 notice followed by a repossession order. The council pays the tenant £1,875/month towards the rent. The council is also aware that a S21 has been served. Is […]

Unexpected bounce in UK’s February house prices

7th March 2023

The UK’s house prices showed an unexpected increase of 1.1% in February from January’s price, says Halifax. The bank highlights that a typical property costs £285,476 – up from January’s average price of £282,360. However, the rate of annual price growth has slowed in all regions with an annual rise of 2.1%. Overall prices are […]

A thick fog of stupidity, jobsworths and Section 24

7th March 2023

I have the unfortunate situation whereby the Child Maintenance Service looks at my pre-tax earnings for their calculation. Obviously, that means they “think” that my mortgage costs are earnings and so charge me 12% of that figure. Given I am a lower tax band earner and that my BTL mortgage costs exceed 80% of my […]

Puzzle pieces highlighting partnership values like collaboration, trust, and goals

Why Might UK Landlords Consider a Partnership?

7th March 2023

UK landlords may consider a Partnership structure for a number of reasons, including: 1. Cost: It might be prohibitively expensive to sell properties to a Limited Company for tax planning purposes, especially if HMRC wouldn’t regard them to be qualified as a Business Partnership for at least three years. This is because a significant amount […]

Pic of for sale does landlord need epc cert for sale property118

Do I have to renew EPC?

7th March 2023

Hello, Can someone please help? I am in my 70’s and only let two properties, I’m not an experienced landlord. I have had a tenant in a property for 7 years and never put the rent up in all that time. I wanted to have the property back to sell and allow us more money […]

Business leader discussing UK property market outlook amid Budget uncertainty

PRS will drop £224bn in value if ‘accidental landlords’ leave

7th March 2023

If amateur or accidental landlords are eradicated from the private rented sector (PRS), there would be 383,600 fewer homes to rent – and £223.5bn would be wiped from the value of the PRS market, research reveals. The findings from specialist property lending experts, Octane Capital, suggest that a string of legislative changes could lead to […]