A charity is warning of a ‘worst of all worlds’ downturn in the housing market and wants landlord limited zones to help restrict BTL and short-term let investors.  With the Budget due on the 15th March, a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) considers the possibility of a serious downturn in the housing market […]

One of the best-selling UK property books of all time, is Property Magic by Simon Zutshi, with over 100,000 copies in circulation, which is a lot for a non-fiction book. Today you can grab your complimentary copy of Property Magic, to celebrate the 15th Anniversary since first publication. Claim your copy here When Property Magic […]

An open letter has been signed by rent activists, trade unions and several Labour Mayors, including Sadiq Khan, calling for the housing minister Michael Gove to implement a private rent freeze and an eviction ban in England to help tenants in the ‘current rental crisis’. The letter stresses that since landlords earn an average of […]

Hi, My husband is Australian and owns a house in Australia. He hasn’t lived in it for over 15 years while living in Europe and his mother was living in it. He is going to try and sell it. In the meantime, we have had an offer accepted on a property in the UK. In […]

Hello, we have tenants who will be leaving a property and the property has now been listed for sale. We will need to convert our insurance to unoccupied insurance. The Insurance Company we are with requires a property visit/inspection every 7 days for unoccupied property. We are not local to the property any longer, and […]

More than half (52%) of commercial landlords do not think EPC timescales are achievable, according to new research. The findings from consulting firm RSM UK reveal that just a third (36%) of respondents believed the timescales are achievable, while 12% remained unsure. Nearly a fifth (18%) of commercial landlords still have properties with an EPC […]

Hello, Our tenant has contacted us about a neighbour who is keeping chickens. Their hen house and run is at the bottom of our tenant’s garden and he is complaining about daily noise and occasional smells. There has been no mention of rats or other pests. As a landlord do I have any responsibility to […]

Hello, I own 2 flats in the North East – basically a terrace house that has been split into an upper and a lower flat I put them up for sale 2 years ago and got buyers in the first week – then the fun began. They are what is called ‘Tyneside flats’ meaning the […]

Licensing is not the best way to improve standards across the private rented sector, according to an industry body. Propertymark says that although local authorities exist to improve housing stock in their area, their aspirations are’often overambitious’ but under resourced. And while good landlords are paying a hefty price, criminal landlords continue to operate under […]

Hello, I’m just wondering if any landlord on here has had any success with a complaint against the shambolic way that U/C operates regarding tenant arrears and APA? I’m getting nowhere with the helpline!? They don’t even advise on the complaints process, if there even is one, such as who to contact next. I have […]

Hello, How long does the government think this situation is sustainable for? Squeezing landlords dry with increased taxes and high BTL mortgage interest rates! I have personally, for the past 4 years, accepted that I was only just breaking even with my 2 rental properties… then with the change in tax rules meaning I paid […]

Hello, Please could I ask if it is a legal requirement for there to be a valid EPC on a commercial property if a new lease is granted? A new FRI lease was drawn up and signed by both tenant and landlord (through a solicitor) but the EPC expired 4 months before the new lease […]

The Government boasted a “fairer private rented sector” but has it really been fair to landlords? For many landlords, it’s hard not to panic. With the overhaul of the rental rules this year, indefinite tenancies plus not to mention the end of section 21 evictions, hurdle after hurdle seems to be stacking up on top […]

A council’s Selective Licensing scheme has been slammed by an external auditor – just as the council unveils a consultation process to start a new scheme in August – with critics saying the scheme has led to tenants being made homeless but the council says it doesn’t have data on the issue. The audit was […]

Hello, My agent has doubled the monthly management charges effective 1st March (this is for a fully managed service). I was informed on the 21st February. When I informed them that I will move the management to a different agent, they informed me that there will be a £600 termination charge. Does anyone know whether […]

Hello, I would be interested to know whether anyone has had similar problems as me in finding an appropriate lender in order to release funds on my multi let property. I recently re-developed my original residential home from a three bedroomed house to two one-bedroomed flats, after a long time and considerable expense the project was […]

Hello, I hope someone can give an opinion. A long story short. We own 2 leasehold apartments within a 56 block. Up until now the managing agent serves service charge (SC) demands and we just pay them. However, we are getting fed up with having no explanation to what we are paying for, he won’t supply […]

Research has revealed where tenants in several cities could cut their renting costs by up to half. The findings from Barrows and Forrester highlights that tenants could save by searching for homes to rent in nearby towns. The estate and lettings agent says it has analysed the current cost of renting in six major cities […]

Hi All, Just a bit of advice please. I am in the process of purchasing my first buy to let and was expecting the property empty on completion. The agent has now come back and stated that the property is tenanted. The tenants want to stay and the seller wants to sell the property with the […]

Hello, We own a mansion block of flats made up of Ground Floor, First Floor and Second Floor flat. The GF flat currently has access to the garden. There are stairs from the FF to the garden, historically we have agreed with FF tenants that the stairs are only for emergency use. Thankfully they’ve never […]

A capital allowance claim is a way to offset the cost of certain assets in your property against your taxable profits. In the case study below the purchasers were able to claim £23,950 cash back from HMRC based on unclaimed capital allowances of £66,300 for the following:- Electrical Systems Plumbing Systems Sanitary Systems Telecommunications and […]