Page 319 – Property118
pic of guarantor note for a tenant landlord property118

Guarantor for tenants?

2nd May 2023

Hello, If anyone has children in university, they’ll be familiar with the annual signing of the guarantor agreement, promising to pay the rent should your young student fail to do so themselves – and, if you don’t read the agreement carefully, their flatmates rent too. But, what are the pros and cons of asking for […]

pic of frustrated landlord dealing with freeholders property118

Freeholders blocking sale of my flat?

2nd May 2023

Help! I desperately need to find a way to sell a flat with over a 900 year leasehold. The flat is in a small conversion of 7 flats . The other 6 are owned by a family who all have a share of the freehold. Since I purchased the flat about 14 years ago, we […]

pic of landlord with paper files information commissioner property118

You must be registered with the Information Commissioner?

2nd May 2023

Hello, I wonder how many landlords are NOT aware that they must be registered with the ICO (Information Commissioners Office) for the Data Protection Registrar. I received my renewal today (£35 yearly). Whether you are a LTD company, partnership or just you, it is almost certain you need to be registered and there are very […]

House prices rise after seven months of falls

2nd May 2023

The UK’s house prices rose 0.5% in April – after seven consecutive months of prices falling, Nationwide reports. The lender says that on an annual basis, prices fell 2.7% in the year to April – but that is a slight recovery from last month’s figure of 3.1%. Nationwide says that the average house price is […]

pic of scaffolding outside flats airbnb scam propery118

Airbnb scam alert? A landlord’s tale of deceit, tenant troubles and growing costs

2nd May 2023

Hello, I am writing to report a situation regarding the leasing of my flat in South West London. I enlisted the services of a small local agency and we eventually found a tenant, a Canadian citizen who visited the property with his girlfriend. Despite my asking price of £1,825, he offered £1,850 and proposed a three-year […]

Over 65s have record £2.6 trillion in housing wealth

2nd May 2023

Research reveals that owner-occupiers who are older than 65 have £2.587 trillion of net housing wealth in homes that are worth £2.735 trillion. The finding from real estate firm Savills shows that most of that wealth – £2.038 trillion – is held by mortgage-free homeowners. For those aged between 50 and 64, their worth is […]

Stephen Henesy: Why Helpthemove can solve a landlord’s utility billing issues

2nd May 2023

If you are a landlord, agent or property manager looking to centralise and automate utility notifications to the council, water and energy suppliers when a tenancy change takes place, then Helpthemove could be for you. Founded by Stephen Henesy in 2014, it is an online platform to effectively manage a property portfolio and help reduce […]

The best service for Landlords who need to sell their properties

28th April 2023

If you’re a landlord who needs to sell their properties and is struggling, keep reading, because we have the best solution for you. No catch, no fuss, we simply know exactly what to do to help you. You need to sell. Whether it’s to pay off a tax bill, cut the rot of mortgages outweighing […]

Rent ‘reality gap’: London’s tenants are paying more than official data suggests

28th April 2023

Renters in the capital are paying 37% or £613 more per month than official statistics suggest, research reveals. The findings from lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves say that high demand is pushing up rent prices – and creating a ‘reality gap’. That’s because official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show […]

Welsh government says landlords need crucial financial help

28th April 2023

The Welsh government has acknowledged that landlords will need financial help to improve their rental homes to meet energy efficiency targets. The announcement comes after all 29 recommendations of the Senedd’s Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee’s report on the decarbonisation of the private rented sector, either in full or in principle. Among the issues […]

Pic of holiday lets in Scotland HMRC rules property118

Holiday lets and HMRC rules?

28th April 2023

Hello, Does anyone here understand the rules surrounding extended lets of 31 days plus, please? Here is the Gov link: The letting condition. In one paragraph it states this: The pattern of occupation condition If the total of all lettings that exceed 31 continuous days is more than 155 days during the year, this condition is not […]

property prices, rents,

Rents hit new high – but record growth is slowing down

28th April 2023

Tenants are faced with rents hitting a new record high with renters outside of London now spending an average of £1,190, Rightmove reveals. The platform says that rents have risen for 13 consecutive months, but the pace of growth is now slowing down. However, average rents in London have hit a new record by soaring […]

Row of Victorian houses freehold leaseholder won't pay for repairs property118

Unreasonable leaseholder refusing to pay towards ‘Major works’?

28th April 2023

Hello – I was hoping someone could help me and stumbled upon this site. We have a share of freehold of a small Victorian house – there are 4 flats and we own 2 – 50% of the freehold. We have the obligation to repair/redo the house every 7 years – and we’ve passed that […]

Rent price increases easing

Revealed: Cheapest place to rent in the UK

28th April 2023

Average monthly room rents in London now cost a staggering £952, according to a flatshare website. Spareroom reveals that nearly a quarter (23%) of UK renters have been priced out of the area they were living in in the last six months. Nearly half (48%) of these have had to move in with flatmates in […]

Golden Opportunities for UK Estate Agents

27th April 2023

There has never been a better time for Estate Agents to have a fundamental re-think about how to grow their business, because the market has undeniably changed direction. How can agents prevent their lettings business from shrinking? How can estate agents help their potential clients to make better-informed decisions and break the ‘analysis paralysis’ cycle? […]

Business professional in blue suit representing NRLA leadership on housing crisis.

Welsh government should have ‘listened to landlords’

27th April 2023

The National Residential Landlords’ Association (NRLA) has hit out after the Welsh government unveiled draft legislation to clarify parts of its Renting Homes Wales Act. The move will see the terms of converted contracts and any renewals that replace them being changed. This will see several regulatory grey areas being resolved that could, potentially, cause […]

pic of for sale boards as landlords sell up interest rates property118

Shock poll finds 44% of landlords will sell up

27th April 2023

If interest rates rise to 4.5% next month, 45% of landlords say they will sell up, a survey reveals. The findings from Finbri highlight that landlords are gearing up to bail out if the base rate increases in May. But financial experts are predicting that rates will go up and inflation remains stubbornly above 10%. […]

pic room destroyed by tenant landlord property118

Tenant has moved out and destroyed furniture – refusing to pay?

27th April 2023

Hello, Tenants have moved out and destroyed most of the furniture, doors, and white goods. I have sent them an invoice for the replacement of the damaged items. But they are refusing to pay. They are also refusing to pay 3 months rent. Any suggestions on what I can do next? Thank you, Ravel

The growing problem of cannabis farms

27th April 2023

One of the worst nightmares for landlords is finding their property damaged by cannabis cultivation, which is becoming all too common. The threat of cannabis farms has long been an issue for landlords up and down the country with £2.4 billion worth of the drug consumed in England and Wales a year (2021 figures). Cannabis […]

Renters will see more pressure on rents into the summer

27th April 2023

Tenants look set to continue feeling the financial pressure with low stock levels helping to boost rent price growth, one agency says. Fine & Country also says that as summer approaches, demand will increase and prices will rise even further. And one of the big issues facing renters, the premium estate agency says, is that […]

Buildings insurance on main residence affected by claims on BTL?

26th April 2023

Hi – I have seven properties which I run as BTL and one holiday let. They are all in my name and I have buildings insurance specific to BTL and FHL for all of them in my name. On my main residence, I have not made any claim for over 10 years, however I have […]