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Telegraph Property 118

Daily Telegraph wants to talk to landlords about buy-to-let properties

2nd February 2023

If you are landlord who is buying or selling buy-to-let properties or has done so recently, Alexa Phillips, the personal finance reporter for the Telegraph would like to speak with you. Alexa would like to know: Where are you buying or selling, and why? Are there any challenges you’ve faced? What has your experience of […]

The Bank of England, London, and a Union jack flag

BoE base rate rise – Experts react on impact for landlords

2nd February 2023

Property and finance experts have reacted to the news that the Bank of England has raised the base rate from 3.5% to 4%. They highlight that the mortgage market has been preparing for the base rate increase by the Bank and have factored this into their product ranges. However, landlords may find that the stress […]

Bank of England emblem symbolising decision to hold the Base Rate at 5%

Bank of England Base Rate hits 4%

2nd February 2023

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) today voted by a majority of 7–2 to increase the Base Rate by a further 0.5% to a post credit crisis high of 4%. The two dissenting members voted to freeze the rate at 3.5%. The US Federal Reserve yesterday increased its rate by only 0.25%, so […]

Social housing landlords warned to improve mould conditions

2nd February 2023

There are between 120,000 to 160,000 social housing properties in England that have notable issues with damp and mould, the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) says. And up to 80,000 of those homes have ‘serious issues’. The revelation comes after the RSH wrote to all social housing landlords in November in the wake of the […]

Pic of BTL house for sale landlord agent refund property118.com

Estate Agent will not refund reservation deposit?

2nd February 2023

Hello, I paid a reservation deposit of £1,000 for BTL property for it to be taken off the market. I commenced all legal work and applied for a mortgage with the first lender and they down valued the property by about £10,000. I couldn’t fund the cash difference, so I made this clear to the […]

Yields remain stable, but rent rises highly likely

2nd February 2023

More landlords will decide to raise rents in 2023 because profitability has taken a hit, according to a report. Foundation Home Loans says that larger landlords are 20% more likely than smaller landlords to put up rents in the first six months of 2023 after profits fell between the third and final quarter of 2022. […]

England’s PRS rockets in value to hit £1.5trn

2nd February 2023

The private rental sector (PRS) in England has rocketed in value by 30% since 2019 to be worth £1.5trn, research reveals. The findings from debt advisory specialists Sirius Property Finance looked at the level of stock and its current market value, along with the average yield available before the Covid pandemic hit. And, despite the […]

Pic of empty house council tax council rules property118.com

Beware empty house premiums apply to the property not owner!

2nd February 2023

Hello, Beware of Buckinghamshire Council rules!! Buckinghamshire Council apply long term empty penalties to a house not the owner. So, if you buy an empty house you can incur up to four times the normal council tax. They also don’t allow the new owner to apply for a 50% discount on council tax for major […]

Voids reach the highest level in two years

2nd February 2023

Rent prices increased in January but voids have reached their highest level since 2021, data from Goodlord reveals. The firm also highlights that tenant salaries are rising more quickly than rents are. It says that January offered a mixed picture for landlords as the average cost of rent in England rose by 8% to £1,076. […]

Auction hammer house sold as vacant possession property118.com

Tenant refuses to leave from property I was sold as vacant possession!

1st February 2023

Hello everyone, I’m looking for advice as to what to do in a very difficult situation I’ve landed in. I bought a property at auction with the seller stating the tenant had been served a section 21 notice and would be gone prior to completion, (I made a mistake of not getting that in writing in […]

House prices continue to fall – Nationwide

1st February 2023

House prices have now fallen for the fifth consecutive month, Nationwide says. Its latest house price index reveals that in January, the average house price fell 0.6% from December to £258,297. And annual house price growth continues to slow – it was 1.1% last month. In December, annual house price growth was 2.8%. Robert Gardner, […]

Manchester sign on a street paving

Manchester Council are profiteering at 200% Council Tax charge

1st February 2023

Well, it seems the war on landlords continues and all morality from the Government and city councils is lost. Please see the link to the latest consultation on Council Tax for Manchester. As per usual for the Government and city councils, the wording of their proposal is very poorly constructed but I think the eventual […]

Pic of coin to register a TDS deposit tenant landlord property118.com

Re-registering a TDS deposit?

1st February 2023

Hello, I have three properties with deposits registered with the TDS. One tenancy has come up for renewal and the tenant is happy to remain. The deposit stays with TDS, but they have emailed me asking me to re-register it at a cost of £25. This seems unnecessary, a waste of time and a £75 […]

Tenant demand in central London bounces back

1st February 2023

Landlords with properties in central London have reported the highest levels of tenant demand across England and Wales, research from Paragon Bank reveals. It found that more than nine in 10 landlords (94%) with properties in central London reported strong levels of tenant demand, with just 6% reporting levels as ‘stable’. The research, covering the […]

Pic of sash window epc tenant regs property118.com

UPVC window in a Listed building/G2?

1st February 2023

Hello, Has anyone had any joy in getting an LA to give the thumbs up for permission to replace a wooden sash window with a UPVC (single or double glazed) window that replicates what the original looked like from the outside in a Grade II listed building? I was going to go to town and […]

Who are the best UK Property Educators?

1st February 2023

I don’t have a lot of money but, I am passionate about property investment, development, flipping etc. and want to learn the following wealth-building techniques from the best of the best:- How to source and package viable property projects with a view to selling those deals on to other investors in return for fees How […]

EPC C in HMO 2025 or 2028?

1st February 2023

Hello, As we all know the government is stipulating a minimum EPC ‘C’ for new tenancies signed in 2025, and for all rented homes by 2028. I run licenced HMOs with individual room lets on ASTs. Legally, do I need to reach ‘C’ in 2025 on the first new room let tenancy, even though the […]

Most landlords will put up rent to meet rising mortgage costs

1st February 2023

With the Bank of England set to put up its base rate this week, one firm is warning that landlords will put up rents if the base rate reaches 4.5%. The bridging finance broker Finbri says that with the base rate expected to reach a high of 4.5% in 2023, 53% of landlords will look […]

Pic of monopoly for house prices in uk landlords property118.com

How long will the housing market slump last?

31st January 2023

Falling house prices will only last a couple of months, according to a new report. The findings from GetAgent reveal that while 155,000 home sellers could be hit by a price drop, the organisation says that price depreciation will only last a matter of months before the market rebounds. The estate agent comparison website has […]

Pic of thermometer after heater left on in a rented house property118.com

Cleaner has cost me over £1,000 on energy bill?

31st January 2023

Hello, I wanted to share a bad experience I had this week whereby a cleaner has cost me over £1,000 in electricity. I share this as a warning to others but also I would like to know if anybody else has ever encountered a similar situation and if they managed to resolve it or hear […]

The Property Ombudsman scheme excludes six agents

31st January 2023

In its latest report, The Property Ombudsman (TPO) reveals that it has excluded six agents from its scheme in the last quarter of 2022 for failing to pay a compensatory award. All six agents were referred to the scheme’s independent Compliance Committee which ruled that they should be excluded. As part of TPO’s compliance process, […]