2022 has been an incredibly turbulent year with Interest rates rising, the economy crashing and recession on the way. Now is as important a time as any to make sure that your property business is structured properly for the times ahead. Today I’m joined by Alex Norian & Nicky Kita, the property tax specialists, from […]

The Telegraph’s personal finance reporter, Alexa Phillips, is looking to speak to landlords who are selling (or have recently sold) their buy-to-let properties. This includes either people who are reducing the size of their property portfolio or leaving the rental market altogether. The story is looking at how rising interest rates and regulatory changes are […]

Hello, I have an income support tenant (with considerable savings) who has been angling for a section 21 notice for the last few months. She is convinced that she can get a central London council house (unlikely). I refused to give her sec 21 notice as I didn’t want to end up paying for court […]

Hello, I am told that in English law there is no such thing as a legal right to a view, (established in Aldred’s Case 1610). However, if a tree is allowed to grow uncontrolled and too large, resulting in the loss of a valued view, is there a potential legal challenge on the grounds of […]

Hello, I have a tenant who has been with me for 20 years or so (AST) in a 2 bed flat. He lives like a hermit and over the years the place has got v dirty and messy. I’ve done what I can or need to; new boiler when old one became unsafe according to […]

Families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis could receive a cash boost so they can pay their rent, Michael Gove has hinted. The Levelling Up secretary was speaking on the ‘Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg’ show when he revealed that ‘targeted support’ could be on the table to help families pay their private landlord. However, Mr Gove […]

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has called for an immediate rent freeze to deal with tenants struggling in the cost-of-living crisis and growing homelessness in the capital. He says that the numbers sleeping rough have risen by 21% over the past year and without government intervention, the progress made in housing homeless people since […]

Our Hon. Legal Counsel, Mark Smith, Head of Chambers at Cotswold Barristers, will be presenting an overview of several landlord tax strategies at the pin Reading meeting Thursday 1st November. The Reading meeting will be held at The Crowne Plaza Reading, Caversham Bridge, Richfield Avenue, Reading, RG1 8BD Hosted by Simant Soni on the 1st […]

Hello, We let our property to a couple with a baby in 2019, with 90% of their rent paid by the council through a housing benefit. They immediately fell into arrears, not paying the rent at all, so the council told me they would pay the 90% direct to me. Since then the 10% payments […]

Hello, We agreed to be guarantor for our son’s ex-girlfriend as she was having his baby. Subsequently, it has turned out not to be his. My question is, we are now getting to the end of the first year of tenancy and I contacted the agent to say to we will no longer be guarantor […]

The UK’s house prices are set to fall by 5% next year on the back of rising mortgage interest rates, says Zoopla. The platform says the increase in mortgage rates represents the largest interest rate shock for new buyers since the late 1980s. And, despite signs of slowing, mortgage rates will not return to the […]

Would you like your next property acquisition to be a high cash-generating HMO (House of Multiple Occupation), but don’t know how to do it? You should be considering HMOs because they are a recession-proof strategy and also generate high cash flow, which means rising interest rates are not as much of a concern as it […]

Looks like Hallowe’en has come early for landlords with the announcement that Michael Gove has returned to the Government fold. And, for me at least, that’s a huge shame. Because while Gove has a strong reputation for getting things done – he is poised to undo the private rental sector. My big fear is that […]

The number of short-term lets (STLs) has grown steadily in many areas of the UK over the past four years – and could threaten the PRS, a survey reveals. The report from Propertymark highlights that the recent pandemic helped to fuel the rise in short let properties because many people decided to holiday in the […]

The proportion of landlords who are reporting increasing tenant demand has hit an all-time high – for the second time this year. The findings from Paragon Bank found that a net increase in tenant demand during the past three months was seen by 65% of respondents. This surpasses the previous all-time high of 62% recorded […]

A senior minister has confirmed the Government’s intention to introduce a Renters’ Reform Bill in this Parliament – and it could be law by the time this Parliament ends. Andrew Stephenson, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, was responding to a question from Labour MP, Matthew […]

So, what do landlords think of this latest initiative? https://www.serco.com/uk/sites/serco-aasc/landlords On the one-hand, the government are berating landlords for the rent levels which are linked to shortages in supply (read – failure by Govt to build), whilst on the other hand, available properties are being scooped up in contract-sized proportions. What effect will that have […]

Hi Property 118, We wondered what your thoughts are. We have recently let a property out to a nurse who doesn’t come from the UK. She’s a bit demanding even wanting her bins emptied and didn’t realise until she was told by the letting agents that she has to put them out for emptying. So […]

Hello. Is it usual for insurance for an empty property (which is up for sale) to only provide cover for subsidence? No cover for malicious damage or escape of water. I’ve been quoted over £600 for one tenanted and one empty property. Seems a bit excessive? Thanks for any advice. Ann

The number of Build-to-Rent (BTR) homes either in planning, under construction or completed in the UK is up by 15%. The figures from the British Property Federation (BPF) cover the period between Q3 2021 and Q3 this year when numbers rose from 209,313 to 240,202. The BPF says that the sector continues to expand across […]

Landlords are calling on Michael Gove to get the planned Rental Reform Bill right for both landlords and tenants. The call comes after Mr Gove was reinstated as the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities secretary by the new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. The cabinet minister had previously been fired by Boris Johnson in July. Mr […]