Just over a year ago, the Bank Base rate was 0.1%. Since then, there have been 9 consecutive increases with the rate now at 3.5%. It is predicted that the rate will increase by a further 0.5% this coming Thursday, bringing the rate up to 4%. It is also forecast that the bank rate will […]

I have come across a Northern Rock excess mortgage interest claim being started by Harcus Parker. Although they have not yet had High Court permission to pursue the claim, if it proceeds they say it will be on a No Win No Fee basis. Their fee will be 35% plus VAT (although their paperwork also […]

Dear Community, I am facing a situation and your opinions will be greatly appreciated. I am a leaseholder of one flat that is my only property. I have lovely tenants living in this flat. There has been a substantial leak from a flat right above the flat adjacent to mine. Those two flats (next to […]

Hello, We are considering buying a block of 5 flats, all tenanted. Some have been on-boarded through an agent and others have not. Our concern is that at least some are not valid tenancies in which prescribed information was not given or deposits protected in the correct way, which could cause us major issues down […]

The government has imposed a six-week deadline for housing developers to sign legally binding contracts that will commit them to pay to repair unsafe buildings. And the government warns that companies that fail to sign and comply with the terms of the contract will ‘face significant consequences’. Legislation will be brought forward in the spring […]

Home buyers are holding off from entering the market and are now waiting to see if house prices and mortgage rates start to fall, Zoopla’s latest House Price Index reveals. The platform says that demand for homes has rebounded in the first weeks of January – and is now in line with pre-pandemic levels. However, […]

Hello, Would reinstatement (like for like) following an accident to a property be considered a capital cost or allowable expense vs income? My instinct is to view it all as maintenance/repair because there was damage which needed attention to get it back to how it was prior to the accident. However, if the damage was […]

Hello, I have a tenant who has refused to leave the property, as advised by the local housing office as she would be deemed to have made herself deliberately homeless, until physically evicted by a bailiff. They also advised the tenant that the short term rental 6 month agreement which ended 21 October 2021 was […]

Hello, I sold a leasehold flat on last September. The freeholder is now sending demands (forwarded to me) for ground rent to March 2023. I would normally assume a computer error, but having had dealings with this company for over ten years (they are one reason I moved) nothing would surprise me. Surely I cannot […]

Nearly half of the UK’s ‘non-freehold tenants’ (meaning tenants or leaseholders living in flats/apartments) are living with outstanding maintenance issues in their homes, according to a new report. The findings from management software company Zutec reveals that 47% of those tenants could be living in unsafe circumstances due to unaddressed maintenance issues. Researchers found that […]

This might seem like a weird question, but what’s stopping you from owning 3, 4, or even 10 properties, to give you enough monthly cash flow to replace your income? If you’re like most people, the answer might be, you: Can’t afford repayments on 1 expensive mortgage, never mind 3 of them! Would struggle to […]

Average asking rents in inner London have soared past £3,000 per month for the first time, according to Rightmove. The property portal has published data for the fourth quarter of 2022 and it also reveals that the capital’s rents leapt by 5.8% on the previous quarter to reach £2,480. However, it appears that 2023 has […]

The struggles for students to find somewhere to live while at university look set to continue with news that 75% of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) has already been snapped up for the next academic year. The findings from Stripe Property Group highlight how tight the supply of PBSA beds is in the top 50 university […]

Hello, We live with our lodger in our only house. The room the room is more or less self-contained. We do share all the utility bills, post box and some cleaning equipment. Does our lodger have Occupiers with basic protection? Do we need a court order to evict him if 4 weeks notice is given […]

Hello, I recently had a tenant who stopped paying rent and we did eventually manage to get her to leave on her own accord. She did however decide to smash the house (and contents) up prior to her and her young children’s departure and in the process cause over £10,000 worth of damage. We contacted […]

So, you have moved your property portfolio to a Limited Company or just set one up and want to borrow money for say a new purchase. The first thing you will notice is that interest rates for Limited Companies are higher than a BTL in your own name, apparently because there is a higher risk. […]

Hello, Can anyone advise ? ? My Dad was recently in the process of selling 3 flats and the Mortgage Lender was aware this was very imminent and were prepared to wait a SHORT while (weeks) for this to conclude. The term ended on 10th Jan and two of the three were to be sold […]

A Conservative MSP is calling on the Scottish Government to declare a ‘national housing crisis’ after it was revealed that 47,000 people are homeless in the country. The data from the Scottish government also reveals that 30,000 people are stuck on social housing waiting lists. Miles Briggs, the housing spokesperson for the Scottish Conservatives highlighted […]

Hello, a S21 was issued to a tenant with expiry in mid Dec. I then contacted my insurance to progress the accelerated process. They contacted the legal company that I have cover with as part of my policy. They have come back to me stating S21 is deemed invalid and that they will not progress […]

While there are homes to buy, tenants will struggle to rent due to a lack of rental stock and high demand, new data shows. The information and marketing services company TwentyCi has published its End of Year Summary Report for 2022 which reveals that the residential lettings sector has seen a significant decrease in the […]

Rents continued to rise in the last quarter of 2022 with tenants in London and Scotland seeing their increases outstripping inflation, The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS) says. The country’s largest protector of deposits reveals that average rents reached £903 in the last quarter – an increase of 1.57% (£14) since the previous quarter. However, […]