Five agents that failed to pay a compensatory award have been excluded from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme, it has been revealed. Because the agents – detailed below – failed to pay, they had been referred to the scheme’s independent Compliance Committee. It ruled that they should be excluded from The Property Ombudsman scheme. Ever-increasing […]

Tenant demand is rising across England’s rental market with eager tenants pushing the national figure up by 7% between the second and third quarters of this year, research reveals. The findings from estate and lettings agent, Barrows and Forrester highlight that demand has shot up by as much as 15% in some parts of the […]

You have until March 31st 2023 to spend £1 Million Pounds on Capital Allowances to benefit from the 130% super deduction. Join me with Alex Norian, the property tax specialist, from Property 118 to discuss all the qualifying capital allowances. Please click on the video below: https://youtu.be/du_JTh2O-dY

Research conducted by Dr Alison Wallace and Dr Julie Rugg has previously influenced Government legislation, so Property118 is always keen to help them wherever possible. Property 118 members are now invited to contribute to a new project by completing the short survey linked below to assist the latest research to better understand the uptake of […]

The government has unveiled a U-turn after its recent mini-budget saw the top rate of income tax of 45p being abolished and it will now reinstate the levy. The mini-budget led to turmoil on the money markets and saw lenders withdrawing mortgage products across the board. But now the Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng says the abolition […]

Hello, I have 5 single let properties in and around the Nottinghamshire & Lincolnshire area. One property in Nottingham city centre is within the Selective licence area. I applied and received my licence when required to do so 4 years ago. I have now been given a week to produce evidence of attending GOOD LANDLORD […]

Rents in England have broken records in September and have soared to the highest rate ever recorded by one rent index. The finding from the Goodlord Rental Index also reveals that voids remain steady across the country as demand from tenants remains strong. Their research shows that rental costs hit a new high in September […]

Hi, Our tenant has given us a notice. I advertised my property and arranged a viewing. I asked permission of the tenant – Can I show the property as they were not available and were out during viewings. They happily agreed. I showed the house and locked the house before leaving the property. Later my […]

Landlords and letting agents in England have new Right to Rent rules to follow after measures that were brought in during the Covid lockdown ended. And Propertymark, the professional body for property agents, is warning that the changes do not mean a return to in-person checks. The rules changed on 1 October because Covid adjusted […]

The personal finance reporter for the Telegraph, Alexa Phillips, is looking to speak to landlords who are not planning on selling their properties but are likely to be forced to increase rents to avoid financial problems. Any feedback will be used for a feature looking at landlords’ stories and experiences on how higher mortgage rates […]

I cannot stay silent any longer because the continued attack on landlords will end in tears for us, tenants and the government. I was taken aback when the Scottish government announced that it was introducing legislation for a rent freeze without any negotiation or discussion with the private rental sector in the country. I was […]

The latest data from Nationwide shows that there has been a slowdown in annual house price growth to 9.5% in September – from 10% in August. The survey shows that 10 of the UK’s 13 regions recorded slower annual price growth in the third quarter of the year. However, the South West was the strongest […]

Our Hon. Legal Counsel, Mark Smith, Head of Chambers at Cotswold Barristers, will be presenting in person an overview of several landlord tax strategies at the pin Birmingham Central meeting Thursday 6th October. The Birmingham Central pin Meeting will be held at The Birmingham Conference & Events Centre, Hill Street, Birmingham, B5 4EW Hosted by […]

Hi, I purchased a flat in a block of flats – the management of which the local council has contracted out to a company. I am one of a few leaseholders paying a service charge and ground rent to the company. The problem I am facing is the constant number of letters that the company […]

Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng is being urged by one landlords’ organisation to adopt a cost-of-living plan for the private rented sector as tenants and landlords face ever-growing costs. The National Residential Landlords’ Association (NRLA) has written to the Chancellor warning that while private rents are increasing by less than inflation, it is rising energy, food and […]

The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on plans to extend the notice period that landlords are required to give for converted contracts after the Renting Homes Wales Act comes into force on 1st December. That’s when all tenancy agreements in Wales will be known as occupation contracts and tenants will be ‘contract-holders’. Even tenancies […]

England’s rental market is returning to good health with a significant reduction in void periods and costs compared to last year, research reveals. Voids are one of a buy to let landlords’ biggest pain points since an empty property means no rental income. And, according to research from Total Landlord Insurance, voids also offer a […]

The rules for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in England’s rental properties have changed – and landlords and agents need to understand the new rules. The move is part of the Government’s plan to create a ‘safer, better and bigger’ PRS. It’s worth noting that the changes do not appear to be vastly different – […]

Hello everyone, I have recently had a fire risk assessment conducted on my HMO property. The report indicates the doors are not compliant as they have no seals and only two hinges instead of the required three. The closing mechanisms are also faulty and the door frames and doors are not aligned properly. The question […]

Hi, Just checking mortgage borrowing rates this morning and came across two products with NatWest and The Royal Bank of Scotland, both asking for EPC’s of A and B to apply for their best fixed rate mortgage products on a five year fixed rate deal! Talk about kicking people when they are down. If this […]

My wife and I have nearly £2,000,000 on fixed-rate mortgages that are due to expire in January 2023 – YIKES! The LTV across our portfolio is somewhere between 40% and 50% and in recent years our rental income has been apportioned at around 33% finance costs, 33% other expenses and 33% profits. We have calculated […]