We have a vacant flat with a very low EPC (G!), in which we want to install high heat retention storage heaters. Good idea? No, not when British Gas is only making emergency engineer appointments and cannot give me a date for the installation of an Off-Peak Meter. Has anyone else had this problem and […]

Propertymark has conducted a joint online survey with the NRLA, LandlordZone and pets charity AdvoCATS indicating how common pet damage is and how difficult the costs are to recover in the PRS. Click here Out of 537 respondents (this would be skewed due to the nature of the survey) 85.3% of landlords had incurred damage […]

Hi, I’m looking for advice as one of my tenants has today messaged saying they have fallen down the stairs in my rented property. They haven’t advised how/what caused them to fall down, but here is their message “I need to let you know, I went head 1st down the stairs at half 12 last […]

Does anyone have good or bad experiences with induction hobs in HMOs? We are about to refurbish some communal kitchenss in HMOs occupied by working people (not students), and weighing up whether to replace the existing gas hobs with induction hobs. We hope they would be easier to clean and maintain, one less item on […]

What is the right amount of debt for a property investor? Too little debt can be as costly as too much on your property portfolio, so maintaining your debt correctly is vital to your property business. In this episode of The Property Tax Show, I’m joined once again by Alex Norian, the tax specialist, from […]

I have an EPC from 2009 which rated my house as a D67 this noted that there was ‘partial double glazing ‘ and recommended that full double glazing be fitted, which would boost the rating to a C76. This was duly done. This report also confirmed that FULL Cavity wall insulation WAS in place I […]

Unscrupulous Supported housing providers who exploit vulnerable residents by charging high rents for poor-quality accommodation and offering almost no help will be driven out of the supported housing market by a new £20 million government improvement programme launched on 2 July 2022. Supported housing provides accommodation alongside care, support, or supervision, helping vulnerable people across […]

I rent a property as a student let. However, one week before new students were due to move in the agency looking after this property notified me of an increase in the fees they charge. If I end the agreement then normally there are penalties. Their letter stated that I have 30 days to cancel, […]

A friend of mine, also a landlord, used a letting agency to find a tenant. She assumed the letting agency would also protect the deposit. When the tenant came to leave, she found that the deposit had not been protected. She immediately refunded one month’s rent£2500. Next, she received a solicitor’s letter asking for another […]

My daughter is living, rent-free, in my last remaining BTL, a leasehold flat. Decided that with all the additional legislation coming to get out of the PRS. In 2021-22 I did not rent out the 2nd bedroom due to worries re Covid and having eventually managed to remove my daughter’s flatmate from hell. I am […]

My personal view is that an interest only mortgage is far better than a capital repayment mortgage, here’s why … Back in 1971 my parents borrowed three times their joint income to buy a house that cost them £3,000. Yes you read that right, THREE THOUSAND POUNDS, and that bought them a three-bed house in […]

The moment we’ve been anticipating has arrived; two weeks since Gove released his White Paper for a “fairer private rented sector,” Landlords are taking stock of how best to deal with the upcoming changes they now need to make to their buy-to-let portfolios in a bid to meet the criteria of a “levelled up” housing […]

The latest Nationwide House price index for June is reporting a slowing inflationery market with month-on-month property prices up 0.3% in June – down from 0.9% in May. However, Annual inflation is still in double digits at 10.7% with the average house price now standing at £271,613. Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s Chief Economist, said: “UK annual […]

I wondered if you might please be able to post the below request on the Property118 forum for a piece I am writing on holiday lets? Hello, my name is Rachel Mortimer and I’m a property reporter at the Daily Telegraph. I am looking to speak with people invested in a holiday let in the UK and […]

The Scottish Government is aiming to sign into law Part 4 of the Coronavirus Bill (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland). The legislation would permanently make all grounds for eviction discretionary, meaning a tribunal would not have to automatically remove a tenant in cases of anti-social behaviour, rent arrears or a landlord needing to move into or […]

Hi All, I will soon become a property owner and I wanted to rent out two rooms to help with the mortgage and bills. I live in Croydon (where full planning permission is required for any kind of HMO) I must be careful to not hit the threshold for an HMO. By looking at the […]

Responding to the publication today of the Government’s review on short-term holiday lets, Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “The growth in holiday lets is a direct consequence of the Government’s attack on long-term rented housing. “Tax policies actively discourage long-term investment in the private rented sector by landlords. With […]

A government review into the effect of short-term holiday lets will seek to improve the holiday letting market for those living in popular tourism destinations. The scheme, proposed in a new government review looking at the impact of increases in short-term and holiday lets in England, could involve physical checks of premises to ensure regulations […]

Many leaseholders will for the first time be legally protected from unfair bills to make their homes safe as measures in the Building Safety Act 2022 come into force on 28 June 2022. Those responsible for historical safety defects, and those who own buildings, will instead be required to fund essential repairs. 45 of the […]

Hi All, My tenant’s deposit funds were secured correctly at the start of the tenancy. However, the explanatory prescribed information leaflets about reclaim of cash etc. has NOT been served upon the tenant. My question is: Will the eviction get blocked because of this paperwork oversight? If so for how long and is there an […]

We are using Section 21 to evict a tenant because the freeholder is legitimately complaining about overcrowding and noise (birth of two children in a one-bedroomed flat post moving in). However, the rent has always been paid, albeit at a lower than the market level. The tenant wants to be rehoused by the Council but […]