Hindsight can be a wonderful thing, can’t it? When you look back at a smart decision you made and see how well it’s worked out for you. But it can also be painful when you look back at a decision that you regret and hasn’t worked out well at all. Hindsight is even better when […]

Handelsbanken has conducted new research among a small but niche panel of 120 professional landlords managing a total of 829 properties in the UK on their outlook for the industry, the challenges they faced during the pandemic, the impact of new EPC legislation on their portfolio and their succession plans. Click here for the full […]

Looking through the thousands of posts on this forum, you quickly get the impression that landlords are wicked scoundrels and tenants complain about them constantly. It’s the same in my world of block management. Long leaseholders complain about high service charges, a lack of timely repairs, soaring insurance premiums and managing agents who charge but […]

Help, after being four months in arrears the mother LEFT her 13-year-old daughter with three nasty dogs in our two-bedroomed flat and moved in with her boyfriend. (the lease was 12 months and ran out a few months ago) We were reported to the council because the daughter “got a shock from the electric supply”,  […]

Andrew Bailey, Bank of England Governor, gave a speech yesterday at the Mansion House Financial and Professional Services Dinner. Although he did not and could not give an indication of what the Monetary Policy Committee’s decision would be for the next Bank Base Rate vote on the 4th of August, he was preparing the way […]

Some fixed savings rates have more than doubled in the last year, but inflation continues to outpace cash interest returns. Moneyfacts.co.uk reveals the top rate deals available for liquid funds if you have to park any deposits. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 9.4% during June, from 9.1% in May. Unsurprisingly, there is not […]

Yesterday the UK saw record high temperatures, but it’s not just the weather settings records. House prices rose 14% in the year to June. The highest rate since 2004. House prices rose month-to-month 1.8% in June. The steepest monthly increase since 2007. All amid a threat of recession, political turmoil, war, and a once-in-a-generation cost […]

With the Renters’ Reform white paper making residential buy-to-lets less attractive, is it time to look at snapping up a country cottage holiday let? It may be, but be careful, warns Richard Reed. We’ve all probably dreamed of owning a cosy country cottage in an idyllic part of the country, let out for chunks of […]

Has anyone released their property to or entered into short-term lease arrangements with a managing agent who then goes on to organise the accommodation and support services for Exempt providers in the Birmingham area? Are you an Agent that provides properties for this purpose? I am keen to determine if the same Agents also take […]

Hi, Could I please ask for a specialist opinion? I have had a claim made on my Rent Guarantee Insurance. When I am now quoting for my Landlord Insurance (building only) I am asked about claims in the last 5 years. Different websites formulate the question in different ways. Mostly, it sounds as: “Have any […]

Hi everyone, A friend of mine who owns a small portfolio of let houses like me has asked me if I know anything about Reposit. As far as I can glean, this company instead of taking a deposit charges an extra week’s rent which is used to buy an insurance policy. Have any readers had […]

Structuring to protect your family’s Inheritance is crucial in your property business. Make sure you don’t lose 40p to HMRC for every pound you leave behind! In this video, I’m joined once again by Alex Norian, the tax specialist, from Property118 to discuss how smart company structures can be used to protect your family’s legacy.

Hi, I have several flats in conversions in two-storey buildings. Yes converted pre 1991 Building Act. On viewing properties to buy I notice several now have a wired fire alarm and emergency lighting to the common parts. However, in my opinion, as an experienced architect and chartered surveyor (retired) where the staircases/escape routes are very […]

We rent a recently refurbished a terraced cottage with upstairs windows at the back of the property opening outwards onto a neighbour’s shared courtyard. The neighbour who shares the courtyard with others has requested we either replace our windows with sash-opening windows or request our tenant keep the windows closed to prevent the windows from […]

When I tell people I’m the managing director of a property investment franchise specialising in HMOs, I’m often met with scepticism. Scummy, rogue landlords profiteering off younger generations, robbing them of an opportunity to buy their own home. Landlords are bad, greedy people, tenants are anti-social, destructive and will never pay… or at least that’s […]

The owner of a flat in a development where I also own a property has not paid any fees or ground rent for at least four years and current arrears are approaching £5000. I understand the flat, which was inherited by the current owner at that time, is in a poor state of repair and […]

The Construction Industry Scheme, or CIS for short, is an HMRC scheme to prevent the loss of tax receipts from contractors, and sub-contractors that didn’t always file or completely fill out tax returns. It covers a wide range of activities and in simple terms, the contractor withholds the tax as they pay sub-contractors and account […]

I recently exchanged and completed on a mini 3-bed HMO with 3 sitting tenants in situ on 3 different ASTs. There is a management company in place who have been managing the mini HMO under a selective licensing scheme. I am now required to apply for an additional HMO license in the next 30 days. […]

The Property Market is changing, hence I’ve put together 10 top tips to succeed In property over the coming years. Each tip comes with its own associated video from our back catalogue for you to enjoy. All links can be found below. 00:00 | Ten Tips Videos – https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2… : 02:12  The BRRRR Strategy – […]

iHowz landlord association have published their response to the Government’s White Paper “A Fairer Private Rented Sector” They have sent their response to the new Minister, Greg Clarke, and have also sent it to other landlord associations, in an effort to identify any additional issues and present a united front when MPs return to the […]

The next Prime Minister must address the supply crisis in the private rented sector if homeownership ambitions are to become a reality. That is the warning from the NRLA as new survey data shows that the supply of homes to rent is likely to keep falling over the next year. According to this research, by […]