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 […]

Tenant just contacted me to say his younger brother is moving in for ‘a couple of months’ as his parents (whom he lives with) are being evicted and my tenant wants to give him some stability while the parents are in temp accommodation. How do I approach this? While I understand the position, this is […]

The news is currently full of talk about recession. In fact, it feels like we are talking ourselves into a recession. If we do go into a recession, what will this mean for you and your property investing? This is VERY important for you because the next 24 months could literally be make or break. […]

The latest Propertymark PRS report indicates properties available per branch are remaining static at 10, but demand from tenants is continuing to increase. In May there was an average of 113 new applicants registered per member branch. 79% of agents reported a rise in rental prices and the average void period between tenancies has dropped […]

Hi Everyone, I bought a dormer bungalow and an indemnity policy for a rear loft conversion (large single, box room & shower room) that received planning permission in 1981 but for which there is no Building Regulations Approval. The full survey detailed a slight slope in the floor of the corner bedroom of the loft […]

In 2009 my son-in-law got into financial difficulty and I repaid all debts and the mortgage on their property and took ownership of their home allowing them to remain in the property rent-free. At the time I paid 209k for this property. I now wish to get the property out of my estate and gift […]

Hi Everyone, I’ve just read in ‘The Daily Mail and The Telegraph’, that Gove (in all his wisdom!), is now proposing banning Landlords from using short-term holiday let web portals such as Airbnb. He is also considering implementing the minimum term for holiday lets to be 90 days or over! The Daily Mail “The amendment […]

With inflation at a 40-year high, interest rates are at a 13-year high with more increases predicted, and higher tax bills it’s getting tougher for landlords with mortgages to make an annual profit on their rental income. For many landlords, this leaves them in an asset-rich, cash flow poor situation when running and repair costs […]

Backed by £150 million of government funding, Help to Build will enable people to overcome prohibitive mortgage costs to build a home that is tailored to their needs and in a community of their choice, with just a 5% deposit towards land and building costs. Help to Build will open for applications on Monday, making […]