Page 396 – Property118

Non-Permitted occupier in second bedroom?

5th May 2022

Having recently let a two-bedroom flat to a young couple through my local letting agent, the tenants have recently moved in another person to the second bedroom. My letting agent says this new person, who would not pass their vetting procedure and was moved in without my knowledge or consent, needs to be on the […]

How long are courts taking to send notices?

4th May 2022

Hi everyone, I have recently been to court and got an order for a tenant who is in arrears with over £15000 of rental payments. The tenant was given until the 27th of April by the court to move out. However, he is still there and we can not instruct the bailiffs as the court […]

iHowz call on Government to release MEES requirements

4th May 2022

It is nearly 17 months since the Government’s consultation on improving the energy performance of privately rented homes closed. On Friday, 29 April 2022, iHowz landlord association wrote to Kwasi Kwateng, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), to push for the publication of the findings of the EPC consultation together […]

NRLA open letter answering unbalanced Shelter press release

3rd May 2022

The NRLA has sent an open letter to the Chief Executive of Shelter, Polly Neate CBE, looking to redress the imbalance of the latest Shelter press release: Dear Polly, I write following the publication of Shelter’s research: “Every seven minutes a private renter is served a no-fault eviction notice despite a government promise to scrap […]

BTL Insurance refusals after fire damage claim?

2nd May 2022

Does anyone have the same issues with insurers as I have? My insurance company has refused to renew my policy and every broker I have contacted since then comes back with the same reply – The Underwriters are unable to cover me. The problem is a result of a fire in my property in October […]

School fees funding from unencumbered equity?

2nd May 2022

I own four Buy to Let flats outright/unencumbered. I also have 4 grandchildren all due to attend private schools with correspondingly costly term fees. My question is: What is the best way to use my accumulated equity, but not cash wealth to support the parents with the school fees? Should I consider – Equity release, […]

BTL and Solar panels – Are there easy tax answers?

2nd May 2022

Is there a simple answer to the question? If I put solar panels on a residential BTL property as a sole trader, in Scotland. 1) Can I offset the cost as an expense in the current year. 2) Is it just Capital offset at the point of sale. I understand there may be, or seem […]

Shared Freehold – Inadvertently took on the company director role?

2nd May 2022

Hello, I have inherited my fathers semi detached house that forms part of a four block. There is two blocks and they all own the freehold shared eight ways. However, they all have individual leases, the lease on our now inherited house has a 936 years left on the lease. My father was the company […]

Joint Freeholders – Now I feel totally let down?

2nd May 2022

I recently purchased my share (one third) of the freehold in a block of three flats together with the other two flat owners. We jointly purchased it through a limited company in which we have one equal share each. Since this has happened I have voluntarily been doing all the administrative work for the company […]

Fair rent detemination?

29th April 2022

I have a tenant who’s been on Housing benefits since April 2005. The council have stated that his claim and the eligible rent used in the calculation is decided with regard to October Deregulated tenancies and any rent increase must be referred to the Rent Officer (HB regulations 2006 regulation 13). The Council have stated […]

What Section 8 Notice improvements are soon to be required?

28th April 2022

Section 8 Notices seem to lack substance currently, with mandatory and discretionary grounds for possession. With the likelihood of Section 21 Notices becoming a thing of the past, what measures would you put in place to make Section 8 Notices more robust? This is extremely important given that this could potentially provide one of very […]

Changes to the PRS in Wales – How it could apply to England?

28th April 2022

The new Renting Homes (Wales) Act has been published. I am wondering what people feel about the changes to Section 21 and if they feel that would be a compromise if it were implemented in England? >> https://gov.wales/housing-law-changing-renting-homes I have copied a small part of it below: Renting Homes (Wales) Act – Changes to evictions […]

Equity Loan and offsetting CGT?

28th April 2022

I am wondering if anyone has had any experience or knowledge of Equity Loans and how they may be treated as an expense or offset against CGT. Briefly, I took an equity release loan on a property that used to be my residential home which I subsequently let as a BTL. This helped me build […]

Number of landlords seeking to recover rental debt rises by 180%

28th April 2022

Landlord Action, one of the UK’s best known eviction and housing law specialists, has seen a sharp rise in landlords requesting to use their debt recovery service. Instructions for the last year, April 2021 to March 2022, were up 180 per cent compared to the pre-pandemic year, April 2019 to March 2020. The circumstances of […]

TOMORROW, are you joining the Virtual Property Exhibition?

27th April 2022

This is a very quick reminder about the Virtual Property Exhibition on Friday 29th April, 9.15am to 5.00pm and there is no cost to participate. This is a once a year opportunity to update your knowledge and learn from 10 of the top UK property educators and commentators about what is happening in the UK […]

By reducing the tax on properties landlords can reduce rents?

27th April 2022

Following the recent sky news and shelter report regarding section 21 and many tenants being asked to leave, surely now is the time to review the section 24 tax increase, perhaps owing to some landlords having to increase rents to cover the additional tax cost? By reducing the tax on properties landlords can reduce rents? […]

Possession hearing – Has by chance the council rep got it wrong?

27th April 2022

Quick question, I was at a possession hearing today, and the judge awarded in my favour with 28 days for the tenant to vacate. The tenant was represented by a housing advisor at the local council, who stated to the judge that I had failed to send copy gas safety certs and a How to […]

Polly Neate – “It’s appalling that every seven minutes another private renter is slapped with a no-fault eviction notice”

27th April 2022

Shelter’s latest one-sided propaganda continues to pile pressure on calls to ban Section 21 eviction notices with their press release stating: “Every seven minutes a private renter in England is handed a Section 21 no-fault eviction notice by their landlord, new research from Shelter shows. This gives tenants just two months to leave their home […]

Shelter needs to stop its campaign of scaremongering

26th April 2022

Responding to research published by Shelter on repossessions in the private rented sector, Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “Shelter needs to stop its campaign of scaremongering. The vast majority of landlords do not spend their time plotting ways to get rid of their tenants for no reason. “Official data […]

DPS reports rent increases for the sixth consecutive quarter

26th April 2022

Average UK rents have increased for the sixth consecutive quarter, according to The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS), whilst also producing evidence that some tenants are paying above the going rate to secure a property. Average rents now stand at £849 a month: a £15 (1.80%) increase on £834 in Q4 2021, and a £49 […]