Page 407 – Property118

The Needle In The Haystack

10th September 2021

Finding the solution to your Landlord Tax problem by reading the HMRC manuals can be a bit like finding a needle in a haystack and then threading that needle. You might seek advice from your Accountants, but most are General Practitioners in Tax. Even if your Accountants only deal with landlords, the chances of them […]

Tenant demand accelerating and outstripping falling landlord supply

9th September 2021

Tenant demand for homes to rent accelerated in August, with a net balance of +66% reporting a pick-up in enquires (up from the +58% in the previous month). However, a continuing decline in landlord instructions fuelled expectations among survey respondents (net balance of +64%) that rents will go up over the next three months given […]

Using the previous landlord’s escrow account?

9th September 2021

I purchased a property with a sitting tenant. The vendor (previous landlord) set up an escrow account as insurance against rent arrears. For various reasons I decided to give the tenant the benefit of the doubt as I was aware of some issues that were in the process of being resolved. The tenant is now […]

MHCLG will not consider an exemption of the tenant fees ban for pets

7th September 2021

Tory MP Andrew Rosindell sent a letter backed by Labour’s Andrew Gwynne, Green MP Caroline Lucas and Lib Dem leader Ed Davey to the Housing Secretary asking for the Tenants fees act Legislation to be amended and reduce unnecessarily obstacles to renters owning pets. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Minister Eddie Hughes confirmed […]

Tenant Referencing – who do you use for a thorough check these days?

7th September 2021

Hello, I used to use TenantReferencing.co.uk and was very happy with their application form and their 9-point checks. They left the market some time ago, and I still haven’t found a suitable replacement thorough referencing company. Paying for a link to be sent to a prospective tenant before I’ve assessed an application doesn’t work for […]

House price growth cooling but far from stagnant

7th September 2021

The latest Halifax House Price Index is reporting year-on-year inflation cooling slightly to 7.1% with monthly increases in August of 0.7% and the average house price in the UK now standing at £262,954. Russell Galley, Managing Director, Halifax, said: “Average house prices climbed again in August, with the cost of a property increasing by 0.7% […]

How to put my rental property on the market?

7th September 2021

Hi, I am sure many landlords are probably in the same situation as myself, and I am looking to now sell a rental property. I know I have to give 4 months notice, but can I still get the property on the market before the tenant’s notice expires, and they vacate? Does my tenant have […]

3D figure standing beside a large gold pound symbol, representing unexpected property costs

Buying younger children an investment?

7th September 2021

Hi, I want to purchase a flat for cash, for my two boys (aged 15 & 13yrs). The income will take care of any maintenance and service charges as well, and the balance contributing to their ISA’s. It also gives them a place to live sometime in the future should they want to live in […]

Hyde Park Property Meet with Mark Smith (Barrister-At-Law) – 23rd September

6th September 2021

We meet at our stunning new Marble Arch venue – The Hard Rock Hotel/Great Cumberland Place. As always, our gatherings serve to inform, educate and entertain – with a wealth of time for quality, relaxed networking. Our events rarely include systems based on speed and paid pitches. We believe networking should be intimate, engaging and as far from a […]

Tenant Fees Act barrier to renting with pets

6th September 2021

Propertymark is backing a Report and an Open Letter sent from a cross-party group of over 35 MPs and peers who have joined together with leading pet charities and organisations to explore how the Tenant Fees Act is impacting on renting with pets.  The new “Heads for Tails” report, published yesterday 2 September 2021 by […]

Cleaning is the most common cause for deposit disputes

6th September 2021

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) statistical briefing for 2020/21 reported on the most common reasons for tenancy deposit disputes with cleaning leading the way at 49% of the total disputes handled, up from 42% in the previous reporting year. Click here for the full report. Damage disputes rank second with 35% of disputes, down significantly […]

Holiday let mortgages more popular with lenders

6th September 2021

Borrowers in a position to invest in buy-to-let to take advantage of a rise in staycations will find more choice of holiday let deals and according to the analysis by Moneyfacts.co.uk, more lenders have entered this niche arena over the past few months. Mortgage options for borrowers looking at holiday lets have more than doubled […]

Reclaiming lost rent – Tenant perspective?

6th September 2021

Hi, I’m a Landlord of 25 plus years. Registered under the Wales / Cymru scheme. However, I’m here as a Dad of a full-time student. His property was not fully ready at the commencement of the contract, but no one was in a rush to move in a month ahead, although two others on the […]

District planning authorities in England issue fewest number of enforcement notices since records began

4th September 2021

Finally, some good news for landlords and property developers! District planning authorities in England issue the fewest number of enforcement notices since records began September 1, 2021. District planning authorities in England issued fewer than 3,000 enforcement notices in the year to March 2021, government data has revealed. The 2,996 enforcement notices issued was down from […]

Transfer of Possession Orders to Sheriffs Is Alive and Well

3rd September 2021

One of the comments we hear from landlords and their advisors is that District Judges are not prepared to make an Order allowing a possession claim to be transferred to the High Court for enforcement.  However, our growing body of research on this point confirms that at least 10% of the District Judges, or just […]

Section 24 Tax Is Now Hitting Tenants Hard

3rd September 2021

Rental demand and hence the average price of UK rent is at an all time high and continues to sky-rocket, but why? Well, we predicted this six years ago when the UK Government first announced the introduction of the Section 24 Tax. If you don’t know what that is, then you’re probably not a landlord, […]

£8.6 billion for affordable housing

2nd September 2021

Thousands of people will be helped onto the housing ladder as funding worth £8.6 billion is allocated across the country. Part of the largest single investment in affordable housing in a decade, the Affordable Homes Programme funding will deliver around 119,000 homes, including 57,000 for ownership, 29,600 for social rent and 6,250 affordable rural homes. […]

Implied surrender of tenancy with 18 months arrears?

2nd September 2021

My tenant who is over 18 months in arrears promised she would return to the UK from an EU country at the end of June once she has been granted settled status in the UK. She has not returned, and I warned her in May that I would change her locks if she did not […]

New Chief Economist and MPC member for the Bank of England

2nd September 2021

The Bank of England has appointed Huw Pill as Chief Economist, Executive Director for Monetary Analysis and a member of the Monetary Policy Committee. Huw joins the Bank of England from Harvard Business School, where he has been senior lecturer since 2018. He had previously been Chief European Economist at Goldman Sachs, prior to which […]