Page 412 – Property118

Is the lack of building security doors an issue?

11th July 2021

Hi, I have purchased an apartment in a development by Fortis Group and is now being managed by Xenia Estates. Both main entrance doors to the building don’t have an automatic closing mechanism installed, and the door frames are jammed. This means anyone can gain unauthorised access to the building 24/7. This has been the […]

Ground Rent increase, Charges Register and fly-tipping?

10th July 2021

Question 1 – I look after a property (as agent for a family member-owner) and land to which attached, is a privately-owned flat. The deeds for this owned flat state that the lease is for 999 years from 1986 and rent is stated simply as ‘£10 rising as therein mentioned’ . There is no further […]

Have I been scammed into Leasehold?

9th July 2021

I have just purchased a house from an auction and the legal pack said the house was Freehold, even Land Registry right now says the house is Freehold However, only one day before the auction, the auctioneers put a document in the legal pack saying it has a 999 years Leasehold. How can I solve […]

Property expert warns landlords rushing Section 21 evictions before ban

To Self or not to Self-manage – The consequences of getting it wrong

9th July 2021

I have spent many years presenting seminars, tutorials and more recently online webinars about the Buy to Let business, but one of the most common questions I’m asked is ‘should I self-manage or not. I now have an online course aimed at the more inexperienced landlords who are unsure if they have the knowledge to […]

Who can I remortgage regulated tenancy with?

9th July 2021

Hi, I am interested in buying a regulated tenancy property that has had the same tenant since 1975. I am looking to take out a Buy to Let with a much higher interest rate to do this. However, what I would really need to know is if there are lenders out there that would entertain […]

elegraph logo used in rebuttal to article on landlord tax structures

Have you paid a problem tenant to leave?

8th July 2021

My name’s Melissa Lawford and I’m the property correspondent at The Telegraph. We’re running a story on a report which says that some landlords who are worried about the slow and restrictive eviction process have tried to pay problem tenants to leave their properties. I’m keen to talk to landlords who are in this situation […]

83% of PRS tenants are happy with their homes

8th July 2021

Figures from the English Housing Survey for 2019/20 report that 83% of private renters were satisfied with their current accommodation, a figure that has remained constant over the past 10 years. In comparison, the proportion of social renters satisfied with their accommodation stands at 78%, having fallen from 81% in 2018/19. The survey reports also […]

Are you a property voyeur?

8th July 2021

Research by viewings platform, U-See Homes, has indicated half of UK homebuyers admit to being virtual property voyeurs, viewing a property online without the intention of buying, with 16% going as far as viewing in person. However, more than half of homebuyers (51%) have taken this virtual viewing voyeurism one step further, opting to view […]

Average UK rent breaks £1000 barrier for the first time

8th July 2021

The HomeLet rental index for June is reporting the average rent in the UK is now at a record high of £1,007 pcm, up 5.9% on the same time last year, and up 9% on June 2019. Despite adversity, the London rental market has seen the first price increase for over a year, up 1.5% […]

RICS hopes Building Safety Bill is a step change

8th July 2021

RICS responded to the publication of the amended Building Safety Bill for England saying the Government’s proposals, alongside the publication of the Fire Safety Act earlier this year, should ensure that this country never allows a tragedy like Grenfell to occur again. RICS hopes that these new measures, described as a once in a generation […]

Sales (demand) still outstripping new stock (supply)

7th July 2021

As the stamp duty holiday price threshold drops in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, housing market demand remains above pre-pandemic levels and a record sale to stock ratio for agents has contributed to the 13.4% annual house price increase in June, the highest level since November 2004. Nicky Stevenson, MD of Fine & Country UK […]

Average house price inflation cools 0.5% as Stamp Duty holiday incentive eases

7th July 2021

The latest Halifax House Price Index reports annual price inflation of 8.8% compared to 9.6% in May and the average UK property price now stands at £260,358. Regions and nations house prices: Whilst the two Midlands regions and Greater London saw slightly slower annual price gains compared to May, all the other regions and nations […]

UK rents rise overall with the London the exception

7th July 2021

For the UK as a whole, there has been an increase in average monthly rent from £782 to £804 (£22 or 2.81%) between Q2 2020 and Q2 2021. However, in the latest edition of its quarterly Rent Index the DPS revealed that the average monthly cost of renting property in the capital decreased £11 (-0.83%) […]

If you own a second or holiday home Wales is coming for you

6th July 2021

The Welsh Government has announced a new plan they say has ‘fairness at its heart’ to ensure everyone in Wales can have access to good quality, affordable housing. The three-pronged plan will focus on: – Support – addressing affordability and availability of housing, – Regulatory framework and system – covering planning law and the introduction […]

A kinder way to deal with tenants who are not paying rent

6th July 2021

When faced with non-paying tenants, most landlords tend to think of eviction.  However, this is a dreadful solution just now: For landlords, it means a stressful and often expensive court claim, which could take up to a year or more to complete, during which time most tenants will fail to pay anything at all. Then, […]

Live-in Landlord Tax – personal use adjustments?

6th July 2021

I am a live-in Landlord and the property is a licensed HMO. I rent out 5 bedrooms and have 1 for myself. Does anybody have any idea how much personal use adjustments I should make for tax purposes. Last year my utilities, mortgage and repairs were around £20,000. I took off £5000, for personal use […]

Most in demand universities

5th July 2021

A report from UniHomes, has indicated which universities are seeing the greatest rental demand from students for the new academic year looking at the UK’s top 100 universities, highlighting which are currently seeing the highest demand for student rentals. This demand is based on the number of student homes listed on the market that have […]

49,470 completed homes in the first quarter of 2021

5th July 2021

Although demand still vastly outstrips supply, and continues to add inflationary pressure, the number of homes built continues to rise following a range of measures to support the industry during the pandemic, There were 49,470 completed homes in the first quarter of 2021 – the highest figure in over 20 years and a 4% increase […]

The Building Safety Bill – Rights, Powers and Protections for Residents

5th July 2021

The Building Safety Bill, published 5 July 2021, will set a pathway for the future on how residential buildings should be constructed and maintained. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick will today outline the next key step in an extensive overhaul to building safety legislation, giving residents more power to hold builders and developers to account and toughening […]