Lisa Nandy MP for Wigan has replaced Lucy Powell on Labours front bench after only being in the role since May as the new Shadow Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Lisa has had a tilt at the Labour leadership position and was previously the shadow foreign secretary. This […]

Foreword below by Shona Robison MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government. Click here to see full details of the consultation We are legislating to establish a short-term lets licensing scheme across Scotland. The purpose of the licensing scheme is: to ensure short-term lets are safe and address issues faced by neighbours; […]

It would seem many landlords are selling up, ‘but’ is this where capital gains tax comes in? As an example:- I have read if a property rises in value to leave £300,000 after taking away purchase price exp’s etc. After the measly £13000, allowance taking into account the capital gains tax thresholds with rates of […]

Yogesh Patel returns for £400,000 to be invested into his Property Investment Deal, claiming it will double your money in returns. Will one of the 5 Property Angels invest, or has Yogesh broken too many hearts after his visit last season? Stay tuned for our most shocking episode yet of Sky TV’s Property Elevator. Property […]

The Ministry of Justice 8 week consultation sets out a new approach to the delivery of legal aid for housing possession proceedings. The proposed changes will improve access to legal aid for anyone at risk of losing their home and provide holistic advice to individuals most in need. The Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme (HPCDS) […]

Hi, My tenants have not had a rent increase for the last 3 years and I need to do this now. Unfortunately, they are refusing the rent increase and tenancy renewal unless I fix the windows. The windows have some mist collecting between the two panes of double glazing. The windows are fine otherwise. I […]

Demand for private rental housing is at an all-time high, according to new research being published by the National Residential Landlords Association.  A survey of private landlords across England and Wales, conducted in partnership with the research consultancy BVA/BDRC, found that 57% confirmed that demand for homes to rent had increased in the third quarter […]

My daughter bought a house which she shares with two friends as her tenants. They pay below market value rents for the area, but this year the rental income will be above the £7,500 annual rent a room allowance. She wants to opt for “Method B” (pay tax on gross rents to extent this exceeds […]

All the other joint tenants in my property have given notice to leave, thus that means the same for all. However, one occupant won’t tell me what she intends to do and won’t speak to anyone and is so far keeping her room totally. She is paying her portion of the rent. I maintain it’s […]

The Dispute Service (TDS) has been chosen by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to run the New Homes Ombudsman scheme, which will provide dispute resolution, and determine complaints by buyers of new build homes against developers. Once the arrangements for the ombudsman scheme have been made, developers will be required to become […]

With celebrations usually consisting of an illustrious evening of fine dining and entertainment to announce the winners, this year announcements were made virtually. It has never been more important to ensure we continue to celebrate the very best in the property investment sector. On Wednesday 24th November, thirteen deserving winners were announced across a range […]

Research by GetAgent.co.uk, has highlighted how huge levels of buyer demand spurred by the stamp duty holiday impacted property prices. Last week, the government released its latest house price index providing the first concrete view of the market in September of this year when the curtain finally fell on the stamp duty holiday. GetAgent analysed […]

The Governor of the Bank of England confirmed to the select committee that he was not a fan of the bank’s previous forward guidance policy, instigated by Mark Carney. Forward guidance (hints given externally) of the Bank of England’s economic views led to widespread press anticipation of an interest rate rise at the last MPC […]

It’s been an incredible double standard to date, but finally, people living in social housing will be safer in their homes under new rules that will mean smoke alarms must be fitted in all rented accommodation, Housing Minister Eddie Hughes MP announced yesterday. The announcement will also affect Private Landlords and mean housing providers are […]

A difficult family is refusing to leave after a S21 and issued court proceedings and waiting for their response to see if they file a defence. I need the EICR certificate, and they won’t let the electrician upgrade the rewire as this is inconvenience for them. They don’t reply to my emails and when I […]

The number of repossession cases in the courts involving landlords using Section 21, ‘no explanation’ notices have plummeted over the past two years. A new analysis of government data shows that in the third quarter of this year, the number of cases brought to County Courts in England and Wales off the back of a […]

Are you one of those people who is now wishing that you had sought professional tax advice from us several years ago? Maybe you’ve just received your 2020/21 accounts and tax returns back from your Accountant and you’re stressed about how much tax you need to pay in January and July next year? Or, perhaps […]

London, the South East and the South West led the jump in buy-to-let house purchases during the Stamp Duty holiday, analysis by Paragon Bank has revealed. Comparing the period when landlords received the full 3% Stamp Duty discount – July 2020 to June 2021 – with the last comparative period not impacted by Covid – […]

BRRR misery –  Hi all, I need some help in solving a current situation concerning BRRR. I recently purchased 2 terraced houses next to each other to turn into 7 ensuite rooms and 2 x 1-bed flats to rent as service accommodation for £420k. I had an initial Gross Development Value (GDV) valuation of £970k […]

I am paying tax in Portugal and have become a Portuguese resident and taken up non-habitual residency. I have a small buy to let rental property portfolio in the UK and want to sell up the properties at some point, but am unsure of the exact rules in regards to capital gains as there are […]

My tenant has been renting from me now for 4 years, and he still doesn’t have an understanding of what are realistic expectations as a tenant. He wants to tell me what to do by pointing out my responsibility. Demanding any workman to contact him directly, stating, “it’s between me and your contractor “. I […]