Responding to the publication today of the Public Accounts Committee’s report on the regulation of the private rented sector, Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, who provided oral evidence, said: “Today’s report rightly makes the case for a comprehensive, data-driven strategy for the private rented sector. Too often reforms have been […]

A Window of opportunity now exists for property developers in areas with expiring Article 4 restrictions? The Housing Minister, The Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP, has asked a number of London Boroughs to revise their article 4 applications rejecting blanket Article 4 applications across Boroughs. Royal Kensington and Chelsea believed as a small council they […]

Households who become sponsors through the Homes for Ukraine scheme will not lose their council tax discounts thanks to legislation coming into force, Minister for Refugees Lord Harrington has confirmed , 11 April 2022. Regulations will protect sponsors’ council tax discounts for single persons and limit the impact on council tax payments for those sponsoring […]

We have just been successful with our Right to Manage ‘bid’ and the handover is in June. What is concerning a number of us is that our current management company is managed by and answers to a property management company, not the Freeholder – who also holds the contracts (as in the porter’s contract). It […]

I purchased a property 6 weeks ago with a tenant in place on a 12 month AST. The previous landlord said he was a good payer and up to date with all the rent. I have tried everything possible to get in touch with him via telephone, text, letter and visits to request payment of […]

We are accidental Landlords having failed during Covid years to sell the flat we moved from in DEC 2019. We began renting on the 1st Nov 2021 and need to pay tax to the DWP/HMRC. Does the letting agent inform DWP/HMRC and then my wife and I get a letter from them with a Unique […]

Hi all, I had a bad tenant who left the property still owing a lot of money in outstanding rent. Unfortunately, I could not claim from the tenant’s deposit because the DPS sided with her. She left to go back to Czechoslovakia and I would like to add the debt she left to her credit […]

The Treasury has announced moves to recognise ‘Stablecoins’ as a valid form of payment and part of wider plans to make Britain a global hub for Cryptoasset technology and investment. This is part of a package of measures to ensure the UK financial services sector remains at the cutting edge of technology and includes: introducing […]

32% of property sales fell through before completion between January and March of this year, according to new figures from Quick Move Now. Of the sales that failed, 25% fell through because the buyer struggled to secure mortgage finance, suggesting that lenders are beginning to show more caution in light of rising interest rates and […]

Hi Everyone, I have a property owned for almost 3 decades. Recently I have had mould appearing on the inside wall below the front ground floor window. Despite painting over with anti-mould paint the mould keeps reappearing. I have a suspicion that it is connected to the insulation which was done approx 10 years ago. […]

There’s no doubt that now is the time to start downsizing our property portfolios. With many of us reaching our 50s and 60s, the property machines we built have become more of a financial burden than a financial gain. Taxes, legislation changes, the cost of meeting new regulations, £10K refurbs, incorporation costs… the list goes […]

The government is set to repeal the Vagrancy Act which has been in place since 1824 making it an offence to sleep rough or beg in England and Wales. Begging is harmful to those involved and can have a detrimental impact on wider communities. The government wants to bring forward a new strategy that builds […]

With Selective Licencing now coming to Birmingham I have been trying to get a grip on what this means financially by reading other landlords’ experiences/demands by councils to achieve certain requirements. Has anyone managed to get a ball park figure of what it has cost them to ‘upgrade’ a standard property to tick all the […]

The latest Halifax House Price index reports March recorded the biggest monthly increase since September last year with house price growth of 1.4%. The average property price has now reached £282,753, meaning two years on from the first lockdown, house prices have risen by £43,577. The South West has now overtaken Wales as the UK […]

A few months ago an email was sent to our PDPLA (Portsmouth and District Private Landlord Association) mentioning that tenants must start paying CGT (Capital Gains Tax) after 10 years in the same home! It vaguely rang a bell, so I had a look at our tenancy records… O dear two tenants are in the […]

Market analysis from Octane Capital, has revealed that the current market value of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) currently sits above wider market values, suggesting that new licensing laws have had a limited impact on the appetite for the often perceived trickier path to building a buy-to-let portfolio. Licensing changes surrounding HMOs have been rolled […]

Sheffield landlord, Mrs Zobia Rafique, has settled her legal case for harassment, defamation and breach of data rights against pressure group The Association of Community Organisations for Reform Now (ACORN). What was initially a low-level disagreement with a tenant, Ms Aya Hoez, over the return of a £300 deposit, turned into a campaign of harassment […]

The Home Office has issued guidance for landlords, and letting agents on the introduction of new Right to Rent immigration checks coming into force today 6th April 2022. Click here From 6 April 2022, landlords can use Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) via the services of an IDSP to complete the digital identity verification element […]

Hi all, My brother took on an HMO and after various issues with the council which I sorted out we are left with one issue, which is on the go. One flat contains a 35yr old single man with serious mental health issues. They kept sending Council tax demands to my brother to pay despite […]

Do you think it’s possible to find discounted (Below Market Value) properties in this booming property market? Other investors are finding discounted deals in a booming market, which proves that it is possible.  Even if it’s not always easy to do. If you could save Tens of Thousands of pounds off the purchase price of […]

In a joint statement with UK Finance and the Building Societies Association (BSA), RICS has issued new guidance to lenders to clarify the current lending position for properties with fire safety issues in blocks of flats over 11 meters. Click here The statement indicates Providing the mortgage application meets all the lender’s other policy and […]