I correctly predicted last year, that there would be no housing market crash in 2021. In this update, I consider some key announcements from the Budget and state why I feel property prices will rise in 2021 and beyond. Watch this video to find out why and what you need to do now to benefit. […]

I have a general query and sorry if this is an obvious one. Are landlords allowed to undertake basic electrical changes ie swap a pendant, swap a cracked socket or faulty socket? I have been asked to undertake a few accreditation inspections and all is fine, but they have requested that I provide double sockets […]

Labour-controlled Oxford council says it’s confident a huge new Revenue Generating licensing scheme for one of Britain’s most high-profile cities will be voted through today, but it admits there’s a big clash of opinions between landlords and agents on the one hand, and the council and other respondents to a consultation exercise. Oxford council will this […]

The TDS is “raising money and awareness for the domestic violence charity, Refuge. The aim is to highlight the wonderful work of the charity but also to raise awareness of the abuse that happens in homes throughout the UK every day.” Click Here It must, by implication, be spending some money (and time is money […]

Hi Everyone, Last May I engaged an electrician to investigate a fault in my tenanted London flat. After many visits and tests, it became clear to him that there were problems with the old wiring systems, beginning outside the flat in the courtyard where the electricity supply enters the whole building. Naturally, he was unable […]

News the government is set to extend the ban on the enforcement of evictions today received a guarded welcome from the Law Society of England and Wales. Law Society president David Greene said: “We welcome the news that some tenants who are struggling and would otherwise be facing eviction will be able to stay in […]

Responding to an announcement from the Government this afternoon that current regulations restricting repossessions will be extended until the 31st May and then begin to taper off, Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association said: “We welcome clarification that emergency measures in the rental market will be phased out in tandem with […]

Residential tenants will be supported as the ban on bailiff-enforced evictions in all but the most serious circumstances, such as incidents of fraud or domestic abuse, and the requirement for landlords to provide 6-month notice periods to tenants before they evict will also be extended until at least 31 May. Business owners are being given […]

Rented sector strategy will be part of a major new housing publication written by the Scottish government apparently looking to improve accessibility, affordability and standards, as part of a new 20 year route map for housing to be published next week. The Rented Sector strategy will be a key element of Housing to 204. Scotland’s […]

If a couple agrees to separate permanently, but without getting a court order they will be treated for SDLT purposes as an unmarried couple. This means that for the purposes of the 3% surcharge each spouse can buy a house without being treated as owning any property the other spouse owns. This also means that […]

I’ve recently received an email from my Management Company saying an inspection of the doors to the flats is required to see if they are rated FD30a. The flats are in Cornwall and according to the Management Company, it is an initiative which is likely to become law later this year. I am a bit […]

For the second year, I’ve received notification from the agent that in addition to the charge for a new tenancy agreement they want renewing fees which amount to over £1000 for doing nothing. This is a SCAM. I don’t mind paying for the new tenancy agreement which essentially is a copy and paste exercise with […]

Our next webinar is with Housing Barrister Dean Underwood from Cornerstone Chambers and specialises in HMO and licensing issues. In this webinar Dean will be looking at three key HMO issues relating to licensing. Essential watching if you are an HMO landlord (and even if you are not!). Failure to comply with HMO licensing rules […]

Social housing residents will be helped with improving their living conditions through a new government campaign, ‘Make Things Right’, will help residents raise complaints if they are unhappy with their landlord and struggling to get problems resolved, with clear advice on how to progress issues to the Housing Ombudsman if necessary. The launch of the new campaign […]

For those that have never had the joys of coming across the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, here is a quick introduction: The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (in short, the HHSRS), has been in place for some 15 years! It is still used by Council Enforcement Officers to assess property conditions based […]

A challenging weekend! I have two tenants in two one-bed flats. Tenant B calls me in a right state to Tenant A, is smashing up his own flat and trying to break down the door to Tenant B’s flat, so much so that B cannot now actually get out of his flat at all so […]

I own a first-floor leasehold flat in a converted detached building containing 2 x 2-bed s/c flats. The freeholder owns and lets the ground floor flat and is responsible for the Buildings Insurance for which I am obliged to pay 50% For the past 20 years, I have had issues with the Insurance (the first […]

Changes are afoot in the world of commercial property, to make it far easier to repurpose commercial buildings for other commercial and residential uses. These changes will offer tremendous opportunities for property investors who know how to exploit them and use them to their advantage! Watch this video to find out more, and join us this Sunday for a FREE […]

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) announces a step forward in unlocking the flat market for buyers and sellers. The new guidance Valuation of properties in multi-storey, multi-occupancy residential buildings with cladding, clarifies types of properties that will, and those that will not require additional inspections, as a result of concerns about fire safety. […]

Lambeth Council is consulting on the introduction of Additional HMO licences – deadline 12th March. There seem to be quite a few conditions that I would think are unenforceable/unmanageable and would like to know your views please so that I can respond to them. It seems the council don’t know the difference between an HMO […]

A single lady tenant was given an AST in 2005 and many years later her daughter moves in. Although she never asked permission we are aware she now lives there with her mum. No issues at all with them. Rent all on time, in fact, model tenants, they look after garden etc treat the place […]