A London council is running what it describes as “an innovative project” to help private tenants reclaim rent from landlords who fall foul of licensing rules. The London Borough of Tower Hamlets council claims that over £200,000 has been reclaimed for tenants under the Rent Repayment Order project, which holds landlords to account if they […]

Dear Property118 Members, As a landlord, I need help from landlords and letting agents reading this. Could you share the termination terms that you have in your agreement or T&C´s, between landlord and agent? I need clarification on the following, which you hopefully have in your Agreement: 1) on what grounds can the landlord/agent terminate […]

I have a family looking to rent a property from me consisting of a father, mother and young child. They are not married. The mother is a stay at home mum, so obviously she cannot pass a tenant reference check as she has no income. The father is the sole earner in the family. Therefore, […]

If Sunak changes CGT rules what is the best way to minimise CGT? 1. I purchased a rental property for £85k jointly a number of years ago in cash. 2. It is worth £125k now (£40K gain). 3. CGT allowance is £12,300, so joint is £24,600. 4. Can I sell the rental property for £85k […]

Half a million pounds from the comfort of your sofa in just under 26 days. For a Property118 landlord from Wandsworth that’s exactly how he celebrated his week. If you’re a landlord, and you haven’t yet heard of us here at National Residential, you’ll definitely want to. Established in 2006, we pride ourselves on our […]

When lending to your company, you can now charge interest on Directors Loans, offset the interest as a company expense and pay no tax on receipt of the interest. Your accountants might tell you this cannot be done, but that’s probably because they don’t know how it is done. The solution involves the use of […]

My freeholder/landlord took me to court for non-payment of Service Charge arrears, which I disputed. I was away on holiday when the court papers were delivered and judgement was issued (CCJ). Upon return, I immediately paid the CCJ direct to the claimant on the understanding via his solicitor that should I have the judgement set […]

A landlord mate has sent me the below issues with Walsall Council and has asked for anyone’s help/experiences: Have any of you had any trouble with the pilot EPC/MEES scheme that Walsall Council has undertaken.  In brief, they are issuing landlords with Compliance Notices with £5000 fines if you don’t comply.  This pilot scheme is […]

The annual rough sleeping snapshot, which shows that rough sleeping has fallen 43% since the Prime Minister has come into office, has been welcomed by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick as a milestone in the effort to end rough sleeping for good. Data published 25 February 2021 shows that rough sleeping has fallen 43% under this […]

The tenant called in with a ‘slight leak in the bathroom ceiling’. He sends a photo and clearly no way this is just a few days old – he then backtracks and says he’s been away for a few days and comes home to it as it is (really – we are in lockdown!?!) The […]

Another disgraceful act of crime committed by another Local Authority that has powers given to them by the Government, but yet choose to do nothing. The Housing Ombudsmen criticises Woking Borough Council for “Severe Maladministration” in a case where an elderly resident is left without any heating or hot water for 3 years, and furthermore, […]

Hi all 118ters, I have had the misfortune of being taken to court by a nightmare tenant who rents a room in a small HMO. The tenant in themselves is not too bad but her boyfriend who has moved in with her (not in accordance with her tenancy agreement) is a foul-smelling weed head. My […]

One of my property EPC scored 76 as C, 5 points away from band B, the EPC report listed the things to do to improve in order to gain certain points towards the EPC score. For example, in my case, a condensing boiler 4 points, LED lighting 1 point, etc. I redid the EPC assessment […]

Hi Everyone, I am currently in the process of purchasing a house as a buy to let investment. However, the environmental report has come back and indicated this property is in a high flood risk area. I had a conversation with the vendor, and he confirmed the property had never been flooded before, but the […]

Hi all, I recently got a possession order from the courts after a year and £15,000 of arrears. My issue is that the tenant was claiming Housing Elements. I informed Universal Credit (UC) several times about the non-payment, during the period and asked for direct payment, but the tenant was quick to lie about the […]

The Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill will provide improved clarity on landlord and tenant responsibilities, helping to avoid disagreements and difficulties. The changes mean that from spring 2022, rental contracts in Wales will change so that: Tenants will have the security and stability of a minimum 12 month contract; Minimum notice periods will be extended […]

I am desperately trying to find anything I can use to show to the courts that ANY further delay in a possession claim (as caused by the courts themselves delaying making a final decision/or by the defence continually requesting delays to a hearing) is totally prejudicial to me the claimant. I have a case where […]

Hi, I am looking at buying a property with a problem tenant that won’t allow any viewings or valuations and I have been informed they have stopped paying the rent. I know we could just walkaway. However, the current landlord served them with a section 21 notice last November to end in May we want […]

I had to fire a letting agent after he “misbehaved” with (my) clients´money and all trust was lost. I had to quickly appoint another company to manage tenants. There is no signed Agreement or T&C´s from agent, only a very simple letter instructing him some years ago: 10% commission, he will discuss any works or […]

The latest research from Foundation Home Loans indicates that the imminent, although possibly extended end to the stamp duty holiday is unlikely to deter landlords from further purchases this year, the latest data from Moneyfacts.co.uk explores what those considering investing in the sector as a first-time landlord (FTL) may find. While overall availability has fallen […]

Our fourth and next webinar is with solicitor Robin Stewart of Anthony Gold. Robin will be looking at Rent Repayment Orders – these are made against landlords when they are in breach of regulations – for example, if you have failed to obtain an HMO license – and can be VERY expensive. Robin will be considering […]