Hi guys, I’m in a position to release a total of £680,000 equity on two properties (my home and a buy to let). I’m not sure whether to use this to expand the property portfolio, or use this to clear the mortgage on my main residential home and invest the remainder? Another line of thought […]

A cross-party group of MPs has opposed the Government’s plans to make many buy-to-let landlords pay for the replacement of dangerous cladding. Ministers have proposed that landlords renting out more than one leasehold property will be excluded from its commitment that no leaseholder should have to pay for the removal of unsafe cladding following the […]

If you hold a property as a nominee on behalf of another person or company, it may be mandatory to register this trust with HMRC’s Trust Registration Service (TRS) by 1 Sept 2022. Previously, non-taxable ‘bare trusts’ did not need to be registered. In general, if a bare trust is an express trust, it should […]

It has come across my desk from more than one local authority and in multiple cases that the Council is checking information with Consumer Credit Reference Companies as part of their enforcement, and they are not making a secret of it! They write along the lines of: “Our intelligence tells us that the property was […]

So the news is that sanctions have been imposed on some foreign owners of UK property. Presumably, you cannot buy this property from them nor can you pay them rent? These people will not be allowed into the UK, so they cannot live in their houses? Will they simply fall into ruin? Will this mean […]

VAT 20%, 5%, zero rate, exempt – which VAT rate should you be paying on your property development? Tej Gill talks to Andrew Roberts of Great Property Meet and guides through all of the property strategies, Tej has all of the Answers! HMOs, Build to Rent, New Build, Serviced accommodation / holiday let’s, Buy to […]

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is calling on Government to give him the powers to freeze private rents in the capital for two years to save rent for thousands of Londoners, but no help for Landlords, struggling to cope with the rocketing cost of living. New City Hall analysis, based on estate agent Savills […]

Have you ever wondered why a council has an Additional HMO Licensing or Selective Licensing Scheme that expires and there is a gap before the next one? The answer is timing and nothing more sinister, BUT read on, it can have very SERIOUS consequences. This will some time soon be tested for the reasonable excuse […]

Shelter are doing webinars on: The Renters’ Reform Bill Q&A session is scheduled for 30 March 18:30 – 19:30 and will be run over Zoom Click here Rebalancing the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords. By driving up standards, landlords will know what’s expected of them, and we hope that the new tenancies that […]

Having now given a tenant over 5 months’ written notice to vacate with a section 21 via a professional serving company, the time will be arriving next month for her to vacate. I doubt very much she will leave as the local rental market does not have many properties that would accommodate her. Will it […]

We all know there is pain coming our way with the cost of energy prices, but the stark reality has hit home today even before the effects of oil and gas import restrictions from Russia bite. Our tenant of a 3-bed bungalow had previously topped up her oil tank for around £250 in the past, […]

The Welsh Government has increased the maximum level at which local authorities can set council tax premiums on second homes and long-term empty properties to 300%, effective from April 2023, as well as new local tax rules for holiday lets. This will enable councils to decide the level which is appropriate for their individual local […]

We are applying for the right to manage – notice has gone into the freeholder and the managing agent has acknowledged that they know. We had notices a month ago for an inspection of our flat (as in apartment not actually flat) doors to see if they complied with fire regulations. This will take place […]

Research by Octane Capital, has revealed how rental market stock levels have plummeted across the UK’s major cities, as a return in tenant demand has driven a rental market revival. Octane Capital analysed the level of rental stock across 21 major UK cities and how this availability of rental homes has changed during the pandemic. […]

Hi, I would appreciate some input on this idea. I have a 4 bed unlicensed HMO (does not require a licence). Cutting a long story short, I am getting to retirement age, so I decided to sell up. I gave all tenants (all on statutory periodic) due notice. All have left, apart from one tenant […]

We have 8 ground rents trapped in a company structure where we wish to rationalise into one, the active Buy to Let company. The Holding Company contains 2 Ground rents, a subsidiary and practically inactive Management Company contains 6 Ground Rents and one Subsidiary to the Holding Company a BTL active company with mortgage borrowing. […]

We have just come across a petition to ‘Prevent Council Tax bills being charged for individual bedroom lets.’ Click Here Surprisingly, it’s been up and running for almost six months already.  At the time of writing, there are only 4,999 signatures on it and 10,000 are needed to take it to the next stage.  Imagine […]

The industry standard Halifax House Price Index for February is reporting a record 10.8% annual rate of growth, which is the strongest level since 11.9% in June 2007. Monthly house price growth rose to +0.5% following a slower start to the year with the average house price reaching £278,123. However, the squeeze on household finances […]

Hi there, I was wondering if anyone has any insight into the Spanish taxation on UK rental income. I am very close to becoming a Spanish resident, but I am worried about the overall taxes concerned. I am aware of wealth tax obligations and income tax obligations but have seen on some tax sites the […]

I am hoping someone with a legal bent can offer some high-level advice and, hopefully, a solution. In 2007 we signed a lease on an apartment and returned it to our solicitor for exchange. Our solicitor’s Report on the Agreement stated the Ground Rent was £150 pa, and the Lease stated the same. That’s what […]

I am praying for PEACE, hence the picture I have chosen to accompany this article, which I write with a heavy heart for reasons that will become apparent as you read more. This is not a property related article, but I felt the need to write and publish it here on Property118 because many of […]