It appears that a London borough council’s two licensing schemes have expired at the turn of the year, with no alternative likely to come into force until the middle of 2021 at least. London Property Licensing reports that additional and selective licensing schemes in Southwark, south London, expired on December 31, five years after they […]

Here we go again! We are in lockdown and so many potential buyers will be furloughed or worse and buying chains will collapse when the mortgage offers are withdrawn. We have been trying to buy since early October, we have cash and make realistic offers based on ROI characteristics, only to be outbid by potential […]

I have a 1970s 3 bed terraced house on a very popular estate in South Tyneside. I own the house without a mortgage and it has been rented for 6 years to two sets of excellent tenants, absolutely trouble-free. My tenants have just informed me that, after 5 years of happy renting, they are moving […]

Half a million private renters in the UK are behind on their rent, according to Citizens Advice.  This comes as the country enters another period of national lockdown, causing further economic hardship. Renters have already been badly affected by the economic consequences of the pandemic with one in three private renters losing income. For the […]

Following the announcement of another National lockdown there is no end in sight for desperate landlords and there must now be government support. This is an exceptionally difficult situation for everyone and as before it is vital that tenants who are genuinely impacted by the pandemic are protected from losing their home.  Echoing calls from […]

The government guidance regarding lockdown restrictions for the housing market says estate and letting agents and removals firms can continue to work You can still move home. If you are looking to move, you can go to property viewings. People outside your household or ​support bubble​ should not help with moving house unless absolutely necessary. […]

My tenant paid their cash deposit at the start of the contract in July 2004. This was never protected (only tenancies signed after April 2007 need the deposit to be protected), and the contract has remained the same – no amendments, no updates etc. The rent has increased over time, so now I think it […]

The Bank of England has released the latest figures for total UK mortgage approvals by lenders in November totalling 104,969. This is the highest number of mortgage approvals in one month since 2007 as can be seen in the historic data in the graph below. This compares and is a sharp recovery from the lowest […]

Hi and Happy New year to all. I am currently completing my tax return for 2019/2020, and I need a bit of advice, please. I have 3 Properties on BTL on my sole name (I own 1 from 3 years ago currently let by the same tenant since the start of the business), and I […]

I have unfortunately incurred significant legal costs in the process of evicting a tenant. My question is if I can claim a tax rebate for this expense? Also, would this be considered an income or capital cost? Many thanks Rajesh

I have a tenant who has moved into her partner’s property leaving her just 18 years old daughter in my property as the sole occupant. The mother pays the rent. What rights does the daughter have to remain in the property and if I issue a Section 21 does the daughter have to leave as […]

Over half of private landlords have lost rental income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic according to new research published today. A third of landlords have also indicated that they were now more likely to either leave the market entirely or sell some of their properties. Interim findings from the National Residential Landlords Association’s […]

The following quote, confirming that refinancing is NOT necessary at the point of incorporation, comes directly from the HMRC manual … “The transferor is not required to transfer business liabilities to the company but often does so. This is normally done in practice by the company giving the transferor an indemnity in respect of those […]

The Nationwide House Price index for December 2020 is indicating UK price inflation of 7.3% for the year and 0.8% for the month with the average house price now standing at £230,920. All areas of the UK saw a pickup in house price growth rates in quarter 4, with East Midlands the strongest region. Commenting […]

I have the opportunity to invest in a small local development of 4/5 barn conversions, either as, purely an investor, or possibly as a director of the company (which will be set up solely for this particular development). I have a small income from property, so I’m a lower rate taxpayer. My question is, how […]

I have a tiny shop with ratings on VOA site showing as follows:- April 2010 – Jan 2014 £2,600 Oct 2013 – 17 March 2014 £0 April 2017 – present £1,650 The assumption by the owner that on purchase in non-business rates applicable as well under the £12,00 rateable value. No action taken. Bills then […]

So what’s in store for property investors in 2021? In this video, I am joined by property entrepreneur Andrew Roberts as we take you through the threats, risks and opportunities for property investors in 2021. Please click on the video below. 

Wm. H. Brown let a property for us on 10th December with 6 months upfront payment of rent. We chased them to pay this across to us before Christmas and were assured we would receive it by 22nd, or the very latest by 23rd December. It was not paid, and I called accounts at head […]

I rented my 2-bed property to a company as a corporate let from June 2018 for 18 months fixed with permitted occupier stated as ‘ a client of the tenant or their immediate family’ with a max limit of 5 persons which continued as a periodic tenancy. The property was vacated in September 2020 after […]

I have tenants who have both been furloughed. One of the neighbours inquired if there was a leak in my flat as the internal glass door was streaming with condensation (this is an internal door leading to a small hall then another internal door) I suspected that the tenants had not been heating enough and […]

Hello everyone, I am in the process of purchasing a new residential property and transferring my current residential property to my LTD company. Will I be liable to pay stamp duty on my current property as well as the new residential purchase? I was informed that I can claim a stamp duty exemption on my […]