Research from property management specialists, Keller Williams UK, has found that the majority of leasehold homeowners consider service charges unfair, with a lack of transparency around how they are spent also a prominent issue. Along with ground rents, service charges will be paid by some leaseholders to cover the cost of maintaining the building in […]

The temporary adjustments to the right to rent check introduced on 30 March 2020, due to COVID-19, are ending. From 17 May 2021, you must check the prescribed documents as set out in the right to rent code of practice and the landlord’s guide, published on GOV.UK Click here This means that when carrying out […]

The good landlord quiz, designed by Hamilton Fraser Total Landlord Insurance and answered by more than 3,000 landlords, has found that, despite common misconceptions, most landlords are doing everything they should and more to be a good landlord. This includes being flexible with rents, proactive at maintenance and responding to tenants within 24 hours. It […]

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has appointed two experts to lead an independent review of the system for testing construction products. Former government adviser and construction expert Paul Morrell OBE will be the chair of the independent panel, along with legal expert Anneliese Day QC. The review, announced earlier this year, will examine how to strengthen […]

Rent guarantees and upfront cash payments from local authorities are most effective in opening up the private rented sector for people receiving benefits according to major new research from the Centre for Homelessness Impact, the Behavioural Insights Team and the National Residential Landlords Association. The study found these approaches had the greatest positive impact on landlords’ openness to renting to people […]

Shelter is urging the government to bring forward the Renters’ Reform Bill based on two survey samples of only 553 or 551 private renters, both possibly skewed by how the data is collected Shelter go on to extrapolate in their press release: New figures by YouGov released today show 39% of private renters, equivalent to […]

I am looking to sell a rental property which I updated and improved some years ago. I am wondering what items (if I do further refurbishment prior to sale) can be included as a capital expense against capital gains tax as opposed to maintenance, repairs and refurbishments on rental income. Unfortunately, I cannot find an […]

Moneyfacts UK Savings Trends Treasury Report data, not yet published, reveals that the number of deals available to savers has contracted to a record low, at a time when savers would hope to see a boom during ISA season. Average rates rest at record lows, as fixed offerings dipped lower, however some variable rates remained […]

A new government-backed mortgage scheme to help people with only 5% deposits get on to the housing ladder is available to lenders from 19 April 2021. First announced at the Budget, the scheme will help first time buyers or current homeowners secure a mortgage with just a 5% deposit to buy a house of up […]

I moved back to the UK 7 years ago from Cyprus. I have dual citizenship for both countries. I bought a flat in Cyprus in 2003 where I lived until 2013 when I moved to the UK and moved into my partner’s house until today 2021. I sold my flat in Cyprus in 2019 and […]

Tuesday 20th April Join Simon Zutshi, founder of property investors network and Author of Amazon No 1 property best seller “Property Magic”, on this 90-minute live training all about how you can increase your cash flow. If you don’t have any HMOs yet you must attend this free training. If you do already have HMOs […]

Hi Everyone, I am an HMO landlord for many years in Leicester. The local Authority who does a very good job and is very helpful in my opinion has increased the HMO fees for a licence from £650 in 2016 to £900 currently. This seems a very large increase, therefore, seeking advice. If I refuse […]

Benefit tenants, I’m sorry, I now have to refuse & discriminate against you if you have Mental Health problems too. And urge all other Landlords to do so too. A strong statement here, I cannot and urge you all to not take Mental Health Benefit tenants. We can’t get help for Mental Health tenants from […]

HMOs can be a fantastic strategy when done correctly, but many property investors make expensive mistakes. In this brand new video below Simon Zutshi, Author of “Property Magic”, founder of the property investors network, and HMO investor since 1998, shares the Top 5 most common HMO mistakes and how to avoid them. 

According to data from TwentyCI, a property statistics and data provider, the average time taken for properties to complete has increased by 6% when looking at the year-on-year figures of the top ten largest estate agency brands in the country. Iain McKenzie, CEO of The Guild of Property Professionals, says that while the time taken […]

Soaring demand for holiday lets as the UK plans for a ‘staycation summer’ is driving inquiries for tax advice from customers considering buying a second property, Handelsbanken Wealth Management (HWM) says. But HWM advises would-be buyers to focus on rules that will allow them to qualify for tax breaks associated with furnished holiday lets (FHL) […]

London rents increased for the first time for over a year during Q1 2021 increasing by £8 or 0.61% to £1,325, suggesting the city’s rental market has started to stabilise during the coronavirus pandemic, according to The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS). By comparison, rents across the North East, traditionally the most affordable UK region […]

Can anyone provide some guidance regarding The Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund? We are a residents group with apartments in an 8-floor building. We are extremely dissatisfied with the way the current management board (one individual in particular) have been running our affairs, and we are trying to force an EGM so that residents […]

Can anyone help? We have 10 properties all currently let and very few issues – life good right? Along comes the EICR legislation and throws a complete spanner in the works. We have used the same Electrician for a number of years and trusted him completely, he’s never let us down before but its almost […]

Well over the years I’ve come across a lot of things while managing properties, but this is in a different league, and one I have no experience in, so any advice greatly appreciated. We let a property to a sole tenant last year, all checks done, guarantor in place, first few months rent was a […]

Normally I ask for a month’s rent in advance (RIA). Most of my tenants are benefit tenants and claiming UC but if they come through the LA route the Council have always paid the first months RIA. What if I up this is two or even three months RIA? To try and always cover myself […]