Research by Hamptons is indicating that the recent inflationary pressure on house prices caused by a lack of supply relative to demand pushed by the Stamp duty holiday has shifted the cost of renting below the cost of ownership for the first time since 2014. In most areas of the UK, apart from Scotland and […]

My tenants recently moved out, they didn’t pay some months, and they’ve left the house in a mess. Now they’ve gone, and I’ve had an £800 water bill from the water board! I forgot to tell them new tenants were moved in, so their name hasn’t been on their history. They’re now making me pay […]

Thankfully my tenancies have been fairly quiet during the Covid-19 period bar one or two with payment difficulties. However, one was due to leave next week as they were moving abroad and a new tenant move in a few days later. So I booked decorator, repairs, checkouts to take place between the tenancies. However, the […]

I have a tenant moving in next week that the Council are paying the deposit and Rent in Advance (RIA) for. There is a deficit of £20.01 per month, which normally would require a top-up to be paid directly to me from the tenant. In this case, the Council have stated they will pay this […]

This week in Shergroup we have started to see an uptick in the number of possession orders we are receiving with and without permission to transfer to the High Court for enforcement. As you get to know our story in Property118, you will know that Shergroup is a pro-active and innovative High Court enforcement agency.  […]

In a shocking, and embarrassing for Northampton Borough Council (NBC),  determination by Judge Wayte of the First Tier Tribunal property, he went so far as to suggest that the landlord should make a claim for costs against the Council. A move that is almost unheard of, such was his condemnation of Samantha Ling and her […]

My husband and I jointly own a lovely Victorian terrace with 5 flats. We own the freehold (yes, in different name), as well as the leaseholds of all the flats as joint owners. We did major renovations and upgraded to top-spec when we bought the building, remortgaged the flats and the 5y mortgages are just […]

Monthly construction output fell by 2.0% in April 2021 compared with March 2021, falling to £13,961 million, and was the first month-on-month fall since December 2020 when output fell by 2.2%. This follows comparatively strong growth of 5.8% in March 2021. Anecdotal evidence received from survey returns suggested increased new work, delayed projects returning to […]

I would like to seek the views and experiences of landlords on a particular deposit protection issue that I have come across. I have recently increased the rent on a property, which is on a rolling contract for couple of years now. The amount of increase was following conversation with and agreement from the tenant. […]

I am considering transferring a small office investment into a family LLP. The property has been opted for VAT. The property was bought with vacant possession recently and has remained vacant, this would eliminate a Transfer a business as a going concern option. So my question is: If I transfer the property to an LLP […]

A very competitive 80% Loan to Value 5 year fixed Buy-to-Let mortgage product has been released today by the Buckinghamshire Building Society available to limited companies and first-time landlords, but not, unfortunately, portfolio landlords (personal individual applicants cannot have more than 3 mortgaged BTL upon completion). The 5 year product is fixed at 3.09%  till […]

The latest HomeLet Rental Index is showing increased demand has pushed the average annual Uk rental price up 4% to 997 pcm and if you exclude London this increases to 6.4% at £854 pcm. Every region excluding London saw a rise in rent prices year-on-year with the East of England seeing the most significant price […]

Instead of charging landlords around £1,000 like most UK councils – for the dubious honour of going into a database – which the council will then use, so they can easily inspect properties and issue eye-watering fines, Jersey (which is of course part of the UK) is to offer this for free. They did try […]

Welcome to my June 2021 report on the UK Property Prices and the UK Housing Market! In this video below, I will explain why the property price boom will not only continue but last for another three years. Also, I’ll show you how to avoid following the wrong strategy in these crucial times as well […]

Twenty-six towns in England will share over £610 million to boost their local economies, create jobs and help them build back better from the pandemic. These new Towns Deals range from seaside towns like Hastings and Hartlepool to the historic market towns of Bedford and Bishop Auckland. The money will help them to grow their […]

This morning I received five copies of ICO data protection fee reminder. The letter states that it is my ‘legal responsibility to pay the data protection fee.’ It then has a box with a link stating that if I do not need to pay a fee that I need to tell them and complete the […]

Hello, I have just had my offer accepted on a 3-bed end of terrace property that includes an attached 1-bed annex. My solicitor tells me to talk to my accountant for the stamp duty calculation as homes with an annex can be more complex. This is my 8th buy to let, so I know of […]

I am raising funds to buy a new main residence and wonder if my original flat is not rented, but left unoccupied by my wife and me, can we simply sell the property without being in breach of let to buy conditions? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanking you in anticipation. John

We have stood guarantor for a rental property for almost 2 years to allow the tenant to build up their credit rating. Up to now, the AST has been renewed every 6 months, and we have had to resign as guarantor. The landlord has now decided not to renew the lease and allow it to […]

House raffles continue to pop up on a regular basis, offering the chance to get on the property ladder for the cost of a lottery ticket. But are they really the bargain of a lifetime? Or are they just a con? Does anyone actually win? And do the house raffle companies actually expect anyone to? […]

The Halifax House Price Index report for May shows continued strong inflation, with the annual index up 9.5% this month on last year. The average UK property price now stands at £261,743 with Wales continuing to be the region with the strongest price growth. The monthly price increase was +1.3% and quarterly +2.4%. Russell Galley, […]