Hey 118ers, I have a contract with a letting agent for my HMO which has a guaranteed rent of x amount pcm. Recently, they have been asking me to reduce the rent due to the Covid-19 situation and in their words ‘the huge amount of people leaving London’. To save the hassle I have agreed […]

I recently rented out my property and instructed a letting agent to fully manage it. As we are a family of tradesmen, I like to do any of the maintenance/gas safety checks/electrical certificates myself using my family. Today the letting agent contacted me to say that the gas check was due. I said that I […]

I can’t find a definitive answer and would like some help. I have a non-licensed HMO’s (licence not required) and let the rooms out on separate tenancy agreements. Do I need to provide my tenants with an EPC? As they share all the facilities and only have exclusivity in their individual rooms an EPC seems […]

I have just received a letter from Amber Home Loans saying that in the transfer of my BTL mortgage to Skipton Building Society I have to accept a change of terms in which the SVR will switch to Skipton’s BTL SVR – currently 4.6%. I can either pay off my mortgage or accept a hike […]

So, you’re on this property forum because you are probably a landlord, and therefore probably own 2 or more properties either by choice or fate. Back in Dec 1996 I brought my first property to live in and a few years later while trying to help my family I became a landlord. As with life […]

HM Treasury has published more than 30 tax updates, consultations and documents to, as they declare, ‘strengthen policymaking and modernise the UK tax system’. Click here to read the Command Paper Of potential note for Landlords: In England, many holiday lets are liable to pay business rates, rather than council tax, when an owner declares […]

Today I received a renewal reminder from NRLA. Although it is true, when I was a new Landlord I found the original NLA useful and supportive, I do not feel they represent the Landlords any longer. Where is their voice for us? It is certainly not being heard – anywhere. Maybe they never represented us, […]

Our next webinar is with housing barrister Robert Brown. In this webinar, Robert will be looking at ten tips for landlords for dealing with telephone and video hearings. Bearing in mind that failure to license properties can result in very severe penalties. Essential details: Date: Thursday 25 March 2021 Time: 12.30 – 1.00 pm Cost: […]

Most AST agreements now contain a clause similar to “Not keep any animals, reptiles, insects, rodents or birds at the Property without our written permission (which will not be unreasonably withheld)”. With the government wishing to encourage greater flexibility in the approach to pet ownership, two issues are of concern to landlords: 1. Housing Minister […]

Hi, I used an accountancy firm and 3 years ago now we transferred my 6 London rental properties into an LLP. A liquidator was appointed and the LLP is in liquidation. There was a long delay as the liquidator wanted annual accounts. Now that’s done horrendous fees are being asked by the liquidators+ their solicitors […]

I have just found out that a tenant has moved their two sons into my property. The tenant is on Housing Benefit, not Universal Credit, and I understand I am legally obliged to report this (I have no doubt there is a false claim/s as a result). It now transpires that the Council have known […]

Councils in England will have more freedom on how they spend the money from homes sold through Right to Buy, to help them build the homes needed in their communities, under reforms announced 20 March 2021 by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick. Today’s package will make it easier for councils to fund homes using Right to […]

The number of homes being built since the lifting of the first period of national coronavirus restrictions continues to rise, latest housebuilding figures published show. New data shows new housing starts were estimated to be 42,110 in the latest quarter (October – December 2020), a 16% increase on the previous quarter (July – September 2020). […]

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has voted unanimously again to keep the Bank Base Rate at 0.1% with no change to the quantitative easing programme. The inflation rate is not expected to return to the target of 2% until late spring and remain there until past the 3rd quarter. Therefore, it was unsurprisingly […]

Hi, I have a Property Partnership set up with my wife for the last 2 years with 50/50 split but due to personal change in circumstances, we need to change this to 75/25. Considering the income is from rental properties, so Investment income and not trading income, we can’t make a simple change on the […]

Hello – I had a tenant who rented a room in a shared house. She received housing benefit and was supposed to pay top-ups of £10 a week or so, which she rarely did – around £1,000 owing. She did a runner last month, leaving the place in a dreadful state suggesting abandonment, but with […]

Dear members, On 16.03.21 I have emailed the following letter to, scotland.complaintsresolutionteam1 @dwp.gov.uk, for a new formal complaint to them regarding the UC housing cost of one of my tenant which is a situation I face regularly with tenants on UC during an end of the tenancy. The circumstances are no less than benefit fraud […]

The Welsh government will extend the current restrictions on evictions, which are due to expire on 31 March, to the end of June 2021 although the restrictions will, as with other coronavirus restrictions, be subject to regular review during that time. The restrictions will prevent, except in specified circumstances, attendance at a dwelling-house for the […]

Research by Shelter indicates 14% of adults in England are more worried about becoming homeless due to the pandemic. Eleanor Wilson, a Shelter helpline adviser recruited in response to the pandemic, said:“People are frightened, they’re scared they might do the wrong thing, they don’t know their rights, and they’re really worried they will lose their […]

The Tenant deposit protection scheme has turned down my claim for what the tenants have acknowledged being a missing brand-new fridge freezer and sofa. They reported it to the police as stolen. The DPS has suggested I take legal advice. Does anybody know whether or not I can claim against the guarantors in the County […]

In a landmark decision, the Upper Tribunal (Lands) has confirmed that the judgement of the First Tier Tribunal that “Rent Arrears must be accounted for BEFORE rent is eligible to be reclaimed under a Rent Repayment Order (RRO).” This Judgement of the First-Tier Tribunal (in a case defended by Des Taylor of Landlord Licensing & Defence), […]