The government released new figures on homelessness in England for the period April to June 2021. These figures include data for the first month after the ban in evictions was lifted at the end of May. They show: 91 families became homeless each day as lockdown restrictions lifted. Since the start of the pandemic a […]

The Government’s planned release of the White Paper for the Renter’s Reform Bill which includes proposals to ban section 21 evictions and introduce lifetime deposits has now been delayed until next year. The extra time is apparently needed to give an opportunity to produce a ‘balanced package of reforms’. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing […]

As of Budget day, the government has immediately extended the deadline to report a Capital Gain on the sale of residential property from 30 days to 60 days. They have obviously realised this was a needlessly tight timescale and may have responded to complaints made by members of the Association of Accounting Technicians who have […]

Responding to the announcement in the Budget that the Universal Credit taper will be cut from 63 to 55 per cent from 1st December 2021, Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “Today’s announcement is welcome news for those private tenants who have struggled to afford their rents throughout the pandemic, […]

Rishi Sunak announces his Autumn 2021 Budget. This is a budget aimed at recovery and rebuilding the economy as we come out of the Covid-19 crisis. In this video, I look specifically at what this budget means for property investors. Where are the opportunities? Where are the threats? And what property investors should do next […]

No Nasty New surprises were announced for Landlords in Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s 2021 Budget speech to Parliament today. A key concern for landlords is inflationary pressure having to be released by the Bank of England increasing interest rates. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is predicting CPI inflation to average 4% over the next year. […]

Over the weekend, the government announced a new £65m support package to help vulnerable renters who have fallen into rent arrears during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s to be provided during the winter months and distributed directly to landlords through local councils, who will decide the best way to use the funding to support households behind […]

Persimmon, the major housebuilder, got its latest development project completely wrong by building blocks back to front! Join Andrew Roberts and me as we break down what exactly went wrong, as well as our predictions on the future of interest rates. Please click on the video below:

It’s been an interesting time for landlords, as we’ve all been witness to the property market soaring to record highs, and very rightly it’s caused many of us to think: Is now finally the time to sell up my portfolio and cash in? Over the last decade, a huge proportion of landlords have been enjoying […]

Here we go again as yet another local authority, this time Birmingham City Council (BCC), decides to get on the gravy train which is selective licensing, with what is being touted as the largest selective licensing scheme ever attempted. As always, this is being brought in under the misnomer of ‘improving housing quality for local […]

My 5 year fixed rates came to an end in June of this year, I began nudging my brokers in September last year, and they only started dealing with them in May of this year. One mess after another preceded the properties surveys, which came back valued the same as they were valued when they […]

Hi, any advice would be appreciated. I am selling a flat in a small development. The buyer’s solicitor has asked for proof that the Community Infrastructure Levy was paid. As far as I know, this is payable by the landowner or developer at the start of the build. They are implying, if it has not […]

Responding to new Government funding to tackle Covid rent debts, Chris Norris, Policy Director for the National Residential Landlords Association said: “We welcome the announcement of this funding and urge local authorities to target it at those tenants most struggling with Covid rent debts. “It is great news that those households worst hit by Covid […]

Vulnerable renters struggling due to the impact of the pandemic will be helped by a £65 million support package announced by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities today (23 October 2021). The funding will be given to councils in England to support low-income earners in rent arrears, helping to prevent homelessness and support […]

New support for councils to raise awareness and enforce rules banning landlords renting homes with worst-performing energy efficiency ratings has been announced by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. Along with a campaign to fund local radio ads, landlord workshops, free property surveys and a thermal imaging drone for inspections. Since April last […]

Tenants, your rents are getting more expensive. It’s getting worse for you unless you see both sides of the story and write to the MP’s. The Green Party wants a 1% tax on All Landlords property. Because they say we’ve had rent increases of 6.6%. They estimate this will cost the average Landlord £1700, per […]

I have been with Birmingham Midshires since 2017 under an interest-only 5 year fixed rate buy to let mortgage. They have recently written to their customers informing them that they have migrated onto Lloyds Bank systems (who own BM) and as a result, changed the dates they calculate mortgage payments which then created for me […]

Today I’m in Henley On Themes for a property investment tour with past course delegate, Satnam Bhuller, as he plans to convert a shop and uppers into serviced accommodation which in turn transforms his pound per square foot from £200 to £600. That’s 3x the original value! Watch this video to find out exactly how […]

Guaranteed rent, or rent to rent, is becoming more and more common in the private rented sector as it offers a lower barrier to entry into the property market for would-be investors and a guaranteed rent with no hassle for landlords. But if the rent to rent arrangement is not carried out diligently, the landlord […]

For several years we have let our house in Mijas, Spain, as a holiday let. On preparing my quarterly tax return for Spain, I find that expenses are no longer allowed, due to Brexit, as we are no longer in Europe as UK residents. Is there any way we can claim these expenses, in our […]

Hi, I waited for over a year for a hearing date to recover possession from my ex-tenant with arrears. Originally the hearing date was last week, but the Judge was ‘busy’ so I’ve been given an adjourned hearing date of August 2022 at Medway County Court! Is this the timeline experienced by others due to […]