As readers of Property 118 are professionals, what opinions and advice can you offer on whether I’m being unreasonable in holding a widow to the terms of the tenancy agreement. I own a modern retirement (over 55s) flat and for the last 5 years it has been rented to a lovely couple – model tenants […]

99% of the 228,743 UK Property Investment Companies in existence at the end of 2020 had sub-optimal share structures. Is yours one of them? A sub-optimal share structure in your buy-to-let Limited Company could cost you a fortune in tax. Until recently, the costs of implementing an optimal corporate share structure was beyond the reach […]

Hi all,  I am still waiting for a possession hearing for almost a year due to covid banned evictions etc. My tenants owe me thousands in unpaid rent, and I’ve just found out from Universal Credit that they had been paying them the housing elements since March last year, which has not been passed on. […]

Given the changed proposed to leasehold/freehold, I’m wondering now if it’s the time to be ‘mopping’ up the Freeholds of a block of flats where I have a few units. The Freehold was applied for nearly a year ago, and I was the ‘white knight’, but now if we are to be able to extend […]

Momentum is building against councils pushing ahead with licensing schemes despite the pandemic and despite instructions from the government not to. One wonders why so many councils are going against the Governments wishes and public health concern to instigate policies which, during the crisis will seriously increase the Covid risk to many tens of thousands […]

I have a long term tenant in a block of 8 Victorian flats. The parking and garden arrangements mean the residents can easily see into the ground floor flats as they pass. My letting agent has had 5 complaints over the last 3 months. One neighbour phoned once to say she could smell cannabis from […]

Hi, I have been having difficulties with one of my tenants who are in receipt of UC. All rental payments have stopped, and they are not accepting my phone calls. The rent account now shows arrears in excess of 2 months. Earlier in the week, I applied UC under the online application to have the […]

I have a few flats in a building that has a communal heating and hot water system – sadly this doesn’t always work. There are major works being done to the block and this has included re-piping the whole building (disaster) new boilers coming up (should have been done 2 years ago) and now the […]

All homes and businesses will have to meet rigorous new energy efficiency standards to lower energy consumption and bills, helping to protect the environment, the Housing Minister Chris Pincher has announced. Responding to a consultation on the Future Homes Standard, the government has set out plans to radically improve the energy performance of new homes, […]

I have been approached by a Social Housing Provider to use my property as a domestic violence/women’s refuge now it has become completely vacant. They offer their clients licences as opposed to as AST. I am assuming they also are exempt (and therefore I do not need to apply for ) an HMO licence? They […]

Unfortunately, my tenants have moved out without giving notice. I have reason to believe they have returned to Romania. I had all sorts of problems with utilities etc. and had to get cleaners; decorator; carpets cleaned etc. I am trying to get the deposit returned from the DPS, but I have to fill out a […]

A Mortgage Prisoner is someone who cannot switch to another product or to a new lender for their residential mortgage, despite being up to date with their payments. They could be stuck with a lender exploiting them with a high interest rate and not allowing them to take up more advantageous rates. This may be […]

Many of the insurrectionists who marched on the UA Capitol building on Jan 6th and violently forced their way into the building stupidly live-streamed their activities or boasted about them via social media. So far, those self-identifying actions have helped law enforcement authorities identify some individuals charged Law enforcement agencies have appealed for information regarding […]

Hi, Having been a landlord for nearly 30 years I have a dilemma in deciding my best exit plan. I have a portfolio of 10 properties (2 houses and 8 flats). They are all interest-only mortgages but on good terms. The portfolio is straightforward enough to run and I self-manage and work hard to have […]

Hello All, The rented property was originally let around five years ago to a married couple – great tenants and never had any issues with them. During mid-2020, their relationship broke down and the husband left the matrimonial home. Both tenants worked full time and as such, the wife (together with her young children) was […]

Despite the ongoing and undeniable impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, the latest research from Moneyfacts.co.uk demonstrates that landlords may have cause to remain positive as options return to the market. Despite a small reduction of 27 products since the start of this month, at 1,976, overall buy-to-let (BTL) product availability is still at the highest […]

The public will be able to convert vacant plots of land and derelict buildings into new homes or community spaces, under plans announced by the Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick. The ‘Right to Regenerate’ proposals would make it easier to challenge councils and other public organisations to release land for redevelopment – helping communities make better […]

I have just found a new tenant for a room in an HMO. The existing housemates have had a video call with him and are happy to have him as a housemate, but have said they would like him to have a Covid test. I can’t find anything in the Government guidelines to require this. […]

The NRLA has just sent details out about a new initiative for tenant debt management. Coming into force from May 4 2021, the Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space) allows people in England and Wales with unsustainable debts to arrange to enter a ‘breathing space’. Once someone enters a breathing space their creditors are not allowed […]

Landlords need to be in no doubt that tenants are being educed by councils, shelter, a wide range of no-win, no-fee ambulance chasers and now tenants unions too. Tenants are not only shown the ‘tricks and hacks’ they can use to stop you being able to gain possession (no matter how much they haven’t paid […]

My tenant complained of mould, but would not let me or my workers into the property. He then said he had decorated (he hadn’t) and no more mention of mould. He was clearly causing this by various things he was doing including a tumble dryer with no outlet and a paraffin heater. I served an […]