A tenant (local to us but not one of ours) has been advised that she has to vacate to enable “massive repairs”. I do not currently have details of what these massive repairs entail, but the suspicion is that they are actually improvements being labelled as repairs by the landlord as a way of attempting […]

Hi. We have a tenant who left a fixed-term tenancy agreement 2 months earlier than his end of tenancy agreement and moved into a larger property nearby. He paid all his rent till the end, but would not hand over his keys or give consent for us to access the property to prepare it for […]

“Landlord fits new high-efficiency boiler in under 24 hours despite tenant owing rent!” Is a headline that won’t be appearing anywhere anytime soon, however that is the reality of being a landlord for most of us on here. I know because I have just done it, kissing 6 months rent goodbye in the process. Of […]

The Material Valuation Uncertainty Leaders Forum (UK) forum was set up by RICS to consider the unique events relating to the global COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on valuation, particularly the reporting of material uncertainty.  The forum has a focus on financial reporting and measures for the accurate and consistent reporting of material uncertainty in […]

Judge Mary Stacey has ruled in favour of Stephen Tyler in County Court that a Birmingham letting agent unlawfully prevented him from viewing a property on the basis that he was in receipt of housing benefit. Stephen Tyler, aged 29 and disabled, was represented by Shelter solicitor, Rose Arnall, who successfully argued that a blanket […]

Hello peers, My question is regarding exemptions to the extra 3% SDLT (Stamp Duty Land Tax) currently payable on investment properties. Is my understanding correct that the SDLT paid on probate properties is eligible for a refund if they’re turned around and sold again within the year? I appreciate your time! DP Editors Notes: HMRC […]

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has today announced that the prospectus inviting bids for the government’s investment in affordable housing and new measures to make it easier to get a foot on the property ladder are being launched this week. The £12.2 billion overall investment in affordable housing was confirmed at Budget, which also includes £700 […]

Hi All, I was hoping for a bit of advice from the community RE. Lease Extensions, I’m a landlord with three properties in my portfolio. Can I confirm that Marriage Value is added to the price of a lease extension when the lease falls *below* 80 years? The reason I ask is I approached my […]

I am coming to the end of a 4 year contract with a Managing Agent that has a direct link with the Local Authority to provide emergency/temporary accommodation. I want to move to another Housing Association/charity to do the same, but having difficulty finding one! The LA (Birmingham) says it deals with many, but does […]

Following the further extension to the ban on evictions announced on 21st August, HF Assist, together with Landlord Action, will be hosting a special ‘Rent Arrears and Eviction’ webinar on 9th September from 10am-11am, designed to help landlords, letting agents and property managers navigate the ever-changing rules on evictions. The webinar will be presented by […]

Our Hon. Legal Counsel, Mark Smith, Head of Chambers at Cotswold Barristers will be presenting an overview of several landlords tax strategies at the pin Glasgow property networking event Tuesday 8th September and the next day at the pin Sheffield event Wednesday 9th September The events will be held Online and Attendees can expect first-class […]

The Halifax have just released their House Price index report for August with prices 5.2% higher than in the same month last year. However, there remains a great deal of uncertainty for the market in the coming year. On a monthly basis, house prices in August were 1.6% higher than in July and in the […]

A new private rental licensing regime in a London borough is being described as “a major step forward in improving living standards” but comes with a 58% rise in some fees for Buy to Let investors and professional landlords and shows that, in reality, the main purpose is £8million of revenue generation for the council […]

Hello everyone. We have a house we’ve been renting out to the same married couple for over 3 years – both their names are on the AST. The lady got in touch with us recently to say they’d sadly split up and her husband had voluntarily moved out shortly afterwards. She wishes to remain in […]

I have a small property in Leytonstone which has been let to 4 Sharers since 2007 and Walthamstow brought in a regulation last year to apply for a change in class HMO (C4). On the website, it mentioned that if it can be proven that this was in occupation by 4 sharers before 2014 then […]

I have had EICR reports prepared for 2 flats and both of them say that the Electrical Distribution Boards need to be moved although they are both accessible with a small step ladder. I have also had other things that need further investigation, like the location of the ‘supply head’, which I have never been […]

I sent off a complaint to the DWP regarding them paying the rent direct to a (self declared) vulnerable tenant (drink and drugs, mental health issues, depression, severe medical issues, previous homelessness etc), where even before the tenancy began an MPTL was agreed and put into place. Unbeknown to me he cancels the claim. I […]

This is a hot topic on Social Media, especially for “gurus”. My long held view, having been in property finance and tax law and a portfolio landlord for over 30 years, is that the best time to buy is when the general consensus is that property values will crash, not when the crash happens. The […]

Richard Jackson, a long-time landlord and client of Property118 Tax, has developed a new App specifically for residential landlords, and is looking for BETA users to try the app before launch. The App is called Alphaletz. Landlords are having to become much more professional in their approach to running their property businesses. In many cases […]

Can anyone give me some advice on whether my tenant should carry on paying their rent? My flat was flooded due to torrential rain last week and the management company have made a claim on the buildings insurance. The loss adjuster came to look at the property yesterday (and the flat next door as this […]

Suddenly it struck me, I have a friend who is struggling to raise enough deposit, as he waits longer to save for a deposit, the property values go up, so he is forever chasing his dream to own his own home. So I had this brain wave, where I might be able to help him […]