Havering Council has agreed to the extension of its landlord licensing gravy train. The current scheme was launched in March 2018 and has bagged the council the best part of a £million with £417,500 in financial penalty fines, and £350,000 from 314 HMO licences issued to landlords and paid for by increased tenant rents. Announced […]

I wanted to ask if I sell my main residence and move into my only buy-to-let property thus making it my main residence which I will live in, changing bank account, credit cards, register to vote at the address etc. How many years will I need to live in the property before selling to avoid […]

Hi, I am trying to find out who regulates housing by a charity in an HMO classed as supported living. The tenants have a licence, not a tenancy agreement, but it says it’s excluded from the prevention of eviction. Does anyone know anything that can help me please? Many thanks Michelle

Tenants could be subjected to higher and more frequent rent rises if the Fair Rents Bill is passed through the Scottish Parliament as planned. In its response to the Call for Evidence on the Bill, which is calling for a rent cap on private rented properties in Scotland, Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has said […]

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is normally directly associated with purchasing a property or land rather than with our renting tenants, but it may come as a surprise to know that certain long term renters have had to pay 1% SDLT. Since December 2003 residential tenancies have the potential to be liable for SDLT and […]

The tenant has complained of mice in the property – and she knows for sure they are coming from the adjoining house as a previous tenant of the neighbouring house left for that exact reason! The house in question is an HMO now with people coming and going all the time according to my tenant. […]

I jointly own a commercial property with my brother and sister. My brother lives in Australia. I would like to know what is the easiest and cheapest way of me signing legal documents on behalf of my brother for the property please? This would be mostly for the granting of leases, but also any other […]

I am really pleased to be part of something very exciting this evening (9th December 2020). Simon Zutshi, the founder of property investors network (pin), has invited me and four other industry experts to join him for the first-ever National pin Meeting! There are no local pin Meetings held in December, however, with all the […]

Hello, I have a question re Section 24 BTL on personal vs Ltd Co. Having been a landlord for nearly 10 years now, I understand the practical tax issues that come with section 24 changes and I completely agree with Mark & Mark’s smart company structure in the long term. This would also imply that […]

Hi, I have a flat that I live in with my young daughter. I originally bought it with a partner and we split. His name was removed from the mortgage and my father was going to guarantor, but he was deemed to old so my stepmother added her name to my mortgage. She has made […]

Over the past few months, The Guild of Property Professionals along with other industry bodies have been lobbying the Government to extend the Stamp Duty Holiday on behalf of both consumers and the property sector. Along with a letter sent to Government with the backing of several industries bodies and major players in the industry, […]

Can anyone help me out with a Stamp Duty question? I have spoken to mortgage advisors, solicitors and the HMRC and seem to get a different answer every time. Obviously, no one likes paying extra taxes, but it just seems so bloody complicated and I do object paying tax that I am not obliged to. […]

I started a Section 21 process last February and I recently asked my solicitor if he had got a possession order from the Court. This was his reply: “Put simply, I think the court have made a right hash of this case in that they seem to have invented the requirement for us to serve […]

The Halifax House Price index has just been released for November and it is showing strong growth both month on month at + 1.2% and annually at + 7.6% (the largest growth since June 2016). The average house price in the UK now stands at £253,243. In the latest quarter (September to November) house prices […]

Property investors and developers have been waiting for the Government to announce the NEW Permitted Development Rights for repurposing commercial buildings for residential use. IT’S HERE! The Government have issued a consultation document and are looking to bring in these new permitted development rights early next year. These new rights are far better than anyone […]

I owned 2 properties – 1 that I rented out, and lived in my other property as my main residence. I sold my main residence on 29th May 2019, bought 2 more BTL properties and I am living in a static caravan. I’m thinking about buying a new main residence, but I don’t think it’s […]

The number of payment deferrals across mortgages and consumer credit reduced in recent weeks as more customers returned to making repayments or sought alternative forms of tailored support from their lender, according to the latest figures published by UK Finance. With continued economic uncertainty ahead, lenders are committed to providing help to those whose finances have been affected as a result of the pandemic, through payment deferrals and tailored support, as appropriate to […]

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched an open consultation seeking views on proposed measures to support housing delivery, economic recovery, and public service infrastructure in England. Click here to download the full proposal This technical consultation seeks views on a proposed new permitted development right for the change of use from […]

I hired an electrician for an EICR, which he failed and said it needed a new consumer unit to pass EICR, which I agreed, and he completed the job and issued a “satisfactory” EICR. It only raised my suspicions after I subsequently gave him EICR for two more properties (almost new build), which he failed […]

The Energy Efficiency (PRS) Regulations which were to be enacted this year are now to be introduced next year with the Min EPC rating being Band D w.e.f. 01 Apr 2022 on new leases and by 31 Mar 2025 for existing leases. This skips the previous Min Band E which was to take effect in […]

A petition to extend the Stamp Duty Holiday for an additional 6 months after 31st March 2021 has now reached the 10,000 signature threshold where the government must officially respond. This response is expected in the next 3 days. The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been under pressures from all sides of the Housing Market to […]