Those renting a property, letting agents and landlords should be aware of and follow the government guidance on coronavirus and renting which contains further advice that may also be applicable such as on possession proceedings, repairs, maintenance and health and safety. While much of step 4 will involve voluntary guidance, we are keeping a few […]

Hi Folks, Some sage advice please:- I’ve just referenced two lovely prospective tenants who have failed the comprehensive referencing. They’re both clear of debt and have no CCJ’s,  there are good previous Landlord’s references and generally all-around decent reports. Both are considered “Medium Risk” according to the reports. One prospective tenant is currently in receipt […]

You’ve probably seen him in the papers, heard him on the radio or watched him on Channel 5’s “Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords”. Paul Shamplina is the founder of Landlord Action and has spent over 25 years in the legal field helping landlords and letting agents with problem tenants. Often referred to as ‘The Landlords’ Friend’, […]

The How To Rent guide that is a regulatory requirement to be given to all new tenants has been amended once again. Please make sure you have the latest copy saved >> Click here  Please be aware that some advice in this guide may be affected by the latest coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance for renting. Please […]

Leaseholders in blocks of flats with cladding should be supported to buy, sell or re-mortgage their homes after the government agreed with major lenders to pave the way to ending the need for EWS1 forms. It comes following expert advice that the forms should no longer be needed on buildings below 18 metres. The announcement […]

At the start of the year there was a huge shift in people moving out of the capital, with demand vs supply for shared accommodation outside of London on the rise. Demand vs supply is now growing in every major UK town and city. SpareRoom have analysed data from over 400,000 room ads across Q2 […]

GetAgent.co.uk, has analysed data on both house price and the average income across Britain, looking at how the income to house price ratio has changed since the Stamp Duty holiday was launched last July. Income to house price ratio climbs to 8.1 in Britain The data shows that the average person in Britain earns a […]

The UK property market has recently been turbocharged by the Stamp Duty holiday, with house prices up by 10% in the last year alone. Research from YesHomebuyers, has taken a look at market performance over the last decade, to highlight which areas have stood the test of time in terms of consistent and upward house […]

How long does it take for your Council to work out you’re running an unlicensed HMO? Less than one day! This was confirmed this week when a worried landlord got in touch with our landlords defence consultancy team. Here’s the situation: Landlord completes an HMO purchase on the 30th of June. On the 1st July, […]

Yes, you read that correctly! We represented a Landlord at the First Tier Tribunal recently where a Rent Repayment Order (RRO)  was being sought for 12 months rent due to no Additional Licence. The hearing turned to Landlord and Tenant conduct, which is one of the few aspects to mitigate against a full rent repayment. […]

I am planning to sell off one of my Buy to Let properties, which is currently lightly furnished. An agent has advised me to either sell the property fully furnished with reasonable quality furniture or to sell it as completely empty because they do not think my now rather worn furniture will add to the […]

The latest research by Sequre Property Investment, estimates that the current bricks and mortar value of the UK’s private rental sector sits at almost £1.4trillion. The data was compiled on the number of current private rented dwellings across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, before looking at the total value of these rental portfolios based […]

Class G of the General Permitted Development Order (GDPO) a permitted development right to create 2 flats on the upper floors without asking the council for a Use Class E building has been consigned to history from the 1st August 2021. CLASS G CHANGES:  2 Flats above a shop/office are currently fully permitted development, but […]

A tenant moved into a flat in August 2020. Universal Credit set up direct payments to Landlord as agreed (also requested by tenant as history with gambling etc). It transpires in April UC asked the tenant for a copy of the tenancy agreement as evidence of tenancy etc, but he didn’t act. Direct rent payments […]

I notice the government frequently use the word ‘guidance’ on many of their sites. Does ‘guidance’ mean – law – advice – or whatever? I also noticed re evictions under section 21/8 assured tenancies are mentioned but not assured ‘shorthold’ tenancies with no mention of arrears on their main page! ??? I also noticed the […]

With gas heating under pressure from future government green legislation for residential properties, and potential bans for the installation of new gas boilers, is this heating fuel now falling out of favour and not the way forward? The question is at this early stage what is the best form of electric heating available and is […]

Mark Smith (Barrister-At-Law) will be live on Thursday 29th July presenting on Tax Planning and Business Structures for Landlords. The Virtual Property Exhibition features 8 property industry experts, for a full day of online training to update you on the current property market opportunities. This exhibition is being run by property investors network (pin) and […]

Freedom day for property investors comes on August 1st because the planning system that has constrained us for so long is opening up! In this video, I’m going to be sharing with you 5 property investment strategies that require full planning permission today, but not from August the 1st thanks to prior approval. Register For […]

Paragon Bank’s recent FACT report indicated 53% of mortgage brokers surveyed in the last quarter anticipate increased Buy to Let demand over the next 12 months, despite the tapering of the Stamp Duty holiday. This is up from 50% in the first quarter of the year, but a consistent 10% of brokers still think demand […]

All buildings in Wales over 11m will be eligible to apply, with high rise buildings (18m+) prioritised initially for fire safety surveys. The surveys will go beyond cladding issues, including assessing internal issues such as ineffective compartmentation. Minister for Climate Change Julie James confirmed the surveys will be funded by the Welsh Building Safety Fund. […]

I have two properties owned jointly, no tenants in either. The Rateable value of one is £2,435, the other £1,650. They are both shops in listed buildings (residential flats above). Are both exempt from business rates even if empty or tenanted, as both under £12kRV? I thought anything under £12k RV was exempt anyway BUT […]