Page 470 – Property118

Covid-19 Court Reactivation Rule?

28th July 2020

It seems that the stay on possession hearings, ending 23rd August, will require a further piece of work by landlords in England and Wales. Can anyone please tell me if the “Reactivation Notice” in the Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 4) (Corona Virus) Rules 2020 No 751 (L.17) applies to progress an accelerated claim for possession? […]

Broker Barometer

28th July 2020

Shawbrook’s most recent Broker Barometer has revealed that as the UK emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, broker confidence in business growth and in the lending environment remains high. Nearly two thirds of commercial brokers (63%) and second charge brokers (66%) stated that they are confident about the lending environment as coronavirus restrictions ease. Similarly when […]

Enfranchisement and Lease amendments?

28th July 2020

Value of Enfranchisement? I am a freeholder of a small block of flat (3 in total). I live on the first floor and there are two flats on the ground floor both rented out by the current leasehold owners. Leasehold owners have shown interest in purchasing their share of freehold. One flat owner has 95 […]

Anyone else had free central heating and insulation from Eco-flex scheme?

28th July 2020

Hi all, I’m always sceptical of these so-called ‘eco schemes’ and grant. Although having heard they’re in the last phases of funding, I thought it was an option worth exploring especially if the government wants to splash out on my property on my behalf ?. I have a few rentals dotted around the south wales […]

David Smith is the new Legal Counsel for the NRLA

28th July 2020

Former RLA policy director David Smith has been announced as legal counsel for the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA). David is a partner at JMW Solicitors in London, specialising in landlord and tenant and property litigation in the residential sector. He will use his specialist legal knowledge to help the NRLA scrutinise legislation and the […]

Buying without planning permission or building certificate?

27th July 2020

Hi All – I am in the middle of buying a house and the solicitors’ checks came back with a note that there are no documents (planning permission or building certificates) for the following: 1) conversion of the old side garage into a bathroom and utility room (the side extension) 2) Rear conservatory Both were […]

Welsh government increases eviction notice from 3 to 6 months

27th July 2020

The Welsh government has announced a temporary increase in the notice period for eviction in private rented and housing association accommodation in Wales. The change means that unless a tenant is being evicted on the grounds of anti-social behaviour, they will be entitled to six months’ notice instead of three. This will apply for all […]

Live in half a house and rent the other half as an HMO?

27th July 2020

I have 2 properties I share ownership of and both of which are run as HMO’s. It does take more work and I have become something of a social worker, but as a business, it definitely has its good points re yield even with a small turnover of tenants. I see live-in landlords and tbh […]

Can I use my own solicitors regarding builders breach of contract?

27th July 2020

Is it possible to insist upon using my own solicitors under house legal insurance for builders breach of contract? I employed builders to extend and renovate my house and in short it is a horror story, missing truss, incorrect specifications, leaking house, failing building control etc. I have house legal insurance for breach of contract. […]

Incorporating into our Ltd co and Higher Stamp Duty refund?

27th July 2020

Hi, We are looking at incorporating our buy to let property (purchased in 2016 as our primary residence and has been let out since 2019) into our Ltd company (set up in March 2020). The house we currently live in was purchased in Nov 2019 at a higher stamp duty and I was wondering if […]

What happens at the end of your Help to Buy?

27th July 2020

Like any loan, you’ll have to pay it back. However, with this loan, there’s no certain deadlines or tight time frames. You can choose to pay the loan back at any time, but the loan must be paid back after 25 years or when you sell your home – whichever comes first. You also have […]

New Permitted Development rights do not create worse quality homes

27th July 2020

The Government have announced great news this week regarding new permitted development (PD) rights for repurposing defunct commercial buildings. However, some leftie University Academics have put out a report (published in mainstream media) on how permitted development has resulted in worse quality housing. In this video below, I take apart the report point by point […]

I wasn’t worried until I tried to sell?

23rd July 2020

I purchased a buy-to-let property at Auction in 1996 which I believed to be freehold and was registered as such when my ownership was recorded with UK Gov Land Registry. The legal work involved was carried out by a solicitor with whom I had a long-standing association at the time. When I discovered it was […]

Landlords – Don’t complain!

22nd July 2020

Landlords: don’t complain when you pay more tax than everyone else; you are, in fact, receiving a gift from Government. There has been some controversy since the announcement of a Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) ‘holiday’ a fortnight ago. In England and Northern Ireland, the house price point above which stamp duty is charged has […]

Dilemma – Rent to Rent/Company Lease contract basics?

22nd July 2020

I am looking to possibly move to another Agent in regard to a Rent to Rent/Company Lease arrangement for one of my properties. I’m not happy with the current company at all – dire call back response, never reply to emails etc among other things. They have conceded that I can have a new contract […]

Remortgaging? 5 things to consider

22nd July 2020

If you are currently thinking of remortgaging your property I have a list below of the top five things to consider first. 1. The value of your home: House prices can vary from place to place so get an accurate valuation of your home. You can do this by looking up similar properties Zoopla or […]

Is guarantor still liable for arrears if I allocate UC against current rent?

22nd July 2020

I have a tenant who has not paid any rent since late 2019. I obtained a possession order just before lockdown and was in the process of instructing county court bailiffs when Covid-19 caused everything to grind to a halt. I managed to get Universal Credits to commence direct payments in April so the arrears […]

144 days to sell a house in 2020

22nd July 2020

The latest research by GetAgent.co.uk, has revealed that so far this year, the time it takes to sell a property has increased by 14% when compared to last year. With an average time of 144 days or nearly five months, from listing to completing, homebuyers looking to take advantage of the recently announced stamp duty […]

Electrical Safety Certificate Costs?

22nd July 2020

I have properties in and around London and the Electrical Safety Certificate costs vary wildly. None of the London properties has needed a certificate until now. I have had a quote for £340 for a 2-bed flat in London. I think that’s a bit steep compared to the £180 for a 3-bed home which is […]

Leasehold reform recommendations published

21st July 2020

The Law Commission of England and Wales has published recommendations to transform home ownership. It has been estimated there are at least 4.3 million leasehold homes in England alone. If enacted our reforms would help those owners and pave the way for a system where flats are sold with freehold title (as part of a […]