We have been trying to sell our property for last 18 months. We have been dealing with this particular buyer for around 9 months. The buyer’s mortgage expires on Friday Buyer, ourselves and our Solicitors are pushing for an exchange date, but the buyers’ solicitors are unresponsive. Everything is ready and all information has been […]

Belvoir welcomes the adoption by the Welsh Government of proposals for a Government backed loan scheme for tenants who have accrued rent arrears due to the impact of coronavirus. Belvoir is also backing the NRLA campaign to introduce a similar scheme in England to protect tenants within the Private Rental Sector (PRS). Belvoir CEO Dorian […]

The Welsh Government last week announced their Tenancy Saver Loans scheme – adopting an idea I first put forward on conservativehome in June, namely that tenants should be ‘the ones expected to take out Government loans to cover their own debts. Rosalind Beck: Extending the evictions ban would not help the vulnerable Prior to this, […]

I have severed a section 21 on a tenant for a pre 2015 AST. The EPC was sent to the tenant 18 months prior but not signed for. However, the tenant denies receiving the EPC. Two district Judges have independently determined on probability the EPC was severed and issued a possession order. The tenant’s solicitor […]

I used a company to send a section 21 to my tenants in May, and they were due out Aug 10th, but obviously haven’t left! I have just found out the agency I used sent the notice via the post with a first-class stamp plus I have not chased my tenants to see if they […]

The illusion or delusion of buying your own home. Let me tell you about my Parents. We lived in a Council House on an estate. My Parents were conditioned to aspired to own their own home. To get on the property ladder! They brought a rundown small terraced house, back then, for £10K. They both […]

The cross-party Suburban Taskforce has today launched a public ‘Call for Evidence’ to help chart a course towards a suburban renaissance across the country. The Taskforce draws politicians from both Houses of Parliament to review evidence of the state of Britain’s suburbs and then make recommendations to the Government on policy initiatives to enhance them. […]

With the stamp duty holiday having come into force a little over a month ago, the latest research from Moneyfacts.co.uk explores how the buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage market may react to a UK economy experiencing its first recession in 11 years and also what this may mean for landlords. – BTL product choice reduced month-on-month, with […]

When buying a property as tenants in common and splitting the ownership into unequal shares between married and non-married partners (property being bought in four names) is there a difference between just completing a TR1 form as opposed to a full DOT for CGT purposes only upon sale of the property? The property is being […]

On the 24th August, the courts will begin to hear cases related to the repossession of properties. This will come following a five-month suspension of such cases due to COVID-19. This period has caused considerable challenges both for tenants and landlords. 94% of landlords rent property as an individual and have unlimited liability should their […]

All my rental properties are covered with rent guarantee and legal expenses cover. One of the properties is up for renewal on 21st August, and I am struggling to find cover due to COVID-19. If anyone has been through this process recently, I would appreciate if you could share any companies you have been able […]

The Moneyfacts UK Savings Trends Treasury Report reveals that average savings rates have fallen for the fifth consecutive month. Since the start of March, the impact of the Coronavirus and subsequent base rate cuts have seen average returns plummet. Easy access accounts, have halved, from 0.56% in March to 0.22% this month. Since March 2020, […]

This is one of the best pieces I have seen valuing the work of us as private landlords. If only we could get this message across to combat all the anti-landlord rhetoric that is so polluting discussions about the private rented sector and leading to the onslaught of destructive policies which are ruining things for […]

Has anyone any experience of this? My tenant received the below email after asking the Water company to contact me. She told me she did get letters beforehand saying Emergency work to be undertaken due to a leak. I’ve had this before on houses with shared drains and let the council get it done, and […]

Rightmove have released their House Price Index with a July mini-boom pushing prices to a record high. The average asking price for property coming to market has hit £320,625 which is £7,640 and 2.44% higher than pre-lockdown in March, and a 3.7% annual increase is the biggest since December 2016. The number of monthly sales […]

The Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) said they were dismayed by Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement that she wished to extend the tenant eviction ban until the end of March 2021 despite this having to first be passed through the Scottish Parliament. SAL Chief executive, John Blackwood, said: “Extending the emergency measures on evictions will only push […]

The Mayor of London is causing needless fear for renters as he wrongly assumes that everyone in arrears due to COVID-19 is at threat of eviction. The national body representing landlords has accused the Mayor of scaremongering when he claims that up to a quarter of tenants are in arrears and under threat of eviction. […]

The Green Homes Grant is a useless scheme for landlords. 1. It appears that tenants on benefits cannot apply for improvements to their rented properties. 2. It does not include upgrading boilers. 3. The Primary category is a financially unviable barrier to accessing the Secondary category. eg who would want to install a heat pump […]

During purchase, it has been my experience that many estate agents ask for financial details from buyers. I remember one particular South West agent int he 90’s tried to give us the mandatory “financial assessment” BS – ie show our tied mortgage agent all your cards. I have always found this hard to navigate as […]

The housing market gained momentum in July as the recovery continued, according to the July 2020 RICS UK Residential Survey. Anecdotal evidence suggests the Stamp Duty holiday, introduced from the 8th July, is playing a significant role in lifting demand. However, respondents do not expect this impetus to continue as wider government support measures begin […]

Responding to a question yesterday from Patrick Harvie, MSP and Scottish Greens’ co-leader, Nicola Sturgeon confirmed tenants should not be evicted for falling into arrears due to financial difficulties caused by Covid-19 and that the ban on evictions should be extended to March 2021. The First Minister said: “The emergency legislation which we passed through […]