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 […]

Does anyone know for sure if Universal Credit (UC) are obligated to take on board information given to them by a Local Council (LC) in regard to a client? I deal with challenging tenants and the LC knows this well. They ‘help’ the LL as best they can BUT they know themselves the tenant can […]

Live 90 Minute FREE Commercial Property Training Session hosted by Ranjan Bhattacharya, Property Investor & Developer with over 30 years of experience. A unique set of circumstances are coming together right now to create a perfect cocktail of opportunity for savvy property investors. There are so many defunct commercial properties coming to the market and […]

Loans to pay off rent arrears built during the Covid -19 pandemic will now be available to tenants in Wales following a campaign by the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA). The new £8 million Tenant Saver Loan scheme, which will apply to the Private Rented Sector only, will allow tenants to borrow money to cover the […]

The Welsh Government has provided a package of support to make sure as many people as possible facing financial hardship as a result of the coronavirus pandemic remain in their private rented homes, sustaining tenancies and avoiding eviction due to rent arrears. Last week a temporary increase in the notice period for eviction was announced, […]

The recent decision to scrap a bill to introduce a rent cap in Scotland demonstrates the difficulty of introducing lettings regulation amid ongoing uncertainty, while highlighting the advantages of industry-led codes of practice over top-down regulation, according to PayProp.  What is the Fair Rents (Scotland) Bill?  Introduced to the Scottish Parliament in June, the Fair […]

I am looking for some advice on whether ground rent review calculations have been carried out correctly. I have a lease for 125 years from 1 January 2006, within the particulars it states: “the Commencement Date” 1st January 2006. “the Rent” £200 per annum subject to review in accordance with clause 9. “the Base Index” […]

Over 95% of private tenants are paying their rent or have made an arrangement with their landlord to pay a lower rent or defer payment during the pandemic according to a new survey of tenants out today. Independent polling for the National Residential Landlords Association finds that 87% of private tenants have paid their rent […]

The situation is we have a shop unit we are letting with a self-contained upper part. This shop is one of four in a parade all owned by the same Landlord. Some tenants choose to sublet the upper parts, some occupy themselves and some use it for storage. I wondered if The Electrical Safety Standards […]

The North East based ChronicleLive reported two brothers admitting affray and criminal damage in Newcastle Crown Court after opening fire with an air pistol shooting at the windows of a Gateshead estate agents office and one of their cars in revenge for an eviction notice being delivered only three hours earlier. The brothers did not […]

In trying to let a small property recently I have had a lot of applicants who can’t meet the affordability and or credit criteria. A few have asked if I would accept an online guarantor which they would have to find £40+ a month for. I’m curious to know if anybody has heard of this […]

When you think of an actor who do you think of? Most would think of someone like Tom Cruise, Anna Friel or Brad Pitt. If I told you that actors have a hard time getting a mortgage, would you believe me? Actually, the majority of career actors really do struggle. Mostly their income is sporadic […]

“Rent Arrears must be accounted for BEFORE rent is eligible to be reclaimed under a Rent Repayment Order (RRO).” At a stroke, this Judgement of the First-Tier Tribunal (in a case defended by Des Taylor of Landlord Licensing and Defence) means that the no-win/no-fee become almost worthless for the lawyers, and far fewer Rent Repayment […]

Does anyone know if and where a HA/Charity take a cut from payments when it comes to providing emergency/temporary accommodation? We have a 5-year deal with a HA & Charity for the whole house. Currently, it is split into 6 beds – all sharing bathroom and kitchen facilities. We get a set figure rent. If […]

New Government Planning Reform and Permitted Development (PD) rules have been introduced. The investors who get in quick will win a 1st movers advantage in the market. I will be hosting a FREE Online Masterclass on this very subject but places are going fast. Claim your free spot now with the link below! Free Online […]