Page 487 – Property118

Mortgage lender insisting on 6 month AST for product renewal?

10th March 2020

My Buy to Let mortgage is coming up for renewal in June. My existing tenancy agreement ends in mid May. The lender is insisting that I have a 6 month AST in place when I renew the mortgage – is that normal? My current tenants would like to extend but with rolling 2 months notice […]

No housing benefit but what if they need it during tenancy?

10th March 2020

We do not accept housing benefit and always make sure that tenants are working. We also put on our lease that Housing benefit is not accepted and that if the tenant needs to claim it, we will have to give them 2 months notice. Is this OK, as the tenant is fully aware at the […]

Corporate let turned into party central

9th March 2020

A landlord tells of his ongoing dealings with a ‘corporate let’ company who promised him an embassy tenant, but instead have turned his property into party central. When Panos Lassi bought his three-bed flat in Chelsea, he decided it made more financial sense to rent it out to cover the large mortgage and to rent […]

Landlord not aware of Nottingham Licensing – Help?

9th March 2020

I have a client who has just approached me with a problem. He moved to London 2 years ago and let his house to a friend and her daughter. He wants to sell so the friend/tenant went to the council (he doesn’t know why but I have informed her it will be because she doesn’t […]

EWS1 reports – yet another concern for HMO owners?

9th March 2020

We are in the process of selling a leasehold flat, and have been asked to provide an EWS1 form which, in brief, confirms that the block is compliant with the safety regs that came into force after Grenfell. Without this, the value of the flat is essentially zero, because the lender won’t lend, because insurers […]

County Durham to be hit by largest Selective Licensing proposal yet!

9th March 2020

The proposed scheme will cover 51,000 properties across County Durham! Landlords will have to pay up to £590 for each property in this area which could net the Council more than £25,000 000 in licence fees. Durham County Council (DCC) claim that their scheme will cover almost two thirds of the county, by area, but […]

NRLA Chief announced as Keynote speaker for Property Investor Show

9th March 2020

Ben Beadle has just been announced as a keynote speaker at the Property Investor Show returning to the Excel Centre, London with the first event on Friday 3rd April and Saturday 4th April. Ben Beadle, boss of the soon to be NRLA (National Residential Landlords Association), the consequence of the proposed merger between the RLA […]

Annual house price growth at 2.8%

6th March 2020

The Latest Halifax house price index report for February is indicating prices in February were 2.8% higher than in the same month a year earlier with the average house price of now £240,677 nationally. On a monthly basis, house prices rose by 0.3% and in the latest quarter (December to February) house prices were 2.9% […]

Can directors charge interest on loans offered to Ltd co?

6th March 2020

As a director of a Limited company can I charge interest on loans offered to my company and what is the allowable interest Permitted by HMRC? Many thanks. Malcolm Editors Note: From HMRC >> https://www.gov.uk/directors-loans/you-lend-your-company-money If you lend your company money: Your company does not pay Corporation Tax on money you lend it. If you […]

Freehold to new leasehold flat?

6th March 2020

I am looking to purchase a converted house that is showing on land registry as 20 and 20a. However, this is a freehold property and on completion I will be issued with a new 125 year lease, making it a leasehold. The other flat will be the same. My problem is the lender seems to […]

Blogger says tenants with Coronavirus should get 3 months rent free!

5th March 2020

Richard Murphy of Tax Research LLP, a Professor of Practice in International Political Economy at City, University of London and regular columnist for AccountingWEB.co.uk, claims Landlords should bear the cost of Coronavirus and provide three months free rent to tenants who contract Covid-19. Murphy claims: “As a matter of statutory right any tenant should be […]

Definitive answer on live-in landlord status?

5th March 2020

I’m just wondering whether you can tell me definitively from a legal point of view: I have lodgers in my house and the fourth bedroom is mine. I have been offered a summer job abroad which could see me going away up until mid December. Does this affect my live-in landlord status? I don’t want […]

Freeholder charging £36k for a new roof for my BTL Flat!?

3rd March 2020

I am extremely ill informed as to what to do next. If someone could point me in the right direction, whether it be advice on here, or which professional I should be taking to about this  – I am happy to pay for a solicitor if that’s what’s needed The building is a 2 story […]

Stamp duty overhaul could be put on ice in Budget

3rd March 2020

The property industry will be hoping that housing is a top priority in the upcoming Budget, set to be delivered by new Chancellor Rishi Sunak on March 11. It is the first Budget from the new government elected in December and although it could be a quiet day for the private rented sector, the industry […]

Is the no-deposit scheme correct?

3rd March 2020

I would appreciate your views on the following. I had a new tenant sign up for a 12 month (fixed-term) AST for a room at £550 pcm. I gave the tenant the option of providing a deposit equal to 5 months’ rent or for him to set up an arrangement with a no-deposit scheme equal […]

Mark Smith (Barrister-At-Law) Landlord tax planning strategies – Stoke-on-Trent

3rd March 2020

Our Hon. Legal Counsel, Mark Smith, Head of Chambers at Cotswold Barristers will be presenting an overview of several landlords tax strategies at the pin Stoke-on-Trent Meeting property networking event Wednesday 11th March 2020. The event will be held at the Premier Inn, Stoke Trentham Gardens, Stone Road, Stoke-On-Trent, ST4 8JG The Event hosts are […]

Rent controls might appear attractive but they would be a disaster

3rd March 2020

The Residential Landlords Association and the National Landlords Association is warning rent controls in London would be a disaster for aspiring tenants as the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, puts calls to introduce them at the heart of his re-election bid. Khan’s proposals come despite experts reporting the danger rent controls would cause at a […]

Government design competition for low carbon age-friendly homes

2nd March 2020

Housing Minister Christopher Pincher has launched a competition to attract the best and brightest talents of the housing industry to design the homes of the future. Small businesses, designers and manufacturers are invited to come forward with ideas for new low carbon, age-friendly homes, meeting the highest standards of design. These homes will be aimed […]

Bank of England emblem symbolising decision to hold the Base Rate at 5%

Coronavirus may trigger Bank Base Rate cut

2nd March 2020

Markets are starting to price in a Bank of England Base Rate decrease of at least 0.25% as central banks around the world marshal what monetary fire power they can against the potential economic consequences of a global Coronavirus pandemic. The next Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting is due to take place on Thursday the […]

Average deposit cost has only increased 5% since 2014

2nd March 2020

The latest research by Ome has revealed how much tenants are paying to secure a rental property and how this has changed in the last five years, as well as how this price increase compares to other items throughout our daily lives. Ome’s data shows that the current tenant is now paying £1,139, a 5% […]

EPC vs Environmental Health?

2nd March 2020

I had an EPC RATED”E”issued November 19 (valid for 10 years), but Environmental health are trying to enforce MEES on lovely small 2 bed flat above shop. I’ve had the same “HAPPY” tenant for last 8 years and showed the Licensing officer the EPC rated “E”. The property was passed for “licensing” however the Licensing […]