Page 490 – Property118

NHS Staff and Vacant Flats (Free Rent)

25th March 2020

We have 2 x 1 bedroom flats available in Skegness, near the hospital, we were going to sell them, but now want to offer them rent free to local NHS staff during the Covid-19 Crisis. Has anyone done this and can anyone help with the type of agreement needed so as not to create a […]

DPS to return landlord’s money to agent in financial trouble?

25th March 2020

I’ve run out of patience with the agents who manage my properties and will shortly give notice or terminate their contract. I appreciate the present situation is difficult, but this is after a series of errors at my expense. Now I’ve had increased charges and some staff suddenly never in the office (not due to […]

PLC’s pushing small landlords over the edge

25th March 2020

We are a small landlord and few days ago we received a letter from our key commercial tenant who provides our main form of income. This tenant states in their letter they are “an incredibly successful plc , a well capitalised and financed business with a track record of continued growth and profitability.” However the […]

Coronavirus and letting agents?

25th March 2020

I have just had a rather curt message from one of my letting agents saying they are doing their best, but they have “drastically” reduced staff. I have not heard from my second letting agent, although I left a message a few days ago. For one of my tenants I have contact details and the […]

Tenant leaves with 3 years left but 4 years commission paid to agent?

25th March 2020

I’ve absolutely no idea what I’m to do with this – I let a flat last year (13 months ago) on a 4 year let to a company with a personal guarantee. The rent was paid for a year minus the commission (via the agent) the commission was fully paid (4 years’ worth and I […]

Coronavirus – What Landlords need to know

25th March 2020

Tessa Shepperson of Landlord Law talks to John Stewart of the Residential Landlords Association bringing people up to date with developments for landlords in the UK resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic. This is the recording of Tessa’s webinar yesterday (24 March. 2020) with John Stewart of the NRLA. The comments by both John and Tessa […]

Essential maintenance can be carried out during lockdown

25th March 2020

MHCLG Secretary of State, Robert Jenrick and other government ministers have been confirming this morning that essential maintenance such as boiler repairs and leaks etc can be carried out at homes by tradespersons. However, elective non-essential work such as new kitchens, extensions and decorating should not be instructed or provided. Government guidance on repairs is […]

Covid-19 possession update

25th March 2020

Enforcement agent visits suspended Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on Monday 23rd March 2020, visits by our enforcement agents are temporarily suspended. We will follow ongoing guidance from Government over the next three weeks and review as necessary. Residential evictions As you may be aware, the Government is introducing emergency legislation to prevent landlords from […]

We want to help – Recovering deferred rent?

24th March 2020

We want to help our tenants in difficulty by giving them initially, a 3-month deferment of their rent. Not a gift or free ride – just no rent to be paid for 3 months, but then (assuming/hoping) things get back to normal, they make up the arrears along with their normal monthly rent payment. My […]

Empty Property, empty rental income and still face costs?

24th March 2020

I am a professional Landlord with quite a few properties. I have Buy to Let mortgages on all of them. However, like most landlords there is money over and above the mortgage payments from the rent I receive, to which I live on. The government have to surely rethink their strategy on this. Maybe if […]

Will Bridging lender stop the clock?

24th March 2020

To keep it brief, bought a property that consists of 3 flats using Bridging finance. They need refurbishment to be put into rentable condition and then refinance longer term on to a Buy to Let mortgage. Two months in to the refurbishment and four months left to go the builders and now suppliers closing down! […]

Contactless limit increased to £45 from 1st April

24th March 2020

The spending limit for contactless card payments will be increased from £30 to £45, with a national roll-out beginning from 1 April 2020, UK Finance has announced. The decision to raise the limit was taken following consultation between the retail sector and the finance and payments industry and follows similar increases in several other European […]

Gas Safe Register logo highlighting legal requirement for valid gas safety certificates

Gas Safe – Advice and suspension of Safety inspections

24th March 2020

As of the evening of 23rd March, Gas Safe expect to suspend Gas Safety inspections until they have more guidance. “We anticipate that we will need to continue, but will confirm this soon, once we the guidance from Cabinet Office and HSE on what they need from the industry to support the nation. Click Here […]

I don’t disbelieve he can’t pay?

24th March 2020

I would just like to ask other landlords how they are responding to the tenants who say they cannot pay the rent this month due to the Coronavirus crisis? I have had a tenant call me today to tell me that their income has more or less dried up and he’s going to be unable […]

My letter template for students leaving?

24th March 2020

I have started to receive emails from students advising that they have now left the property and went back home to their parents which is fair enough given the universities are shut till September. However, they are unsure why they still have to pay, but I have explained that although we have been offered a […]

My tenant wants me to evict her now?

24th March 2020

My tenant wants me to evict her as I believe she wants a council flat. Having reminded her that the council wouldn’t rehouse her if she had any rent arrears seven months of rent which she owed me quickly appeared! Anyway she’s gutted that evictions (section 21 ) have been suspended for three months. I […]

Evictions court system on brink of closure

24th March 2020

Guidance from Lord Chief Justice and soon-to-be enacted Coronavirus legislation both mean landlords have a very small window to complete ongoing evictions. The Section 8 evictions court system is continuing but is on the brink of being shut down, Landlord Action has warned. Blackpool County Court was the first to follow the Lord Chief Justice’s […]

GOV.UK crown logo representing UK government consultation on EPC reforms

Coronavirus Bill – Tenancy notices extended to 3 months

24th March 2020

SCHEDULE 29 of the Coronavirus Bill outlines government policy for Assured shorthold tenancy evictions. Click here to download the entire Bill. It looks as if the only changes in the new bill are an extension of notice periods under the Housing act 1988 from 2 months to 3 months. The relevant sections of the new […]

Joint statement by UK Banking industry

24th March 2020

“In recent days, the Bank of England and the government have worked closely with the major banks to put in place a range of measures which give enormous scope to the financial system to provide help to both businesses and households during these extraordinary times. The UK’s banks are in a strong position to provide […]

Average cost of rental deposit down 10% since tenant fees ban

24th March 2020

The latest research by Hamilton Fraser’s deposit replacement scheme Ome, has found that the average rental deposit being paid by tenants in England has fallen -10.3% since the ban on tenant fees was introduced in June 2019. Ome looked at the average cost of a rental deposit in the six months prior to the introduction […]

Ban on evictions for commercial tenants who miss rent payments

24th March 2020

Commercial tenants who cannot pay their rent because of coronavirus will be protected from eviction, the government has announced. Many landlords and tenants are already having conversations and reaching voluntary arrangements about rental payments due shortly but the Government recognises businesses struggling with their cashflow due to coronavirus remain worried about eviction. These measures, included […]