As we rapidly approach the end of the year, and the end of this Decade, I would like to help you to get a flying start to 2020, because I believe it is going to be a great year to invest in property, as long as you know what you are doing. There is still […]

We managed to evict a tenant after getting a CCJ, but the Court did not register it with the Registry Trust. We have discovered she is a serial offender with multiple CCJs, but none are registered so she can keep conning new landlords who will be unaware of her evictions or CCJs. It is not […]

A petition has been started on Change.org, click here, ‘Charity ‘ – Shelter CEO’s on £125 K – Year, should NOT receive Honours. Polly Neate, Chief Executive of the so called housing charity Shelter, has been honoured with a CBE in the New Year’s Honours list. This will be particularly controversial with Landlords and Lettings […]

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick spent the evening volunteering on Christmas Day at Birmingham Christmas Shelter, which was open throughout the day and night during Christmas week and welcomes up to 150 guests daily. The team at the shelter provide hot food and drinks as well as entertainment, services, clothing and a safe and warm place for […]

A year ago I sold a property that was used loosely as self contained units/bedsits. The new owner knew that it did not have full planning consent for this use – it had previously been a hostel, then HMO (I had an HMO license) when licensing came in and a few were altered further. The […]

Considering how long it took for the Tenant Fees Act to come into force, it is probably best not to hold your breath for the Renters’ Reform Bill 2019-20 announced before Christmas in the Queen’s Speech. It has been confirmed that no date is yet available for the second reading. The Bill will includes policies […]

I have heard about landlords coming unstuck with UC payment periods for tenants. What’s the best way to ensure you get all your rent paid? Start a tenancy a day before or on the day of payment period date, or during it? I have already found out to my cost that UC won’t backdate any […]

Possible Tenant X has incomings of £737.36 in total (£419.94 per month housing element, £317.82 other benefits). UC are deducting total of £95.35 per month for 3 various ongoing unpaid debts/fines. Take out the rent of £450, and his total left per month is £192.41 I have spoken to UC direct (tenant gave full permission) […]

When I first wrote my book “Property Magic” I wanted to come up with some simple guidelines which would help investors to minimise the risks of investing and maximise their returns. I observed that most investors, myself included, made some common mistakes which could easily be avoided by following these principles: Always Buy from Motivated […]

I am recently having problems with my lodger whom I lived with two years and a quarter. I met with the person I will call “A” over one of room advertising website and after A moved in we gradually became good friends and had lots of family occasions together. Time to time A had work […]

As part of his drive to tackle homelessness, over £260 million has been committed for local authorities to support people who are homeless or at risk of losing their homes. The funding will empower councils across England to provide the best services for local needs, helping those experiencing homelessness in their area to improve their […]

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Housing Forecast 2020 highlights the need for Government to prioritise housing policy, in order to inject activity into the market and create a favourable environment for developers to help address the housing crisis. The 2020 forecast predicts that there will be little change in sales volumes for the […]

Last week the Scottish Government launched The First Home Fund. This is a £150 million shared equity pilot scheme that will provide first-time buyers with up to £25,000 to help them buy a property. The scheme is open to all first-time buyers in Scotland and can be used to help buy new build and existing […]

The increase in portfolio and complex buy-to-let business seen over the past two years is set to continue in 2020, according to Paragon’s Director of Sales, Moray Hulme. Recent tax changes have forced landlords to look for more efficient ways to structure their business, driving an increase in demand for mortgage products for incorporated and […]

New December figures released from Mortgage Brain’s quarterly product data analysis reveal that mortgage costs in the Buy to Let market have continued to fall over the last three months. This reflects the 2019 trend of a continued decrease in costs for the majority of BTL mortgages. The cost of a 60% LTV two year […]

Government plans to scrap ‘no fault’ evictions, reiterated in the Queen’s Speech, will dramatically increase the risk faced by private landlords and lead to the loss of thousands of homes in the private rented sector, the National Landlords Association (NLA) has warned. The NLA, which represents 42,000 members, urged the Government to avoid creating an […]

The Government has got its top pick and the Chancellor has announced Andrew Bailey, CEO of the FCA, will become the new Governor of the Bank of England from 16 March 2020. Andrew Bailey was not seen by the government as an anti-Brexit candidate and therefore may have a less fractious relationship with the new […]

Lettings management platform, Howsy, has looked at where across the nation makes the rental naughty and nice lists since last Christmas, based on the growth in rental costs over the last 12 months. Using data from the ONS, Howsy has highlighted the top 15 locations to have seen the biggest increases and decreases in the […]

Over a third of private landlords are planning to cut the number of homes they rent out or exit the market altogether over the next year according to a new survey of over 2,000 landlords. The almost 34% of landlords indicating that they intend to reduce their investment in the market is a 30% increase […]

Widely reported in the press, Whirlpool have announced a major problem over the door mechanism on some Hotpoint and Indesit washers posing a major fire hazard and are recalling affected washers in the new year. In common with many landlords, I supply white goods in my BTLs and have contacted my tenants to see which […]

Government Press release: A revolutionary new deal for renters will restore fairness, honesty and transparency to the heart of the housing market, thanks to new proposals unveiled as part of the Queen’s Speech. Under the plans, millions of renters will benefit from a new lifetime deposit scheme, which will see their hard-earned deposit move with […]