Page 505 – Property118

Buy to Let is still stable

11th November 2019

Paragon’s latest Financial Adviser Confidence Tracking (FACT) Index , based on interviews with 201 mortgage intermediaries, has revealed: – Buy-to-let increases from 15% to 17% of business in Q3 2019 – Intermediaries expect buy-to-let mortgage business to increase by 1% in the next 12 months – Overall mortgage market shows signs of slowdown, with average […]

Hodge Bank – Landlord BTL Portfolio Mortgages

11th November 2019

Hodge is a lender more associated to Residential or Equity Release mortgages, but has recently announced a Portfolio Buy-to-Let product for portfolio landlords, where the portfolio can be held under one loan facility. As per the PRA definition, Portfolio landlords are classed as those with more than 3 mortgaged properties. Each portfolio loan will be […]

A day in court with Shelter and council’s impartiality part 2

11th November 2019

I finally got a reply! Here is my original article “A day in court with Shelter and the council’s impartiality?” We got an email about another property of ours: Hi Xxxx I am emailing with regards to the above letter that was sent to Xxxxxx on 14th October 2019. I have just contacted the complainant […]

Bare Trust as IHT mitigation tool?

11th November 2019

I wonder if anyone could comment on this case. Two sisters own an unencumbered (mortgage free) leasehold flat with share of the freehold on the residue of a 999-year lease, value approximately £1.2-1.5 million, in London as tenants in common. They are both retired and in their late 60s. To mitigate inheritance tax, they are […]

Conservative Right to Buy test?

11th November 2019

An article was published in the Daily Telegraph that resurrects the idea the Conservatives should introduce a new Right to Buy from private landlords in their manifesto. It’s not unknown for articles to be floated in the DT to test for a public reaction, and the timing now may not be coincidence. If you’re as […]

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

No change to Brexit – No change to Bank Base Rate

7th November 2019

There was no Monetary Policy Committee vote in October until today, supposedly post Brexit. Unsurprisingly the MPC voted by 7 to 2 to maintain the Bank rate at 0.75%. The next MPC meeting is now due post general election on the 19th of December. This is when decisions could get a lot more interesting based […]

3-bed end town-houses with yields of up to 6.7%

7th November 2019

Devonshire Gardens; a collection of 3-bed end town-houses starting at only £121,396 and with predicted yields of up to 6.7%. Situated in the heart of Blackpool, Devonshire Gardens is a mixed development of 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 bedroom properties built by National developer Belmont Homes.  With open public spaces and allocated parking, Devonshire […]

Type of bedroom door locks in HMOs

7th November 2019

This is probably a bit of a silly question, but I very new the HMO game and I am refurbishing my property myself (being new to refurbishing a property as well) My question is about bedroom door locks. Are there any special HMO requirements with respect to the type of lock that needs to be […]

Halifax Price Index slows to 0.9% annual growth

7th November 2019

The latest Halifax Price Index has just been released showing house prices in October were 0.9% higher than in the same month a year earlier. However, on a monthly basis, house prices fell by 0.1%. In the latest quarter house prices were 0.2% higher than in the preceding three months of May to July. Russell […]

Complaints to UC – advice please

6th November 2019

S21 issued to tenant on 1st Aug. (Non payment of top ups)  The tenant applies for Universal Credit for the first time in mid Sept. On 9 Oct I call UC to check status and yes claim had been received and yes tenant has asked that the landlord is paid direct. UC inform me that […]

Rent paid to wrong landlord during sale?

6th November 2019

Good morning everyone, I’m a landlord of a few years standing, with a few properties with mostly OK experiences, but in this instance I’m writing on behalf of a friend who is a tenant in a property that is being sold. She is a good tenant, always pays on time, is on benefit and in […]

Tips on the Legalities of Letting

6th November 2019

Landlord responsibilities have increased tenfold over the last few years as the government has introduced a raft of new legislation designed to protect tenants. The difficulty is that the vast majority of landlords are not seasoned professionals, but rather people who purchased or inherited an extra property and use it to prop up their income. […]

Buy-to-Let Property Investing in Birmingham

6th November 2019

If you’re looking to start or expand your property portfolio, Birmingham is a superb location for your purposes. In this article, the specialists at Property Solvers – experts in selling your home fast – explore the benefits of investing in buy to let property in the city and surrounding areas. We’ll explain the growing attraction […]

New government modern housebuilding champion

6th November 2019

Housing Minister Esther McVey MP has announced a new Champion for Modern Methods of Construction as part of the government’s drive to make the UK the global leader in housing standards. Mark Farmer brings 30 years’ experience in construction to the role and will provide independent scrutiny and advice to the Government on how to […]

Landlords Alliance Election Manifesto

5th November 2019

Recent years have seen a sustained attack on private landlords by the Government and other groups. The relationship between landlords and tenants has also been painted as adversarial by organisations which purport to represent tenants, but who in fact work against their interests. This must be seen in the context of the huge success of […]

Is “Co-Living” the new rental trend?

5th November 2019

The Private Rented Sector is one of the fast-growing markets in housing, and now accounts for over 4.5 million households in the UK, an increase of 63% (1.6 million) from 2007. In times of rising house prices and a new generation who prefer a more flexible approach to living, it is no surprise that more […]

ARLA and NAEA manifesto for regulation, SDLT reform and MOTs

5th November 2019

ARLA and NAEA propertymark have released their manifesto “Election 2019: Regulate and reform the housing sector.” Click here to download the full document. The number one call on the wish list is for government to adopt the recommendations of the Regulation of Property Agents Working Group and regulate property agents. This it is hoped will […]

RLA welcome government crackdown on criminal landlords

5th November 2019

New funding announced by the Government to tackle criminal landlords is welcome, but is nowhere near enough says the country’s leading landlords’ organisation. Ministers have announced that local authorities will be able to access almost £4 million in new funding, as part of what it describes as a “crackdown on criminal landlords” for 2019/20. This […]

Repossession and delaying tactics?

5th November 2019

Hi all, I am in need of some advice please. I had a repossession hearing under section 8 non payment of rent. The tenant showed up and claimed disrepair. The judge wasn’t happy and had a go at them, but said he had to give them 14 days to file a defence and adjourned till […]

As a Landlord in the General Election I intend to vote for:

4th November 2019

With an impending General Election and none of the established political parties vying for the Landlord vote, will it be a case of holding your nose and supporting the least worst option? As a snap shot for the PRS please be our guest in completing our polls below for who you would consider now and […]

Additional £4m for councils to tackle criminal landlords

4th November 2019

Councils across the country will be able to access almost £4 million in new funding, as part of a crackdown on criminal landlords, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced. This will support councils who can bid for a slice of funding to step up enforcement action against landlords who break the law and provide inadequate […]