I have two BTL interest only mortgage, which are coming to an end and I need to find another provider. Unfortunately, the LTV has changed considerably as the flats have reduced in value and in order to find another decent mortgage rate I will have to reduce the mortgage amount by £65000 from my savings […]

We published an article a few weeks ago by Andrew Roberts from The Great Property Meet which asked our community for help and guidance for one of his Members in preparation for a Land Tribunal hearing (article link here). We also shared the article widely on Social Media. The support received and number of responses […]

The property agent did the Right to Rent checks on a tenant when they initially issued a 12-month tenancy contract to the tenant. The property is fully managed by the Agent. At this point the tenant’s visa did cover for full first 12-month tenancy contract. However, when property agent renewed the tenancy contract for another […]

Our client was a higher rate tax-payer and also owned four properties in his own name with the benefit of mortgages. Accordingly, he was affected by the restrictions on finance cost relief. His wife is also a higher rate tax-payer, so there was no scope to save tax by forming a partnership and allocating profits […]

I am at a loss where to go to rectify my EPC rating. The engineer that came out to assess has rated my flat (converted Mill in 2007) a G3. He has given zero stars for Insulation walls & Ceiling. The stone walls are 2 foot thick which I believe are dry lined but my […]

15 years ago, I purchased a BTL property for £300k and financed this with £130K re-mortgage against my home and a £170k BTL 20 year interest only mortgage, (my home mortgage is also an interest only). For the past 15 years I have been claiming tax relief on both mortgages, to offset my costs (subject […]

Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, indicated well-designed, high quality homes and tree-lined streets should be the ‘norm – not the exception’, following the launch of the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission’s final report. Living with beauty – the first report of its kind led by the late Sir Roger Scruton and Nicolas Boys Smith – contains […]

I have a separate flat in my house though under a single title owned by me. This has been rented. I want to separate the titles and sell the maisonette that has been my own home and move into the previously rented flat which will become my sole property. Stamp duty will be paid by […]

Universal Credit Landlords – Are you not being paid up to date when a tenant leaves you? Apparently a lot of Landlords are coming across the below more often now and have been asking ‘How come I haven’t been paid for last house?’ As Universal Credit (UC) carries on spreading like some infectious disease, a […]

I’ve seen people make millions investing in property, despite not earning that much in their regular jobs, or having much financial sophistication. As primarily a share investor, I was surprised that people could make money with these strategies. I have decided to document what they have done in a general sense, using 5 scenarios. The […]

We are very grateful to Andrew Roberts of The Great Property Meet for arranging a very professional recording of the presentation made by our Hon. Legal Counsel, Mark Smith, Head of Chambers at Cotswold Barristers at their January 2020 meeting. As you will see from the video, it was a full house. The video is […]

Arla Propertymark have released a report on the impact of the growth in short-term lets such as Airbnb on supply in the Private Rented Sector. Arla predict that 500,000 homes could be lost to short-term lets, because of the increasing costs of anti-landlord regulation and taxation. The research was carried out in partnership with leading […]

Growth in the number of short-term lets across the country is a symptom of skewed policy that favours holiday homes over long-term properties to rent. A new report published today by ARLA Propertymark suggests that nearly half a million properties could be left unavailable for longer-term rent as more landlords exit the market in favour […]

Up to £1.2 billion in deposits could be unaccounted for! The latest research by Hamilton Fraser’s deposit replacement provider, Ome, has revealed the huge sums of tenant money that is estimated as being held by landlords and agents without protection via a deposit protection scheme. Ome’s sister company, mydeposits, manages 25% of the total deposit […]

Last year I purchased a guest house 9 bedrooms.  I live in a separate accommodation within the building offering the usual cleaning and sheets continental breakfast etc..I was given the go ahead to continue as a B@B by the county borough council and we had a mix of guests at first. However, when we opened […]

I have just been left high and dry by Dartford Borough Council Housing department. In a nutshell I served a section 6a because a tenant was in two months rent arrears. I have done it before and the rent was paid no problem. This time I was given assurances that the case will be looked […]

I am trying to get my deposit back from a landlord that was illegally subletting his room to me, and that did not protect my deposit. Here are the details of my situation, I truly hope you can help me with it: – I rented last year a bedroom in a 2-bed apartment from someone […]

I have a flat on the ground floor of a block of flats with an outside blind which can be lowered. A Director informed me on a visit to the flat, that my blinds needed replacing as they looked worn and shabby. She did not inform me that I would first need permission from the […]

I have a 3 bed house and I was living there alone so I advertised last month and got a housemate in a few weeks ago. She has her own bathroom and bedroom. It has just occurred to me that I may need to pay income tax on this money I am charging her, but […]

Despite rumours with recent low inflation levels that the rate may reduce by 0.25% the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has voted 7-2 to not change the Base rate and remain at 0.75%. The Committee also voted unanimously to maintain the stock of UK government bond purchases, financed by the issuance of central […]

This year ‘Rumble with the Agents’, the annual white-collar charity boxing event hosted by Landlord Action and sponsored by Hamilton Fraser, will be fundraising for Inclusion Barnet, a charity which provides vital support for people with disability, including mental health issues and/or long-term health conditions. Paul Shamplina, who set up the event six years ago […]