Page 535 – Property118

Section 21 ban – System reform is necessary

3rd May 2019

Section 21 evictions are being reviewed by the government, with a view to removing them from English and Welsh Law. James Brokenshire, the Housing Secretary commented that Section 21 evictions were one of the biggest causes of homelessness for families. As it stands, tenants can be given notice to vacate a rental property by being […]

30% of tenants in Scotland don’t aim to ever own a property

3rd May 2019

A survey of people who rent privately has found that almost 30% of tenants in Scotland don’t aim to ever own a property. The Tenant Research Survey, conducted by SafeDeposits Scotland ahead of its upcoming Tenant Conference, asked tenants about their experiences in the private rented sector and their expectations for the future. Responses showed […]

46 Landlord MPs claim more than £1.3m for rent or hotels!

3rd May 2019

Here we go again. The expenses system was tightened up to stop MPs fleecing the public so they find another way to do it! “Dozens of MPs are claiming taxpayer-funded expenses to rent homes or stay in hotel rooms in London while letting out property they own nearby”: click here for the Daily Mail article […]

NLA – Save Section 21 postcard campaign

3rd May 2019

The NLA have launched a postcard campaign against the banning of section 21 to tell the Prime Minister, Theresa May, what you think the repercussions of this decision are and will be. “We are asking you to complete and return your postcard to us, explaining why you agree that Section 21 should not be abolished. We will hand deliver the postcards […]

Close-up detail of engraved eye from British currency representing financial focus and interest rate changes

Bank Base Rate Unanimously held at 0.75%

2nd May 2019

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee has voted today unanimously holding the Bank Rate at 0.75% with CPI inflation falling slightly below the medium term target of 2% with a March figure of 1.9%. Inflationary pressure is predicted to fall further during the year as any costs associated with the fall in sterling have […]

RLA survey indicates 25.5% of landlords are looking to sell property

2nd May 2019

The RLA have released their survey of 2500 landlords in their ‘State of the Private Rented Sector’ report quarter 4 2018. Click here to download the full report. The survey questioned landlords on their portfolio plans over the next twelve months and although 15.2% of respondents said they were looking to purchase more property 25.5% […]

tenancy agreement form, Property 118

Too little too late for Section 21

2nd May 2019

I attended the Clive Emson Auction on 30th April, 2019. As one might have expected many irate Landlords wished to speak with me over their concerns about what they considered very poor and biased reporting by Richard Bilton who in the eyes of the landlords, at least, has ousted myself as Public Enemy Number One! […]

Can we save you money on Block of Flats insurance?

2nd May 2019

IF you own or manage a block of flats, then let us price check your buildings insurance for you in under 5-minutes. Many block of flat owners and management companies stay with their existing providers for years and may not be paying a competitive rate. Property 118’s partner – The Home Insurer – has a […]

National Landlords Alliance meets Sefton Council

2nd May 2019

Wednesday 1st May, a delegation from the National Landlords Alliance held a meeting with Sefton council. The Alliance delegation consisted of Larry Sweeney, Councillor John Bullock National chair of the Alliance and Policy director John Allen. Sefton had officers from their licensing department, their legal department and their Data controller. The purpose of the meeting […]

Scrapping Section 21 could have an even greater impact than Section 24

2nd May 2019

For me, scrapping Section 21 could have an even greater impact than Section 24, particularly if the only alternative, the Section 8 process, is not fully reformed with updated grounds added. We have had numerous landlords calling our Landlord Action advice line panicking about this. My prediction is that we will see a surge of […]

Brentwood Seminar is approaching and we would love you to be there

1st May 2019

Our Property Investment Seminar in Brentwood is only 1 week away and it is not too late to book your place. Fast facts about the event – Location: Marygreen Manor Hotel Time: 6:15pm arrival, 6:30pm start Venue: Marygreen Manor Hotel (60+ free parking spaces) Marygreen Manor Hotel, London Road, Brentwood, Essex, CM14 4NR Presented by one of the director’s of PIP, […]

Average single room rents increase by 3%

1st May 2019

SpareRoom’s Q1 2019 Rental Index reveals that the average cost of renting a room in the UK has increased by £15 pcm (3%) since this time last year, bringing the average monthly rent up to £582 across the UK. House prices may be falling, but rents are on the up in all regions of the […]

New launch of 2 bed houses from only £96,500!

1st May 2019

A fantastic opportunity to purchase 2 bed, new build houses in the centre of St Helens near Liverpool, with prices from only £96,500. We are also delighted to have secured these lovely properties, with an amazing discount of 12.5% off list prices. The properties are ‘off plan’, with completion scheduled for Q4 2019 – Q1 2020. The development is ideally located in […]

Be a guest of Mark Smith (Barrister-At-Law) – Eastbourne

1st May 2019

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 Eastbourne Meeting property networking event Wednesday 8th May 2019. The event will start at 6:00pm until 9:00pm and will be free for guests of Mark Smith that have not previously […]

Bank of England CPI inflation Calculator

1st May 2019

Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) questions have been common on Property118 regarding rent increase trackers and service charges amongst others. The Bank of England have a CPI inflation calculator that readers may in some circumstances or just for interest find helpful. Click here to use the calculator. The inflation calculator works for amounts between £1 and […]

Judge Throws Out Section 21 Bizarrely?

1st May 2019

I served Section 21 on 14th September 2018 as I needed possession of the property. The tenant was in Periodic Tenancy as the original tenancy was signed on 15/05/2014 and expired on 14/05/2015. The purpose of highlighting these dates is to exhibit that Tenancy Pre-dates Deregulation Act October 2015. As the tenancy was signed before […]

Splitting title deeds and the potential tax implications?

29th April 2019

I am looking to buy two properties which are currently under one title deed. I am looking to split the title deeds and sell one of the properties. What additional stamp duty and capital gains issues do I have? I intend to finance the purchase by bridging loan, split the title, then residential or buy […]

NAEA National Association of Estate Agents

Number of houses available to buy hits lowest level ever recorded for March

29th April 2019

NAEA Propertymark is today issuing its March Housing Report.  Mark Hayward, Chief Executive, said: “Despite the fact that activity in the housing market increased in March, the levels of supply and demand recorded aren’t where we would expect them to be at this time of year. It’s clear buyers and sellers are still feeling cautious […]

Parents of students – 400 rules and regulations they could be subject to!

29th April 2019

In a new report commissioned by the TDS Charitable Foundation, property expert Kate Faulkner provides advice for parents of students weighing up their accommodation options. Kate, who runs Propertychecklists.com and consultancy Designs on Property, analyses the costs and benefits of a range of accommodation options available to parents of students, including buying to rent and […]

S21 ban: Should straightforward possession cases be decided out of court?

29th April 2019

As we are all aware, the government intends to remove the option for landlords to use the no fault eviction notice under Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, which with our current system would leave only grounds under Section 8, similar to the system recently introduced in Scotland. Unlike Scotland, however, there is currently […]

Bad advice and penalty fee for HMO let in Newham?

29th April 2019

Hi, I have a very tough situation here with my letting agent. Beginning of this morning, my letting agent found 3 sharers for my 3-bed flat located in Stratford. Basically, I was told that I just pay additional £500 upgrading my selective license to the additional HMO. It is very straightforward. Once I put the […]