A fifth of the UK population now lives in rental accommodation. The Fitness for Human Habitation Act came into force just last week. This new Act is designed to ensure all rental accommodation meets certain criteria. The rental property must be free of defects and this includes all private rentals, housing association rentals and any […]

Rent repayment orders are a relatively new phenomenon, they occur when a First Tier Tribunal finds in favour of a tenant because a landlord hasn’t fulfilled their obligations, these obligations can include the following:Not protecting the deposit Failure to have the correct license in place at the start of the tenancy Failure to repair after […]

A tenant on a six month Assured Shorthold Tenancy has No Rights other than the right to stay in the house for the Fixed Period. That is made Crystal Clear in the tenancy. Generally, the Period is Six Months, but it does not have to be. After the fixed period the tenancy lapses into a […]

The National Landlords Association (NLA) is reminding would-be tenants to be vigilant when looking for somewhere new to live and to avoid getting scammed. The NLA has been contacted by several people who have been the target of fraudulent activity. Such scams trick people into paying an advance fee to rent a property and, in […]

Landlords are welcoming calls today by a parliamentary committee for tax incentives for private landlords to improve the quality of their property. The recommendation is made by a House of Lords committee looking at the regeneration of seaside towns and communities. Following evidence provided by the Residential Landlords Association, the Committee’s report published today recommends: […]

I have a tenant causing a merry host of issues, but I’m now firmly on the legal (if not expensive) route to get it sorted. The last part of the process will be to get her to tidy up the tip she lives in. Rabbits in cages in the lounge, cats and dogs roaming, commercial […]

As of this month Private landlords under MEES regulation are required to pay up to £3,500 bringing properties to the minimum EPC standard of E. To remain on the exemption register with an EPC rating of F or G Landlords must show the cost of improving the property to an E rating is more than […]

Letter to Nottingham Selective Licensing, Please pass my words onto the powers that be, so they can see what happens in the REAL WORLD on GROUND LEVEL from us that actually house people. Screenshot enclosed of Barclaycard message received today. As you know, I’m gonna be owing you over 4k this week for the License […]

When my Property is sold I intend to devote my energies towards helping Battered Wives. In their lifetime 25% of women will be in a battered relationship and at any one point in time 10% of women are beaten by their partners. The whole approach to dealing with a Domestic Abuse situation is back to […]

Hi all, I am in process of selling a BTL with Mortgage Express. When my solicitor asked for a redemption statement they wrote back saying below: “We have the right to consolidate and take all monies. However, on this occasion we will just charge £5k which will be used across overall portfolio.” I am now […]

As of 1 June 2019, landlords and letting agents in England will only be legally allowed to take the equivalent of five weeks’ rent as a tenancy deposit on annual rents below £50,000, and the equivalent of six weeks’ rent if the annual rent is £50,000 or more on any new or renewed tenancies. Any […]

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government have released their official guidance notes for landlords, letting agents and local authority enforcement officers explaining how the Tenant Fees Act 2019 affects what is now allowed to be charged from the 1st of June. Click here to view the full guidance document. You cannot evict a […]

I’ve been a landlord for six years and have a very good professional relationship with my existing and previous tenants. My properties are all very well looked after and I adhere to all of the required legislation. My problem is, I have a tenant who currently owes me £4000 in lost rent and legal fees […]

Hi I am looking for guidance. I have a tenanted rental property with no mortgage and my main residence is also unencumbered. I can mortgage and raise capital against both properties and also have £250,000 to invest. The question is should I go into a partnership with my wife or set up a SPV limited […]

The Belvoir Q4 rental index, prepared and analysed by TV property expert Kate Faulkner, shows significant regional variations in rents, and a slight average decrease of -1.25%. However, Belvoir is predicting that rents are likely to increase at a faster rate in the second half of the year. “Belvoir’s rental index tracks advertised rents and […]

As of 1st April 2019 all PRS letting agents are required to carry Client Money Protection (CMP) which safeguards Landlords and tenants against an agent going into liquidation or absconding with rental payments, deposit or other client funds. A fine of £30,000 can now be imposed upon any agent not found to be a member […]

I have a two bedroom flat in a large purpose built block in the city centre. Two beds, lounge, kitchen, family bathroom and en-suite to main bedroom. Basically it is a standard two bed residential apartment all on one floor. I have always had a sole tenant or a couple in occupation until now. The […]

I would like to update all my old tenancy agreements and some of them are now 4 years old. The deposits are protected with ‘My Deposits’ and are nominated as rolling tenancies – does writing a new contract require another deposit protection fee? Are there any other implications I need to consider? Many thanks Tracey […]

If HM Government (HMG) wishes to halt the mass exodus by Private Sector Landlords then it must Organise the Tax System in a more Businesslike Fashion. The first thing it needs to do is to restore Tax Relief on BTL Mortgage Payments to the Headline Rate. In simple English whatever rate the Landlord pays that […]

The Scottish equivalent to Stamp Duty “LBTT” is the same as in England and Wales. However, the 4% additional rate of LBTT in Scotland (1% higher than in England and Wales) does not apply when six or more connected transactions complete simultaneously. Such transactions also benefit from Multiple Dwelling Relief. To illustrate this point, a […]

Three years after this article was first published in March 2019 an update has been added to show the impact and outcomes of our recommended restructure. This case study is based on a Merchant Banker resident in Central London. For the benefit of his retirement and legacy planning he has been building a UK rental […]