Thousands of vulnerable people sleeping rough will get specialist support to recover from life on the streets, thanks to a £25 million funding boost announced today (3 May 2019) by Communities Secretary Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP. The money, to be shared with 108 local authorities across the country, will be used to fund innovative […]

I am a sole owner of a property (House) in England and on a higher tax band. I stayed in the property for 21 months and had to move out to different city (in Scotland) for job purposes. The house is currently on mortgage for another 23 years but have received consent to let last […]

Wed, Jun 19, 2019 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM BST This webinar is for landlords, legal professionals and property agents and will run through the eviction process for residential tenants. Please Click Here to register for the Sheriffs Officer webinar. The risks associated with illegal eviction, missed rent payments and possible damage to your property […]

Houses in negative equity after the Banking Crisis. Do the Banks have a duty of care to extend the mortgage term or reduce the mortgage by the amount you’ve lost in expected profit due to the Banks’ negligence? The FCA have investigated the Banks’ position regarding interest rates hedging products and concluded the Banks have […]

If you are the average Private Sector Landlord (PSL) you will be a Daily Mail Reader, and own just one By To Let (BTL) which currently will be let on a Six Month Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) and your tenant will have been in occupation for over four years. You will have a two bedroomed […]

After a long dialogue representatives of Sefton council finally met the landlords Alliance. First let me state that the Sefton team were Welcoming, helpful and constructive. It was not a case of us fighting zealots on the contrary, the Council team were proactive and motivated to resolving the problem. Full credit to them. We must […]

Professor Philip Booth of the Institute of Economic Affairs and our own member Dr Rosalind Beck have written a paper titled “Taxation Without Justification” An economic analysis of the Treasury’s treatment of privately rented housing. You can click here to download the full document. The summary states: “The private rented sector has played a critical […]

The management company at one of our properties in a block raised funds via section 20 process for a new roof. They have now decided to carry out repairs and defer the new roof for hopefully 5 or more years. They plan to ring fence the remaining funds for when the new roof is needed. […]

I have a shop with 8 studio flats above all let to 1 household ie 1 person. It’s in Hackney. I understand that it is a s257 HMO and needs to have an HMO licence. I’ve had a fire risk assessment done and everything is now in order throughout. What I’m confused about now I’m […]

My daughter wants to know can she claim? She was renting a property, first rental, with a group of friends. Before Christmas her bedroom light was flashing whether it was on or off. Upon investigation by her housemate who is an electrician he found the ceiling rose to be dripping wet. It was reported to […]

I have a question please. I have a tenant who is complaining to me about rats in the attic and wall. I’ve stopped by unannounced a few times to meet the contractors there and have knocked on her door to ask questions. She’s complaining that I don’t have a right to show up and knock […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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% […]

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! […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]