Page 543 – Property118

Diplomatic/embassy rental?

6th August 2019

Hi everyone,  I have a Prospective rental to a diplomatic East African embassy. Of course the rental is income good, but I am not 100% sure, because of their diplomatic status. If anything goes wrong what legal rights do I have if any? For example if there is a coupe and the government topples etc […]

BMS increase exposure limits to 5 properties

6th August 2019

As of the 12th August BM Solutions will finally be increasing the maximum number of Buy to Let mortgages with Lloyds Banking Group from 3 to 5. Along with this change in criteria for the maximum number of properties BMS is also increasing the maximum value of Buy to Let mortgages with Lloyds Banking Group […]

Hidden How to Rent update – “MHCLG, do not do this again”

6th August 2019

Lawyer Giles Peaker, in an article for Nearly Legal, ‘How to rent guides – sneak updates‘ uncovered that the official How to Rent guide has recently been updated twice since the 31st of May without reference to the date of the most recent changes. Giles said: “This really should not happen. While the changes are […]

Right to Rent Guide updated under RLA pressure

6th August 2019

Under campaign pressure from the RLA, protesting that inadequate government guidance on Right to Rent checks could leave landlords exposed to prosecution, the Home office have now released an update on the official guide. The risk to landlords has arisen since 20th May this year when nationals of Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South […]

The Queen didn’t mention my Card

6th August 2019

I did meet the Queen about four months ago, but she did not mention my Card. I guess I will have to wait until my hundredth birthday! Whilst I appreciate it was meant as a joke it does raise a most important point. Where are all the elderly people going to live? We have an […]

If Students don’t provide proof I’ll have to pay Council Tax?

6th August 2019

I’ve just received a Reminder Notice from Newcastle City Council for the Council Tax (CT) on my student HMO. This is despite me completing the online change of tenancy notice over two months ago. I called the Council and the gentleman I spoke to (after 32 minutes on hold) was very polite, saying that they […]

Shelter’s call for Boris to follow through on Section 21 ban

5th August 2019

Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Shelter, has sent an open letter to PM Boris Johnson calling for him to follow through with the Section 21 ban announced by Theresa May and “make these plans a reality by seeing through the crucial legislation a Conservative government has already committed to.” Polly also directly attacked an individual […]

Q2 transactions and SDLT income down on last year

5th August 2019

LCP has analysed HMRC’s Residential Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) statistics, just released for Q2 2019. For completeness, the analysis adds back transactions and receipts from the Welsh Revenue Authority (as Wales has been omitted from the HMRC SDLT report since Q2 2018). It also takes into account First Time Buyers’ Relief introduced in November 2017. Tax receipts for Q2 2019 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland fell […]

Acquired Non-Responsive HMO tenant?

5th August 2019

I have recently completed on an eight bedroom HMO, where all tenants work at the local Hospital, and the house has been very well managed and kept to a high standard of cleanliness and management by the existing manager (whom we have kept). One of the eight tenants had never been a problem until one […]

Another TV Programme!

5th August 2019

Well I am making another programme this week! All those folk who are getting upset should be aware that the real problem is that there is simply not enough homes in the South East for everyone who needs a home to have one. Until such times as HM Government builds a further 4 million homes […]

Can Lifetime BTL Mortgages be used to accelerate our plans?

3rd August 2019

Since reading two recent articles about Lifetime BTL Mortgages my head has been spinning with ideas, my conclusions from which I would like to sanity check with this superb online community. As background; my wife and I are in our mid 70’s. We have a modest portfolio of Buy-to-Let properties worth circa £2 million and […]

Should I sell or take a Lifetime BTL mortgage ?

2nd August 2019

I am a 65 year old single female, no children and my only incomes are state pension, carers allowance and rental income from my former home in London. The property is worth around £1.3 million and rents for £3,000 a month. I now live with my Mother in the North East as her long term […]

To HMO or not to HMO?

2nd August 2019

Hello, I’m investigating potentially renting my property out and would appreciate advice as to whether the following plans for the occupants would be considered to be classified as an HMO. I thinking of allowing one of my family members to stay in the property for free and then they are sharing the rest of the […]

Section 21 is going, but let’s have a say on how it goes

1st August 2019

Firstly, let me repeat the words I said to Richard Bilton in a TV interview I did with Panorama at my office two summers ago (an interview which lasted just seventeen seconds): “There is no such thing as NO-FAULT Eviction under Section 21”. There is always a reason why a landlord wants possession.  According to […]

Are you a compliant landlord?

1st August 2019

Many landlords contact Caridon Landlord Solutions to see whether they are following the correct procedures when entering into a letting agreement with a tenant, this has increased ten-fold following a raft of changes introduced by the government such as The Deregulation Act, How to Rent, Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, Universal Credit, the […]

Two-bedroom houses in Leeds

1st August 2019

According to our rental partner, Leef Property Management, these two-bedroom houses in Leeds for £152,995 will achieve fantastic rental yields of up to 5.9% and an incredible return on deposit monies invested of up to 13.8%, giving the potential to generate a surplus income of £440 per month.​ Built by national developer Strata homes, the Ambition […]

Pound down, House Prices up, Boris to decide

1st August 2019

Foreign Investors will be rubbing their hands with glee. The pound has dropped 14% since 2016 against the US dollar. What does that mean for British house owners? Initially your house remains the same price, but for foreign buyers the house in Britain is 14% cheaper! That is it at Face Value. We can expect […]

Can Millennials use the phone?

1st August 2019

Can Millenials use the phone? When we advertise a property through an online agent we are sent email addresses/phone numbers of those who express an interest. We get many, and I need to qualify them before showing them the property. Otherwise it can be a waste of their time and mine. The best and most […]

Using £1000 Traders Allowance to reduce my tax bill?

1st August 2019

My two sons look after my properties whilst I am on holiday. If I make a payment to each of them of £1000 each for this service can I declare this as an expense on my tax return? In addition can they take the money and not declare it under the trader’s allowance? “Trading allowance […]

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

Unanimous MPC vote to hold rate at 0.75%

1st August 2019

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) today voted unanimously to hold the Bank Base rate at 0.75%. Volatile data surrounding Brexit uncertainty and corresponding falls in Sterling would mean a reduction in rate could put the Pound under even more pressure and an increase to counter exchange rate related inflation could dampen slowing […]

Tax break to help the housing crisis is making things worse

1st August 2019

New figures released today by leading flat and house share site SpareRoom, reveal that the Rent a Room Scheme tax threshold increase, introduced in 2016 to encourage more people to let out their spare rooms to lodgers, has actually done more to boost the short term lets market. The Rent a Room Scheme tax threshold was […]