Speech by Communities Secretary James Brokenshire at the Local Government Association Annual Conference. Click here to read the full speech: Housing “Housing is another vital area where local authorities need to strengthen their ability to deliver. This is, undoubtedly, our top domestic priority – the challenge of a generation. Whatever else changes, that will not […]

New research* for specialist lender**  Precise Mortgages, shows 52% of landlords use letting income to boost earnings from a full-time job.  The findings highlight the need for lenders to offer top slicing to help more customers achieve greater flexibility on buy to let products and loan size. The study found that even among landlords with […]

I let a ground/lower ground floor flat out in a converted property of twelve flats. It is let out on a standard AST where there is a clause for the tenant to pay for the removal of “vermin, pests and insects, if the infestation occurs during the term”. During the hot spell the flat was […]

Competition within the first-time landlord buy-to-let mortgage market has increased significantly over the last five years seeing a rise in the number of products available and a reduction in rates, research from Moneyfacts.co.uk reveals. Over the last five years, the number of products available for first-time landlords has increased from 645 in 2014 to 1,405 […]

Following on from the onslaught against the PRS emanating from Government, Councils and other anti-landlord bodies, the Alliance has now published its housing policy. We have stated our case at the Fair Possession Coalition summit regarding the abolition of section 21. As the curtains come down on May’s failed Premiership, there is an opportunity for […]

I wanted to share this story, because it demonstrates the importance of direct payments from tenants in receipt of Universal Credit to Private Rented Sector (PRS) landlords.  Not only does it give landlords peace of mind, it also safeguards tenancies, ultimately preventing homelessness. Last week, (Tuesday 18th June) a landlord contacted Caridon Landlord Solutions (CLS) because […]

Landlords are urging the candidates to lead the Conservative Party to adopt a more positive approach to the private rented sector. In a letter sent to Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson the Residential Landlords Association warns that the interests of tenants are not being well served by policies which are reducing the supply of homes […]

I pay £70 a month for an agent to collect rent on my property. For this they have done nothing since finding the tenant. Oh yes, they did an inventory, but it never materialised. With 2 months’ notice of the end of the 1 year tenancy, they want to charge £600 to let me take […]

Nearly two years ago my Husband and I separated, at this point he went to live in one of our properties recently purchased on an Option Agreement. I stayed in the marital home, which is now going to be sold so that I can move on. We didn’t want to get solicitors involved as we […]

I would be delighted to learn from Shelter just what their intentions are for accommodating elderly people. Do they propose Retirement Villages and if so where does the land come from? Who funds these Retirement Villages? Not Private Sector landlords (PSLs) I fear. The position in the real world is the PSL has just one […]

Given that the Government appears to be rushing to scrap Section 21s possibly before the end of this year (and notwithstanding any change Boris Johnson might make to this if he becomes and stays as Prime Minister for any length of time), how are you as a landlord responding? “Section 21 could be outlawed within […]

More than 4 million people live in the private rented sector, yet when moving home, some tenants can find it a struggle to provide a second deposit to their new landlord, risking falling into debt or becoming trapped in their current home. Ministers want to understand the scale of this problem. Ministers are inviting proposals to make […]

All new-build houses will be sold as freehold in a move to tackle unfair leasehold practices and prevent future home-owners from being trapped in exploitative arrangements, the Communities Secretary said. In a wide-ranging speech to the Chartered Institute of Housing conference in Manchester, the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP confirmed plans to abolish the selling […]

With the law changing to only allow 5 weeks rent equivalent for a deposit, can this be contested with Local Councils’s? One Local Council (LC) I deal with has a Deposit Bond system whereby the deposit is essentially guaranteed by them from day 1 of the tenancy. The deposit is paid back to Council by […]

An extra 19 garden villages will be created across the country, with the potential to deliver 73,554 homes, it has been announced today. The government is providing £2.85 million to support the development of plans for housing from County Durham in the North to Truro in the South West. Each of the projects will be given £150,000 to […]

I have (at last) managed to secure a surgery appointment with my MP in regard to the proposals to scrap Section 21. I’m going in armed with as much info as possible and clearly will be talking from personal experience to date. Can anyone tell me if there are any specific consultation groups that I […]

Paragon’s latest quarterly survey, which tracks the experience of more than 200 seasoned landlords shows that landlords now have an average of 13.1 properties in their portfolio, up from 12.8 properties three months ago. Larger scale landlords are continuing to make targeted investments to optimise their position according to Paragon’s PRS Trends Report for Q2 […]

Does anyone use prompt rental payment discounts? In light of no longer being able to charge for late rental payments, could a landlord advertise a property at a slightly higher rate than the property would be advertised for normally, but offer the tenant a discount for each month the rent is paid on time? For […]

Land that is! Left Wing Organisations such as Shelter are very destructive in their comments and policies but need to understand they really must be Constructive not Destructive! The added numbers of young families needing to be housed is greater than the on-stream supply of houses. So where does Shelter suggest these houses come from? […]

The Tenant Fees Act 2019, which came into force on June 1st, is causing concern amongst landlords and agents. ARLA Propertymark, which represents residential letting agents and has over 9,000 members, appears to be panicking and giving out wrong advice. ARLA has advised its members that they may be in breach of the Act if […]

PIP is delighted to offer another opportunity within this elegant, high specification refurbishment, located within the sought after L25 postcode of Gateacre. We have been able to secure a discounted price exclusively for our investors on a stunning, spacious 2-bed, 2-bath apartment for only £165,000. According to local letting agents, this outstanding property should achieve a gross rental yield of up to […]