That’s what Ken Loach called for 10 years ago, because Shelter’s CEO Adam Sampson wanted employees to do unpaid overtime to win a government contract. What, you thought Shelter was a charity that housed the homeless? That stopped 40 years ago! “Ever since Ken Loach’s classic Cathy Come Home highlighted the plight of the homeless, […]

I planned an internal remodel of a flat that I own that included removing load bearing walls, chimney breasts etc and generally making the flat more open plan. The flat is U shaped around a central communal stairwell, such that you enter through a hall, then into the kitchen, then into the sitting room, then […]

Why isn’t Shelter campaigning against the law that allows local authorities and housing associations to use “Introductory Tenancies”, which give tenants even less certainty of a home than an AST with any private landlord? Housing Act 1996 – section 124 “Introductory Tenancies” Click here Any why can’t PRS landlords use something like this too, especially […]

Is Shelter somehow liable for the criminal activities activities it encourages? If Shelter encourage and facilitate tenants staying in properties without paying rent (and those sorts of activities), are they not encouraging criminal behavior? Are they not then accomplices and can be held accountable? Could they then be taken to court in some capacity? A […]

I have been thinking of investing my money in Manchester, but I don’t fancy traveling all the way there. My question to you all would be: Have you ever purchased a Buy to Let (or any type of property) without physically going to see it in person? If anyone has can I ask what gave […]

On 6 December 2018, there will be a Westminster Hall debate on the Use of section 21 evictions in the private rented sector. The debate is scheduled to start at 1.30pm and the Member sponsoring this debate is Karen Buck MP. The Library will produce a briefing or material for the debate and this page […]

The Work and Pensions Commons select committee have issued a statement titled “Government must address housing ‘blacklist’ created by lenders’ no DSS policy.” The Committee published correspondence with Ross McEwan, CEO of RBS, on concerns about restrictions on mortgage lending to landlords whose tenants are in receipt of housing benefit and Universal Credit. Letter from […]

I sold a property and the tenants Bond is still in my name with the DPS, the new landlord / Agent hasn’t asked for it to be transferred to him, what should I do ? Return it to the Tenant ? or contact the Landlord / Agent to see if he wants it transferred to […]

May I please ask for an advise with relation to an issue we are facing with tenants from the flat above ours? Our tenants who moved in in Jun are now looking to move out due to the noise from the flat upstairs who is also tenanted. Our tenants had a discussion with the tenants […]

For the eighth consecutive year, less than 1% (0.85%) of all tenancies ended in a dispute over the tenancy deposit according to new figures released by Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). Published every year, TDS’s Statistical Briefings pull together information from a variety of sources including Freedom of Information (FOI) data and statistics gathered by the […]

“It is the introduction in 2008 of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) as a means of calculating Housing Benefit payments, and subsequent changes to LHA rates, that is driving the increase in homelessness from the private rented sector.” Research commissioned by the RLA into the causes of homelessness in the PRS has been carried out […]

Yes we know it is a marketing gimmick and you will be giving your name and email address to Hillarys, who sell not completely unrelated curtains and blinds, but they are running a competition to upload your worst tenants from hell pictures showing the mess left behind. “We’re asking landlords to submit photos of their […]

Or is it a commercial enterprise, a sub-contractor to government or a left-wing pressure group financed by the general public? The answer to all of these is yes. In the year to March 2017 Shelter received £2.1m from legal services contracts, and £2.5m from advising advisers on behalf of the government: “Shelter received £2,494,000 in […]

It is easy in life to think that you as one person can make little difference – wrong. Shopping in B&Q for example! You spend a few or a few hundred pounds on materials for your rented house – possibly one which has been wrecked by rogue tenants. You get to the counter and see […]

We are a share of freehold flat in a block of 6 with a management company. We have had a demand letter from them to replace the front door to our flat with a threat of legal action if this is not completed by December 17th. We need some help and advice as I’m not […]

We recently set up a family partnership company through Property118 to enable us to split property income between my wife, daughter and myself for tax efficiency. We currently own and rent out 2 properties in Dorset. This year our daughter has started university and we are considering purchasing a property for her and a few […]

Nottingham City Council, who have been heavily crticised by our own Mick Roberts and Property118 members for their selective licensing scheme, are now under fire for wasting £95,000 of tax payers money on a failed Supreme Court appeal case. The Council lost both cases against a landlord who was taken to court over the size […]

I am a freeholder living next door to a Housing Association tenant. Yesterday, she drove her car into our boundary fence. It is my boundary fence and I am responsible for the upkeep. She is an absolute nuisance, constantly dumping her rubbish/old furniture outside of her property, putting her rubbish into other people’s bins. The […]

A sequel to Kicking Landlords by Fergus Wilson A landlord was threatened with being stabbed by a tenant who telephoned to a Letting Agent leaving terrible messages: “You are a dead man! I will get you! I will stab you in the neck! And I will bury you!” The issue is whether a Threat to […]

There are many problems associated with empty properties in the cold winter months. Freezing pipes, security risks, ventilation, heating costs, council tax and no rental income. Lettingsupermarket.com are able to let property almost immediately* and on top of the rent we will pay you an incentive or grant which could be thousands of pounds towards […]

Karen Buck, whose Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Bill is set to become law, has a backbench debate on ‘S21 and how to improve security for tenants’ on 6th December. I asked her on twitter to take into account the views of landlords as well as tenants. Her reply was ‘I am quite willing to […]