Our Hon. Legal Counsel, Mark Smith, Head of Chambers at Cotswold Barristers will be presenting an overview of several landlords tax strategies at the LANI General meeting Wednesday 16 January 2019. The event will start at 7:30pm and is free for Members or £20 for non-memebers. Mark Smith will be speaking and also available for […]

The Guardian article, click here, “Councils ‘ripped off’ by private landlords, experts warn” accuses private landlords of ‘ripping off” desperate councils trying to house the homeless. They say local authorities are now spending almost £1bn on temporary accomodation with some councils spending £200 per head of population on sheltering homeless households. These are staggering figures, […]

I am a landlord and I have suspicions over the activities of a tenant. I don’t think he wants me to visit the property. What is my legal right to inspect the property – how much notice is required. The tenancy agreement doesn’t give the right to inspect the property. Many thanks Sash Editors Note: […]

My partner and I have renovated a cottage and let it out to a tenant. Even though it was a joint project we bought the property solely in my name, as we thought we might mortgage it in the future for another project. I am the main earner and put in the majority of the […]

Lets get straight to the point, as there’s only 5 pages to this Act. Click Here This was a clever proposition by Karen Buck MP to put to Landlord Associations, in that how could ‘Professional’ landlords oppose a bill to stop rental properties that weren’t ‘ fit for Human Habitation.’ Short answer is they, and […]

I previously bought my BTL properties in my own name. With the allowable interest changes I’ve bought the last couple in a limited company, set up for the purpose, for the obvious tax benefit reasons. It’s time to file my first statutory accounts/tax computations with Companies House and HMRC. When doing the joint filing you’re […]

It will be much appreciated if some of the intelligent minds on this could assist. Summary of facts; My landlord obtained a residential mortgage which enabled him to purchase an apartment with a 250 year lease; They handed over the property to a lettings agents and vacated it in a rush; Bailiffs were chasing landlords […]

House of Commons Library document update on Making Tax Digital (MTD) was published Christmas Eve: click here It reported that despite concerns government preparations for introducing MTD for VAT in April 2019 “are progressing well.” “In December 2015 HM Revenue & Customs published Making Tax Digital – its strategy to implement a new system of […]

A government news letter sent out over the Christmas holidays has been reported on by Letting Agent Today. It reveals The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will announce in February its chosen Local Authority to become the new lead enforcement authority (LEA). Bidding to take on the role of LEA has already started. […]

I have 3 flats in Bessacar near Doncaster and one of the adjoining flats has an autistic owner/tenant. He is in the centre of the 9 flats. We have the councils noise team on the job and the police are called on a regular basis. He unfortunately has friends around and they party about 3 […]

The number landlords exiting the market in the East of England stood 100% higher than the national average in November, ARLA Propertymark reveals. Landlords have faced continued legislative change and increasing costs over the last few years, and many are either having to pass the costs on to tenants or exit the market. In November, […]

The Resolution Foundation, “a non-partisan and award-winning think-tank that works to improve the living standards of those in Britain on low to middle incomes,” has issued a press release caaling for: “Government to improve security and stability for young tenants by making indeterminate tenancies the sole form of private rental contract and introducing light-touch rent […]

Houses in Multiple Occupation and residential property licensing reform Guidance for Local Housing Authorities Click here “3. 4 What is the minimum sleeping room size? The minimum sleeping room floor area sizes (subject to the measurement restrictions detailed in the paragraphs below) to be imposed as conditions of Part 2 licences are: • 6.51m square […]

I have served notice to quit to my tenants. They have not paid rent for 3 months. They have until 1st Jan to leave and are accepting no correspondence from myself. I was advised from a neighbour that a white van left the driveway 3 days ago and their cars have not been seen since. […]

I have a 1 bed ground floor flat with one other flat above. The tenant called to say there was water coming through the ceiling and he contacted the owner occupier of the upstairs flat who confirmed they had a leak and had an emergency plumber on the way. I went to inspect the damage […]

Current Job advert on the Liverpool Hub: Opportunity IdDN381425 – Title Consultation for Selective Licensing Categories 152050 – Property Description: Liverpool City Council (LCC) is seeking a partner to develop and deliver a robust consultation on the options for landlord licensing following the expiry of the current citywide scheme in March 2020. The consultation exercise […]

My wife and I bought an off-plan property in Spain’s Costa Blanca in 2003. We used that for holidays ourselves, and rented it out as a holiday let. We sold that last year, at a small loss, having already bought another one in Costa del Sol. We then sold a rental property in UK this […]

I have been using a letting agent to manage a flat for me for the last three years. The current tenant has been in the property for two years and is on a periodic Assured Shorthold Tenancy. The letting agent has said it no longer wants to manage the property and so I will need […]

Whilst this article focuses on financing tips it also touches on the tax consequences of transferring privately owned rental property businesses into a company. Novation – this is a process where mortgage contracts are re-written to make the borrower a company as opposed to an individual. Personal Guarantees are generally required. Not all mortgage lenders provide this […]

Karen Buck MP sponsored the Bill giving tenants the right to take legal action against Private and Social landlords if a property isn’t up to the standard of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) for breach of contract. All landlords or agents acting on their behalf must ensure that a rental property is […]

The “Party’s over for landlords as buy-to-let reforms bite” That was the headline in the Times on 12th December 2018. The article said …… “The so-called ‘dinner party’ property investor is disappearing, with the number of landlords falling by 120,000 in less than three years after stamp duty reforms were introduced by George Osborne. Figures […]