Three letting agents trading in Islington and surrounding areas under the name of Crestons have been convicted of carrying on business for a fraudulent purpose. These convictions were sought by Islington Council and Trading Standards after it was found £105,000 worth of rent and deposits were either not sent on to landlords or not protected […]

A few of my houses are coming to their end of term and the lenders want their money back. They knew my exit strategy was refinance or sale, but now they don’t seem to recognise any responsibility for the negative equity. When the banking crisis occurred it followed naturally that house prices dropped dramatically as […]

The Manchester Evening News recently published an article on the cost – and dire state – of temporary accommodation provided by the council. Click here “Lauren Edwards, team leader at Shelter’s Manchester branch, has seen her family casework double in 12 months, to just under 700 last year. She says ‘section 13’ notices, when landlords […]

Responding to reports that the Mayor of London is wanting to introduce forms of rent controls in the capital, David Smith, Policy Director for the Residential Landlords Association said: “It is curious that the Mayor is considering introducing rent controls at a time when rents in London are falling according to official data. “The Labour […]

We received the following from a tenant – he said he would move in with his brother and sister in law. He had provided references: 1) Tax Return 2) Bank Statements 3) Landlord Contract 4) ID of him and his brother/sister in law who currently overseas Verified his unique tax reference number which was incorrect. […]

Hello. What is your experience with Rubber Roofing system? Anything to bear in mind with insurers and BTL lenders? I had to demolish and need to redo a single storey rear extension. Normally I use slates/tiles (flat roof on the extension, most & rest of the house is pitched). But builder suggested considering rubber roofing […]

Caridon Landlord Solutions and Caridon Property understands that setting up Alternative Payment Arrangements can help tenants claiming Universal Credit if they are experiencing difficulties. Find out how you can support your tenants today. Help with paying housing costs In most cases Universal Credit is paid to the claimant, and it’s up to them to pay […]

North West and Liverpool are hotspots for property investors and amongst the places where Buy to Let still pays off. A recent article on thisismoney.co.uk discusses how the North West’s comparatively strong rents, coupled by low house prices, makes it a buy-to-let hotspot right now. As capital gains forecasts dampen in London and house price growth […]

I had a tenant whose tenancy ends at the end of Nov, who actually left, checked out and handed back keys at the end of Oct, one month earlier. I then had my letting agent find a new tenant and started her tenancy at mid Nov, two weeks before the previous tenant’s tenancy ends. Therefore […]

I sent an email to Veronique Laury, head of the financially beleaguered B&Q telling her we would not use them for the repair and renovation of our property portfolio whilst they supported Shelter Here is her reply sent by her Customer care manager make of it what you will, but I think they need more […]

I previously registered and paid a leaseholder flat’s management company and freeholder called Y and Y management for a “consent to let” last year where I stated the tenancy was for 60 months. They have now come back to charge for this again and intend to charge for this every single year. I know most […]

I am preparing a summary of the 68 page report ‘ A qualitative research investigation of the factors influencing the progress, timescales and outcomes of Housing cases in County courts. ‘ published November 2018. Access will be provided to readers of this forum and to MHCLG ! However, to counter some of the myths in […]

The 22nd November 2018 saw the launch of Hamilton Fraser Academy’s first ‘Legal update & compliance’ course. The SOLD OUT course, led by Susie Crolla of the Lettings Training Centre, provided a comprehensive look into the rules and regulations experienced throughout the changing lettings industry. Now more than ever it is important for letting agents […]

New research from the NLA shows 79% of landlords are only servicing the interest on their mortgages, not paying down their loans, as they contend with rising costs. This statistic has prompted the NLA to examine the narrative that tenants are just paying off their landlord’s mortgage. In a discussion paper launched in London last […]

Am I required to register as an HMO? I own two flats on the first and second floor of a building. My wife owns the ground floor flat and we live in that flat. The first floor flat is occupied by a couple with a single child, the 2nd floor flat is occupied by a […]

In the last financial year (April 2017-March 2018), the UK’s leading tenancy deposit protection provider, The Dispute Service increased the number of deposits it protects by 6.8% across the UK. The growth was announced in its Annual Review, published today (6th December 2018): Click here to download The Dispute Service subsidiary, TDS Northern Ireland, experienced […]

Harry Albert Lettings and Estates agent, Andrew Hill, has sent an angry open email to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, James BrokeThehousingmarketShire, regarding the recent decision to cap the maximum deposit for rentals a 5 weeks rent for contracts less than £50,000 per annum or 6 weeks above. Andrew Hill’s […]

Portsmouth Council are bugging me for details of my student tenants’ courses and student status. They claim I have to provide this as I am liable for the council tax. I can do no more than provide them with the names of the tenant who are clearly ignoring the council’s request for information and proof […]

Government plans to protect tenants from poor living conditions through the expansion of mandatory HMO licensing look set to fall way short of their ambition. Figures obtained by Simple Landlords Insurance reveal the majority of local authorities don’t know how many unlicensed HMOs are in their area – let alone where they are – leaving […]

Fergus Wilson: “The following is an extract from a letter from my MP, Helen Whately, dated 16th November, 2018, followed by response dated 29th November 2018″ The extracts read: I wrote to the Rt Hon David Gauke MP, the Lord Chancellor, about the way in which disrepair cases are heard in the courts and will […]

The government has now confirmed it will cut the maximum deposit for rentals of less than £50,000 from 6 weeks to a 5 week maximum.  The 6 week maximum will still apply for rentals over £50,000 per year. This decision as part of the Tenant Fees Bill was criticised the day before by the RLA […]