The Section 21 date expired, but the tenant did not move so I sent off for an accelerated order for possession. This has been granted with a date in 10 days time. If the tenant leaves on the day, should they hand the keys back to me? What about their stuff left behind that they […]

Shelter have today issued the press release below warning of a ‘ticking timebomb’ for older renters: Sky-high house prices have left hundreds of thousands of older people stuck in expensive private renting and now, new research by Shelter reveals that a quarter (25%) of private renters age 65 and over worry about becoming homeless. Official […]

Yesterday I read that Bellway Homes cancelled a reservation for a Detached House because the “would be buyer” moaned a lot! Of course, if Bellway had not signed a contract then they are quite entitled to withdraw. I agree with Bellway. I have only, twice, refused to take tenants who moaned. Both about their current […]

Many landlords are facing up to the Government’s onslaught of the buy to let market which has seen their profits slashed over the past three years as tax changes take effect and new legislation like the Tenant Fees Bill and the proposed Section 21 ban will add further challenges. With some landlords selling properties to […]

New data has found the number of new homes completed by developers in the year ending June 2019 had increased to over 170,000, which is the highest number built over the same period in the last 11 years. Government figures show a total of 173,660 new homes were built for the year ending June 2019 […]

Government proposals to reform the way landlords can repossess properties will not work and threatens the supply of homes for rent says the RLA. In its response to the Government’s consultation on ending Section 21 repossessions, the Residential Landlords Association argues that what is being proposed fails to give any guarantee that landlords would be […]

Modular construction is the process where building components are produced in a factory, before being transported to the site for assembly. The pieces arrive already finished, minimising the amount of technical work required onsite. It is not a new concept, but in recent years the method has seen a surge of popularity, with both housebuilders […]

SpareRoom’s Q3 2019 Rental Index ,a comprehensive overview of how the rental market is performing across the country based on nearly 300,000 room listings, reveals the cost of renting a room in the UK remains steady, up just 1% on last year to an average monthly rent of £600. The fact that rents remain largely […]

The Home Office have issued updated guidance on the 8th Oct for landlords and letting agents taking proof of right to remain in the UK and entitled to rent for the following nationalities below. Click here for the full updated guidance. “Nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the USA may […]

8th October, 2019 Boris Johnson MP, Prime Minister, 10 Downing Street, WESTMINSTER, London SW1 2AA   Dear Boris, SELLING BTL PROPERTIES  I have a two-bed terraced house in Whitstable which I have agreed to sell to a first-time buyer who presumably was previously a tenant. The house was purchased “off plan” in 2003 and has […]

I have just received an email from Bristol City Council regarding my recent license application for one of my HMOs and I also just paid them £1050.00 for the pleasure. I list here the accompanying 37 conditions (yes really 37 of them) I have to follow. I really think whoever wrote these conditions has no […]

Landlords are concerned that the Government has announced it will abolish section 21. Labour and Liberal Democrats are also in favour. I may written elsewhere about why abolition is a very bad idea: ‘Removal of Section 21 Housing Act 1988‘ The fear of it is already causing landlords to pull out of the market. What […]

Introducing rent controls in Manchester would choke of the supply of homes to rent making it more difficult of tenants to find a place to live. That is the warning from the Sale based Residential Landlords Association as a new report calls for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to have powers to implement forms of […]

Courts across the country are failing to follow their own rules when it comes to the speed of dealing with repossession cases. According to the civil procedure rules which provide a code to ensure courts deal with cases justly, the courts are expected to ensure cases are “dealt with expeditiously and fairly”. The rules show […]

The Government consultation on “A new deal for renting: resetting the balance of rights and responsibilities between landlords and tenants” closes on 12th October. I would urge all landlords to make a submission: Click here. You can also email your submission and any comments to [email protected] Below is an extract from my submission 1. The Government […]

Shelter do it again! Screw the vast majority of decent tenants that is, by their support for the Tenant Fees Act. It is now not possible for a landlord to agree to a surrender of a tenancy without either: a) breaking the law, or b) being out of pocket So no landlord in his right […]

I have a tenant that is scheduled to have their apartment floor redone, but they will need to move out during the works. The management company have approved the costs of everything, but where is this person to stay for the 2 weeks that they need to do the work. The tenant is disabled and […]

Rarely does a week go by when the media doesn’t contain a story relating to Universal Credit and the impact it is having on claimants and landlords alike. It can be difficult to cut through the noise and know exactly what the truth is. Then, just last week, the media reported that the Labour Party, […]

I have never had any tenants claiming Universal Credit before. However, this time I have had a lot of inquiries from prospective renters on Universal Credit and even some from people who have working guarantors. What are people’s experiences taking on UC claimants and what are the added risks in readers experience? Many thanks Nav […]

All deposits must have been registered with a government backed tenancy deposit scheme, these schemes are Deposit Protection Service MyDeposits Tenancy Deposit Scheme At the end of a tenancy as a landlord, the deposit should be returned to the tenant within 10 days once an agreement has been reached as to how much the tenant […]

RICS have published a clear and impartial fire safety guide to highlight the responsibilities of landlords and tenants in keeping properties safe regardless of the type of home they live in. RICS releases guide clearly explaining landlords and tenants’ fire safety responsibilities. RICS believes a basic understanding of fire safety for all can reduce number […]