Shadow Housing Minister, John Healey, is expected to announce a raft of new, and some existing, tenant legislation the Labour party are proposing at their party conference should they find themselves in government. The stand out plan expected to be unveiled is a £20m fund for a ‘Renters’ union’ to assist tenants in disputes with […]

I have an HMO in which one tenant started living with a woman, subsequently they had a baby, living in one room of the house. They have always paid the rent on time and are continuing to do so. However, their baby is scaring away other tenants creating empty rooms in the house and so […]

To all Landlords, I worked out a detailed time sheet for the likely average cost of Selective Licensing for Nottingham Landlords. Including the paperwork, running around, arranging extra certifications, small works associated with them, checking paperwork of tenants, keeping up with reports etc. we are looking at £2400 (conservative estimate) over 5 years including the […]

Firstly the facts: I have a one bed, 5th floor BTL flat which is fronted by huge sealed unit double glazed windows. It’s in a former office block which was into flats two years ago 100 yards from a major train station in Bucks. It has an NHBC (or equivalent) ten year warranty. It is […]

Discussions over the future of a post-Brexit Britain are dominating the media right now, and unsurprisingly tension levels are running high. Concern of a no-deal Brexit and negative reports are only spreading fear around people’s financial future. When you have worked hard for your money, how can you trust where to invest it? There are […]

Andrews Property Group has announced its largest dividend payment to shareholders since 2004.  Between them, Andrews Charitable Trust (ACT) and Speaking Volumes will share a payment of £1 million. Andrews Property Group is owned by these two charitable trusts which together benefit from the profit the business generates.  This is unique within the property sector […]

From 1st October 2018 all properties in England which house 5 or more people in two or more separate households will require an HMO licence. In 2006 Mandatory licensing of HMOs came into force for properties of three storeys or more with five or more people making up two or more separate households living in […]

Hi, I’m looking for software to help calculate the rents. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, and I would prefer simplicity over bells and whistles. For years I have used a simple checklist XL spreadsheet and then as a backup used a freelancer who uses CFP (professional rental software). However I would now like […]

Rapid eviction of tenants from a residential property: This webinar run by The Sheriffs Office is for landlords, legal professionals and property agents and will run through the eviction process for residential tenants. Please Click Here to register for the event to be held: Wed, Nov 7, 2018 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM GMT

We are all used to reading headlines about rogue landlords, but never feel that we could ever be labelled as one. Many of us believe that because we do our best to provide a high level of service to our tenants, pay our taxes, and give back to our local communities, we could never be […]

In response to the latest UK House Prices index announced by the ONS Sam Mitchell, CEO of online estate agents Housesimple.com, has commented: “These latest figures confirm what we already know, that the north-south divide has been turned on its head. “While property prices in the north have a spring in their step, driven by inward investment, […]

I have recently let my one of my properties through my normal high street letting agent – who have always given me excellent service and advice previously. This time however, they will not release the new tenants deposit for me to protect in my DPS account. They have stated that I must put the tenants […]

As of 1st October 2018 all tenants regardless of when they moved in will need to be served with a form 6a. They also will need to be served with the Gas Safety, EPC & How to Rent Booklet. The Section 21 notice will only be valid for 6 months from the date of service. […]

My sister in law’s father has recently died, owning a student house which is let for this year. Although the property is jointly owned, his widow doesn’t appear on the tenancy agreement. Is it difficult to add her to the student’s agreement or does she need something else? Thanks David

Hi All, I am wondering if you can help. I am looking into changing the beneficial ownership of my 3 BTL properties, all of which are mortgaged, and owned jointly as follows: X2 Joint Tenants with my Father (He is a Nil – Scraper Basic Rate Tax Payer) X1 Joint Tenants with my Wife (Nil […]

I promised last week to update readers after the “end of the road” Offering. Now to Sheffield Council and their Partners The RLA. Sheffield have introduced their Selective Licensing Scam. I have reviewed their application process and conditions and the scheme is a farce riddled with illegality. Firstly the Council state that one should consider […]

I’ve just had an electrician to my house and he said that from a July 31st 2018 it is compulsory for all rental properties to have a RCD fuse box, which has to be metal. Is this just good practice or a legal requirement? Many thanks Sarah Residual Current Devices (RCD) these are switches that […]

* Suggestions made by Mark Alexander, founder of Property118.com – Imagine an organisation with 10’s of millions of pounds of budget every year, funded entirely by its landlord members and acting only in the interests of its members. No sponsorships, no affiliations, no sharing of member data or side deals with any suppliers of services to […]

Average UK house prices could fall back to levels not seen since 2004 if Theresa May is not able to secure a Brexit deal, according to research by online estate agents Housesimple.com. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney’s warned ministers a “no-deal” Brexit could see house prices slump 35% over the next three years. According […]

* Property118 founder Mark Alexander shares his predictions on the future of BTL for established landlords PLUS his thoughts on mortgage lending and the polarisation of the mindset of private housing providers. Since November 2017 the Bank of England base rate has increased by 300%, from 0.25% to 0.75%. However, the cost five and 10 […]

Bath and NE Somerset Council have introduced a basic DBS check as part of its new licensing requirements. It also has a Fit and Proper Person form that must be completed by the proposed licence holder. If you lie when signing the declaration the Council says it can prosecute you – fair enough. The declaration […]