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 […]

Landlords would be ‘badly let down’ by the government if it cuts its new deposit cap from six to five weeks  – a move which would also make it harder for people to find homes to rent. A press report over the weekend claimed a reduction in the maximum level of security deposit landlords will […]

“When something gets a bad name it’s difficult for matters to be reversed – whether it’s a school, a street or a pub! That’s how a lot of people see Equity Release. You may remember that the product existed in the 1990s, and was commonly known as ‘SAM’s – Shared Appreciation Mortgages – and they […]

Tenants asked to pay to view properties. According to the Victoria Derbyshire programme on BBC some letting agents have been asking prospective tenants to pay to view properties. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46111015 Is this another thing landlords are going to be blamed for? Melanie Onn, Labour housing spokeswoman said: “Letting agents as well as landlords should be properly […]

Minister for Families, Supported Housing and Child Maintenance, Justin Tomlinson: I understand that Universal Credit has felt like a huge cultural change for many private landlords, their staff and tenants. Universal Credit is a flexible benefit that gives people more control over their working lives and their finances. Payment under Universal Credit is designed to […]

Thank you so much to everyone that voted for Property118  for the Property Investors Website of the Year Award 2018 – We won, as you might be able to tell from the picture. Property118 is a community and is only deserving of an award because of its members, commenters, contributors and readers so we would […]

We have stunning, 3 & 4 bed houses ideal for the big-city workers who do not otherwise fancy the fast-paced way of life. Situated just 30 minutes away (9 miles) from Liverpool and an hour from Manchester, these properties are in a great location ​and according to Leef Property Management, will be highly desirable for families and sharing professionals alike. The exciting new development […]

The Nottingham experience of near universal selective licensing should take note from Sunderland, a northern landlord explained, people power can win! Sunderland defeated Selective Licensing, so can others aggrieved about its unfairness. Click Here to read Sunderland Property Blog: “From 1st July 2010 all landlords wishing to rent their property in the Middle Hendon & […]

As we near the end of 2018, Propertymark has analysed its sales and lettings data to reveal trends from the year. ARLA Propertymark’s overview of the private rented sector: The supply of rental accommodation dropped slightly in 2018, from 189 on average per branch in 2017, to 187 this year. It reached an annual high […]

My name’s Luke, I’m a student living in rented property in London and am currently experiencing significant problems with my LL, his estate agents AND his representatives. On the 11th of August, me and my flatmates commenced our move into our new home, signed our contracts and moved in. The house was filthy, unprepared and […]

The National Landlords Alliance is a fledgling organisation and has just a few hundred members at the moment. However, driven by controversial discussions on Social Media about the aims and the aggressive nature of its campaigning, the membership of the National Landlords Alliance is growing fast. This week its founder and Chief Executive Larry Sweeney […]

I have just received a letter from the Council dated 21 November 2018, advising me that a tenant’s Housing Benefit claim has been terminated with effect from 25 April 2014 – Yes, that’s right, 4 years 7 months ago!!!!! How can it possibly take the Council 4 years 7 months to make a decision? Thankfully […]