Recently elected as an MP for North West Hampshire in 2015 Kit Malthouse has taken over from Dominic Raab (now Brexit Secretary) as Housing Minister. This is not what you would call a high profile appointment in a vital area of crisis for the UK, but so many Housing Ministers have come and gone that fingers […]

Two million tenants across the UK could be hit with rent rises in 2018, with Walsall topping the list of the 10 places where the highest number of tenants will face rent increases. Over 70% of tenants in the West Midlands town could be hit with higher rents, costing them £155 more a year, as […]

We have had a few Property118 readers questions on this subject in the past. The Dangers of Japanese Knotweed The dangers of Japanese knotweed have been thrown into light recently after a court ruling spurred discussion as to whether landowners can claim damages if the plant has spread to their property. A Court of Appeal […]

I am thinking about buying a refurbished property originally valued at £680,000 for £635,000 and now have a purchase dilemma. The rental is circa £1850 which provides a decent yield. The thing is the Stamp Duty is £40,000 which is a significant up front investment. My Financial Adviser is advising against buying more rental property […]

Petition: “Reintroduce full mortgage interest relief and drop the 3% stamp duty surcharge” 17,056 signatures – Click Here to sign petition “We call on the Government to reintroduce full mortgage interest relief and to drop the 3% stamp duty surcharge which is increasing homelessness by driving many landlords out of the sector, meaning tenants have […]

I purchase a leasehold flat in late 2005, during the several years I lived there and for the following 5 years it was let, never at any time did I received correspondence from either the Freehold Co. or their Management Company. During this time or the first 2 years there were numerous letters addressed to […]

Dr Rosalind Beck has had an article published today on conservativehome which we are pleased to see sets the record straight on some of the recent proposals for the PRS emanating from so-called ‘Conservatives.’ Please Click Here to read the full article. Dr Beck argues that these policies are ill-founded and unjust and will lead […]

We bought our first house in 1999, lived in it for a few years, then moved out and our in-laws lived there (rent free) until 2012. Between 2012 and 2018 the property was rented and a few years ago we converted the mortgage to buy-to-let. We are now considering selling the property but are unsure […]

Last week, I completed the sale of an apartment. The mortgage was redeemed from Rosinca – this being a mortgage that was recently transferred from UKAR, previously being a Mortgage Express product. Rosinca have charged me a fee (of 0.5% of the outstanding balance) to waive their “Right to Consolidate” all of my mortgages with […]

Paragon have released a new range of Limited Edition Buy to Let mortgage products. The first range is Portfolio products which are designed for professional landlords who own four or more mortgaged properties, and those operating as limited companies and limited liability partnerships. Limited edition remortgage only buy-to-let portfolio products: • No application fee • […]

In North East London, Landlord Steve Moreno has been put in an extremely stressful situation. His problems began after deciding to sell his flat in Lea in order to purchase a property with his girlfriend. Having informed his tenant, Temi, of his intentions to sell the property, his tenant stopped paying the rent and communications […]

We call on the Government to carry out a review of Nottingham City Councils Selective Licensing Scheme. We believe areas of Nottingham have been unfairly targeted and included in the Licensing Scheme which do not meet the government guidance conditions for Selective Licensing. Particular areas such as the Park Estate, Mapperley Park, Wilford and the […]

Hello, any help would be appreciated indeed! I am going to tribunal vs landlord. If there is NO existing damp proofing course on the building would having one done be considered an improvement or a repair to the property? Many thanks Paul

The summer can be a difficult time to sell a property, with holiday season in full swing and families spending time entertaining their children rather than house hunting. However, there are some advantages of marketing a home in the summer and NAEA Propertymark has a few simple tips and tricks to attract a summertime buyer. […]

Hi there, I am the freeholder of 5 flats in a building. The basement flat was sold about 14 months ago and the leaseholder now is going to sell the flat to her mother, but according to a surveyor’s visit she says there is a damp in the basement (in part of the hallway). The […]

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has slammed the Government’s response to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee’s report on the private rented sector, with the Government refusing to take on key recommendations. CIEH had previously worked with the HCLG Select Committee on their inquiry, and gave evidence in February this year […]

The FCA (Financial Conduct Authority), who regulate Banks, are keen to hear from anyone affected by the Bank of Ireland mortgage hike scandal. The more people report this to the FCA, the stronger their case to take appropriate action against the Bank of Ireland and any other mortgage providers who hiked customers mortgages by altering […]

Like many property people I started out part time in between my Corporate career. Evenings and weekends became the times where I would build my property portfolio and was the beginning of what is now Grace Charles Property (GCP). Making things stream lined and easier for myself meant I could do more with little time. […]

Hi All, we are thinking of downsizing into our buy to let that we have owned for 20 years and selling our residential house. Initially I mentioned this to our accountant and he just laughed, could anyone please tell me how this would be treated tax wise. Thank you Maggie

The regulatory attack on the PRS by Central Government, and Bankrupt Local authorities has been relentless. I don’t need to remind Property 118 readers, but Sect 24, Selective Licensing, and now 3 year tenancies have hammered landlords, both portfolio and small landlords. We have the NLA today saying that they have been mislead by the […]

The new government consultation into making longer term tenancies the default option in England, ‘Overcoming the Barriers to Longer Tenancies in the Private Rented Sector’, is considering financial and tax incentive for landlords. Please see the specific section from the consultation below: “80. Alternatively financial incentives could be explored. This could be quicker to implement […]