I was just chatting to a friend following a funeral today. She has been with her partner for 30+ years, but they are not married (and have no children). She owns an unencumbered holiday cottage in the country which they only use for themselves (not FHL/AirBnB/BTL). She is 66 and retired with a small pension. […]

Universal Credit tenant is to be made homeless because the DWP don’t reply. Comply with your rules and pay Landlord directly. How hard is that? Dear Esther & ICE, I have a tenant who has been with me approx 14 years. No problems at all. He is now on Universal Credit through the Govt’s choice […]

NAEA Propertymark is issuing its May Housing Report and Mark Hayward, Chief Executive, said: “We see this every year. House hunters desperate to get their offer accepted, and sellers on a mission to find suitable buyers, flock the market in May. They’re hoping to get everything tied up so they can enjoy their summer holidays […]

I had a tenant on a standard AST – min 6 months changing to periodic after 12 months. They appear to have left the property after 6 months without notifying the agent or returning the keys. Agent didn’t even tell me they weren’t paying rent. First I heard of it is a demand for council […]

I am taking the plunge into BTL and planning to build a property portfolio over 8 years. I would like to get general opinions and people with more experience about my business plan going forward. Background:- 1. 2 people partnership A and B (husband & wife) 2. A has no salary, but will be running […]

I would like some advice or guidance on the matter of Expat mortgages. I am a British National and have lived and worked outside of the UK for over 20 years. I already have a small portfolio of 5 x BTL’s in the UK and have had these for approx. 5 years. I want to […]

I’ve done a couple of tenancies today and the ‘How to Rent’ guide this has changed in the last 20 minutes! I wonder what would happen if I had actually signed both of these tenants up today with one before the change and one after? The new guide is also now eleven pages (up from […]

We are delighted to bring Property118 investors a fantastic opportunity to purchase a fabulous new build 3 bed, 3 storey town house, within a lovely mixed development of town houses and apartments in Heathfield, Crewe. We have been able to secure 10% off list price for our investors, which means our exclusive price is only […]

Onward has published its first policy paper, “Green, pleasant and affordable”..  It was written by Neil O’Brien, who has been an MP since June 2017.  He is a Conservative, believe it or not. His attack on BTL is only a small part of the paper, but it has obviously been given precedence in the press […]

Tory MP Neil O’Brien, former aide to George Osborne and Theresa May at No. 10, has produced the first report for radical new Conservative think-tank ‘Onward’ called Green, Pleasant and Affordable. Click here to read the full report. In this report O’Brien attacks landlords blaming them for pricing younger people out of the housing market. […]

This is the response to my email from Ed Davey MP regarding the property tax petition issue. I signed the petition some weeks ago and the government rejected it. Dear Tony, Thank you for your email regarding mortgage interest relief and stamp duty surcharge, and please accept my apologies for the long delay in replying. […]

Following a fantastic win for England we’re going back to that historical year, the one that sends tingles down the spines of the nation – when England won the world cup, 52 years ago. (Who knows, we may have another win this year) Ever wondered how the housing market has come on since that momentous […]

In a report published 25th June, property expert Kate Faulkner has claimed that while legislation has been introduced to improve the private rented sector (PRS), it is not being properly communicated to landlords, agents and tenants. Writing in her seventh report funded by the TDS Charitable Foundation, Kate highlights the ever-increasing financial and administrative pressures […]

On a purchase price of £100,245, a deposit of £25,061 is required based on a 75% mortgage.  This translates into a return of £353 per month after mortgage costs, which translates into a fabulous gross return on deposit monies of 16.9%. These stunning 2 bed apartments will be finished to a high specification and come complete with quality […]

Mortgage lenders and brokers have been too quiet over the Prudential Regulatory Authority’s (PRA) changes to buy to let lending, according to the National Landlords Association (NLA). The NLA says that despite the significant regulatory changes to lending criteria and the application process for portfolio landlords, introduced by the PRA over the last 18 months, […]

For around 2 years I’ve plagued myself on and off with the idea of ‘taking the leap’ and investing in my first buy to let property. I’m a 27-year-old Engineer and true to form, I must research everything inside and out to understand the market before I can decide to get involved or even pass […]

Belvoir’s Q1 rental index confirms more landlords exiting the market, with demand growing for larger family homes and tenancy lengths naturally increasing. Together with the results of a franchisee survey on tenant and landlord trends, revealed the highest percentage of landlords selling up for over a year, with tax changes, constant regulation and legislation changes […]

National board erection specialists, Agency Express, are reporting a pick up in pace for the UK lettings market in May. Month on month figures in the Agency Express lettings report show an increase of new listing ‘to let’ of 3.6% and listing ‘let’ of 2% nationwide. However, over a rolling 3 month period ‘let’ board […]

For the first time ever (I have been renting out flats since 1984) I have a situation where a freeholder is choosing to enforce the clause in the lease which demands knowledge of the underletting. Whilst there is no doubt whatsoever that they have a legal (if not, in my opinion, an entirely moral) right […]

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at its monthly meeting voted by a majority of only 6-3 to maintain Bank Rate at 0.5%. The Hawks voting for an increase to 0.75% were Andy Haldane, Michael Saunders and the outgoing MPC member Ian McCafferty. Some market analyst are now anticipating a quarter percent rate […]

With the ever-growing number of laws governing the private rented sector, becoming a landlord for the first time can be somewhat daunting. Here are a few top tips to make sure you understand your legal obligations so you can be sure that you don’t fall foul of landlord legislation.  Landlord License First and foremost, you […]