With the new EPC regulations requiring properties to be rated E or above there is a need for the the formulas used by EPC assessors to change regarding the use of Far Infrared heating. At the moment these panels are regarded the same as ordinary electric panels even though they are much more effective and […]

I am the leaseholder of a converted house (2 flats ) where the freeholder lives beneath my property. The clause in the lease states we each pay for 50% of the repairs to the whole property. I discovered damp in my property back in 2015 (large water stained area in my lounge where the chimney […]

Mixed partnership can be tax efficient for landlords who already pay higher rate tax, or will be pushed into  higher rate tax brackets so as a result of the Section 24 restrictions on finance cost relief. Consider a mixed partnership if:- you are currently a sole owner you jointly own some or all of your properties you […]

My wife and I established a partnership with HMRC in 2012 when we started a small business – which currently involves renting out two residential properties in Plymouth. Being retired our only other income is from UK pensions, so we are basic rate taxpayers. As my wife does the bulk of the work and made […]

My tenants are having trouble with rats scavenging rubbish bags. The local Council has recommended storing them in tough plastic containers. I asked for details of a suitable product but they said they weren’t allowed to endorse any companies! Any suggestions gratefully received. Many thanks. Adrian

Through a certain online agency I had a tenant on a “fixed term” 12 month tenancy with a “no break” clause, there was also a guarantor in place.  Within a few months the tenant made several requests to leave, each month with a different reason, non appertained to the property’s condition, suitability or safety, but […]

Between our S21 notice and regaining possession, the tenants stopped paying rent. They passed referencing in 2014, but now had 2 CCJs and admitted no agent would touch them unless they paid several months’ rent up front. They moved to a new house at similar rent and it’s fairly obvious the rent they owe funded […]

The majority of buyers report problems in the buying process, with common issues caused by delays in the chain, difficulty finding a suitable property, and homes left in poor condition. In its annual survey of home buyers, Which? Mortgage Advisers looked at the biggest issues reported during the home buying process and found that two […]

Theresa May promised the country that she would fix our broken housing market and renew the British dream. To help with this May has appointed Toby Lloyd, formerly head of policy and housing development at the anti-landlord ‘charity’ Shelter and who also lists HPC (House Price Crash) as one of his favourite websites! Toby is […]

Thanks to the only accepted hate campaign in the UK, landlords are forced to take emergency steps or leave the market NOW. Section 24 (introduced by our tenant friendly Einstein, George Osbourne) forces landlords to pay tax on their mortgage interest payments, yes money they paid as a legitimate cost of doing business and supplying […]

One of the best ways to get up to date with the law quickly is to attend the Landlord Law Conference, sponsored by TDS. And a discount is offered for Property 118 readers. This is a difficult time for landlords.  The Government, having woken up to the fact that young people living in overpriced, substandard […]

The Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) rules introduced at the end of September 2017 are having a significant impact on the buy-to-let mortgage market according to Paragon’s latest PRS Trends research, based on interviews with 203 experienced landlords in Q1 2018. The new rules comprise the second phase of the PRA’s buy-to-let underwriting […]

I always have a dilemma whether to do cleaning or repairs (when it definitely falls onto the tenants responsibility) at the end of a tenancy (or even during tenancy) myself or to use a contractor. Can landlords charge tenants for their time and labour repairing or cleaning as if using a contractor? Because if the […]

When Frankie Valli sang “You’re just too good to be true (I can’t take my eyes off you)” we’re pretty sure they weren’t singing about guaranteed rent. But he might as well have been. People have been deliberating the catch when it comes to guaranteed rent for years. We’ve gone through and laid out the […]

I have just seen that challenging councils for what you believe in is certainly paying off. “Barnsley Council have received a proposal to legally challenge the Council’s decision to take forward the Selective Licensing scheme in the four designations of the borough. Whilst we believe that the grounds for the decision can be evidenced, we […]

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham was speaking at the Residential Landlord Association’s Future Renting North conference and suggested an amnesty to rid Manchester of ‘rogue’ landlords. This is part of the Mayor’s plan to introduce a good landlord scheme working with the RLA to tackle the ‘epidemic of insecurity’. The amnesty would include purchasing properties […]

David Salusbury, the former Chairman of the National Landlords Association (NLA), the UK Association of Letting Agents (UKALA), and of mydeposits, died on Saturday 21st April 2018, following a short illness. He was aged 74. After a successful 30 year career with the Royal Air Force, David joined the then Small Landlords Association (SLA) in […]

I have a lovely video I received from my letting agent today which would go well towards the argument that tenants should be held accountable for criminal damage to properties. The house was taken back after being abandoned and the tenant must have left their dog unattended as its covered in dog feces. Whilst in […]

Post Section 24 mortgage interest relief restrictions for individual landlords and the increasing demand for Buy to Let in company names there is now a record 235 fixed rate BTL deals available for limited companies. MoneyFacts.co.uk figures below show the number of Ltd co. BTL fixed rates available in the market has gone up by […]

A staggering 73% of Universal Credit (UC) tenants that rent from Housing Associations are in arrears compared to only 29% not on UC. No wonder 62% of private landlords are unwilling to let to UC claimants. These figures have been collated by Sky News using figures from the National Housing Federation for their Line 18 […]

Since the rollout of the Governments flagship benefit Universal Credit many landlords are finding themselves with tenants that are unable to pay their rent and are therefore incurring rent arrears. Universal Credit has been criticized by landlords and tenants alike mostly for maladministration, department delays in setting up claims and inconsistent and lengthy processes in […]