The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has released a short analysis illustrating the individual relationships between some important housing market pressures and house prices. The report is not intended to be exhaustive and has limitations, but uses relationships estimated from the affordability model in the 2007 and 2008 reports by the National Housing […]

Hi there. Any advice on this issue would be greatly appreciated. I’ve just received a request for payment for the next three months’ worth of service charge on a flat I let out managed by a company called Centrick. The service charge has gone up from £94.60 per month (already quite high in my opinion) […]

Should I decide to sell one of my BTL’s I know that I am obliged to declare information that may affect the transaction; such as boundaries, disputes, even “significant occurrences” at the property such as murder or a suicide. Fortunately, none of these exist. However, my question relates to building application, which may fail. I […]

I have a couple of properties and one property has come onto the market recently which I am interested in. The Net Yield is around 3% and should rent very easily and provide around £4K profit each year before tax. The property has potential for extensions which can increase the value However, it seems that […]

I wondered if anyone could advise me on a question relating to the 3% surcharge on SDLT for additional properties and in particular when replacing a main residence. I currently own three properties (my main residence and two buy to let properties). If I was to replace my main residence this year by purchasing a […]

Many self-managing landlords I speak to feel tied to their business and are becoming increasingly depressed about all the new rules and regulations they need to stay on top of. Some have decided to sell up whilst others soldier on, forsaking holidays and family time. However, those of you who have been following my blogs or […]

Four years ago in 2014, Part 3 and Schedule 12 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (TCE 2007) came into force, supported by the new Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013, the Taking Control of Goods Regulations (Fees) 2014 and the requirement for enforcement agents to undertake training and certification. The Ministry of […]

When completing paperwork for court, you must always ensure that the correct entity is being named. Although it may seem obvious, suing the correct entity is not always as easy and straightforward as it may seem. Making sure that you have the correct name when attempting to sue is of the highest importance. If a […]

A new HMRC consultation proposes that any Capital Gains Tax (CGT) liability that arises out of the sale or disposal of residential property will need to be paid on account within 30 days from April 2020. These changes will mainly affect Landlords with rental property. Click here to view the consultation. “Working out the amount […]

From April 18th The Mortgage Works (TMW) will be removing the maximum age limit criteria on its Buy to Let mortgages up to a maximum of 65% Loan to Value for ‘experienced’ landlords for both purchases and remortgages. This will also include Limited company mortgages. An experienced landlord is considered by TMW as: “An applicant […]

I am having problems with anti-social tenants at the moment – not in my rented flat, but the one above. About 9 months ago the flat above was rented out and it soon became clear that the tenants liked to drink and subsequently have full blown marital disputes with foul language. My tenant at that […]

How much is everyone paying for Gas safety inspections? I have 8 properties, all on the same site. All have gas combi boilers & 1 gas appliance, a hob. I routinely get the combi’s serviced at the same time. My gas engineer is charging 8 x £75 to complete the work & issue 8 certificates. […]

Since 2012, the number of English landlords registering tenancy deposits on properties in Scotland has risen by over 430%, according to new research by SafeDeposits Scotland. The country’s leading tenancy deposit protection scheme found that in 2012, 260 landlords living in England registered deposits with them on rental properties in Scotland. In 2017, the number […]

Mortgages and Insurers Solutions have access to a number of limited edition buy to let portfolio products. The limited edition rates are available on properties with HMO status, limited company SPVs, single self-contained and multi unit blocks. Products for single self contained units include a limited edition 2 year fixed rate at 3.40% (APR 5.20%) […]

My wife recently lost her job with the NHS, but we have some cash saved to invest in property. We have one single let already that’s registered in her name. It was first let out early this year. We want to buy some more, but understand it will be difficult to get a mortgage if […]

The new landlord registration contravenes Human Rights Act and Part L of environmental pollution legislation. The right not to be discriminated against and the right to self determination are being heavily compromised with the new registration scheme. Good landlords far outnumber bad ones, yet all have to pay in time, money, and deflection from life’s […]

Birmingham, elected the UK’s ‘most investable city’ by PwC, is set to become the UK’s foremost property hotspot. The UK’s second city is expected to achieve 20-30% price growth by 2022, based on Hometrack’s 2018 analysis of regional economies and the trajectory of the housing market cycle. Hometrack predict that London house prices will grow […]

The CMA has secured the disqualification of two directors whose company broke competition law. This follows an investigation that resulted in 5 Somerset estate agents being fined more than £370,000 last year for secretly agreeing between themselves the fees they charged. Mr David Baker and Mr Julian Frost were, at the time, both directors of […]

More landlords with property in the North of England experienced a void period in the past three months than in any other UK region according to findings from the UK Association of Letting Agents (UKALA). 53% of landlords with property in the North East and North West of England both experienced a void in the […]

The best tax structure for landlords very much depends on taxable income. For example, a couple who are earning say £30,000 each who plan to purchase two or three properties, where the combined rental profits and mortgage interest wouldn’t push them into the higher rate tax bands, might be better off with a partnership. It is […]

HMRC has just released the 2017/18 self-assessment tax returns. These are the first where the Section 24 restrictions on finance cost relief will apply (25% of finance costs disallowed in 2017/18 tax year). You can download the property pages of the new 2017/18 self-assessment form HERE The accompanying notes can be downloaded HERE  What percentage […]