The latest RICS Residential Market Survey remains subdued in March and looking ahead, the lack of momentum is likely to continue for a while longer. Click here to download the full survey. Enquiries from new buyers saw the eighth negative reading in a row, with 27% of respondents seeing a fall in buyer demand which […]

I was guarantor for my son when he had a room in a shared house. He caused some damage to the room so when he left, the landlord sent me a bill. However he has charged over and above the cost of replacement furniture, and labour costs. (£800 to paint a bedroom ) total was […]

Office Blocks, converted to Residential Occupation, fulfil an immediate need but are not a sensible investment for Private Sector Landlords (PSLs) in Provincial Towns! My advice is do not buy a sub-lease in a Housing Warehouse. Planning consent is not required for such conversions and they are filled with drug addicts, alcohol addicts, and so […]

I have a tenancy which started in March 2014 and went periodic in September 2014. I have served a section 21 4a notice on my tenant as of February 2019, however I have been told that this is not the correct notice and could be thrown out of court and that following the introduction of […]

Landlord action to mitigate higher tax costs will lead to a lower level of buy-to-let remortgage transactions going forward according Paragon’s PRS Trends Report for Q1 2019. Nearly six out of ten (58%) landlords reported an increase in their 2017-18 tax bill. Paragon’s latest quarterly survey, which tracks the experience of more than 200 landlords […]

I am planning to rent out my flat for a shorthold tenancy agreement. On my lease it says that I need to get written consent of the landlord for subletting. I had enquired with the landlord (this being the freeholder). They have asked for payment for £150 (£125 plus VAT). This consent consists of a […]

If you’re contemplating a transfer of your rental property business into a Limited Company, this checklist will prove extremely useful for you. Does the operation of your rental property business occupy at least 20 hours a week of time, including that of agents and contractors whose services you engage? If so, you may well be […]

According to the latest data from HomeLet’s Rental Index, UK rents for new tenancies have begun to rise at a rate not seen in the market for over two years. The annualised picture shows rental values having increased at a higher rate than was seen in 2018 rising by 3.3% in the last 12 months. […]

New online support as part of government’s commitment to give greater protection to tenants, and reform the private rented sector for the better – written by MHCLG and Heather Wheeler MP. Local authorities across the country are set to receive a new package of online support as part of the government’s commitment to give greater […]

Imagine this scenario. A prospective tenant, T, answers an ad and phones up and arranges to view a property. T meets the Landlord, L, and agrees to rent the property for 12 months starting in 14 days’ time at £900 per month. L asks for and T pays a reservation fee of £200 to take […]

No too long ago Property118 covered Kicking Landlords. Now we have Stabbing Landlords. Such a Course of Action is not to be recommended. If a tenant or his representative threatens violence towards the landlord or his employees, it is certain to result in the termination of the tenancy. In 2014 a tenant threatened to stab […]

Hi Phoebe, If I may introduce myself, I run a Possession company for Landlords who are struggling to get their properties back from bad tenants. The story you wrote for KentLive was an interesting one – ‘Dirty, disgusting and isolating’ Mums describe grim reality of Ashford’s temporary housing B&B’s’ “Two mums have welcomed plans to convert […]

This news release describes the results of the Bank of England’s latest quarterly survey of public attitudes to inflation, undertaken between 8 and 9 February 2019. Q: When asked about the future path of interest rates, 22% said rates might stay about the same over the next twelve months, compared with 19% in November. 47% […]

Our Hon. Legal Counsel, Mark Smith, Head of Chambers at Cotswold Barristers will be presenting an overview of several landlords tax strategies at the pin Croydon Meeting property networking event Wednesday 17th April 2019. The event will start at 6:00pm until 9:00pm and will be free for guests of Mark Smith that have not previously […]

Here’s a link to the RLA/Pearl’s current survey: ‘State of the PRS’ Q1 2019 quarterly survey that focuses on Welfare Reform issues. This project is titled: “Welfare Reform and Universal Credit: Evaluating the impact on the Private Rented Sector” and the research has been commissioned from Edge Hill University. Click here to open. “This survey […]

The way I read rent arrears is we can not charge unless it is more than 14 days overdue. Thereafter we can charge 3% above BoE base rate. We can no longer charge a fee for letters etc. So assuming average rent in England excluding London of £782, this equates to £1.12 for the first […]

Ministers have so far failed to publish any guidance for landlords about the implications of Brexit for the Right to Rent scheme. Under this scheme landlords are responsible for checking the immigration status of their tenants with the prospect of prosecution if they know or have “reasonable cause to believe” that the property they are […]

Scottish Government were intending to introduce minimum EPC rating effective April 2019. This has been delayed and proposed legislation is that the minimum requirements are now due to come into effect April 2020, initially set with Band Rating E, rising to Band D from Apr 2022, with back stop dates on existing tenancies being 2/3 […]

This 64 minute webinar, recorded live on 6th April 2019 is now available to view on demand and free of charge. The main presenters are:- Mark Smith, Barrister-At-Law and Head of Chambers at Cotswold Barristers Mark Alexander, Founder of Property118 Nicky Kita from Insight Accountancy Services To watch this webinar now, please click on the […]

I bought my house mortgage free 18 years ago to house myself and my 2 kids. I got a residential mortgage with Halifax 14 years ago and built a 2 storey extension to the side of my house consisting of granny annex & double garage. The granny annex was to house my ill mother, but […]

A fifth of the UK population now lives in rental accommodation. The Fitness for Human Habitation Act came into force just last week. This new Act is designed to ensure all rental accommodation meets certain criteria. The rental property must be free of defects and this includes all private rentals, housing association rentals and any […]