* Property118 founder Mark Alexander shares his predictions on the future of BTL for established landlords PLUS his thoughts on mortgage lending and the polarisation of the mindset of private housing providers. Since November 2017 the Bank of England base rate has increased by 300%, from 0.25% to 0.75%. However, the cost five and 10 […]

Bath and NE Somerset Council have introduced a basic DBS check as part of its new licensing requirements. It also has a Fit and Proper Person form that must be completed by the proposed licence holder. If you lie when signing the declaration the Council says it can prosecute you – fair enough. The declaration […]

I have a property which I have leased through the same agent for the last 3 years. I have never felt like that I have received a great service, although paying a premium rate (12% plus VAT). The last few months the payments from the have been late, only by a few days, but it […]

[add your address here] Dear [insert your MP’s name] There is a major discrepancy in the treatment of SME’s in regards to relief at the point of incorporation if a business (ie moving to Limited company status). The problem specifically is Stamp Duty Land Tax. Relief exists to alleviate Stamp Duty when a partnership transitions into […]

This question has come up in every live webinar I’ve ever participated in. Also, I often see the question in Facebook groups, so the time has come for me to write an article on the subject which I can refer people to whenever the topic is raised. Declarations of Trust have existed since the Christian Crusades […]

Our Hon. Legal Counsel, Mark Smith, Head of Chambers at Cotswold Barristers will be presenting an overview of several landlords tax strategies at the Salisbury PIN meeting on Wednesday 19th September 2018. The event will start at 6pm and officially close at 9am, but there will be an opportunity to have a chat with Mark […]

Landlords are reeling, Punch Drunk from the sustained assaults by Central and local Government, not to mention hostile media articles suggesting huge swathes of landlords are preying on tenants offering accommodation for sex. About time we had a little straight talking, and this brings me to the title “end of the road”. I say categorically […]

I own a shop with 8 COMPLETELY self contained flats above. There is some confusion with Hackney council on the HMO issue. For mortgage reasons and other, I DONT WANT THEM TO BE HMOS. Hackney said if they comply to 1991 Building Regs(or if not if they can be made to comply), they they don’t […]

WARNING! The way the “Hybrid Structure” is currently being touted by one particular firm as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to the issues associated with the phased removal of finance cost relief could very easily result in people falling foul of HMRC’s “Transfer of Income Streams” legislation under The Finance Act 2009 schedule 25 – please see […]

The Bank of England’s Mortgage Lenders and Administrators Statistics (MLAR) – 2018 Q2 show the share of Buy to Let lending has declined since 2018 Q1, accounting for 13.1% of new lending. This is down from 14.2% last quarter. 2018 Q2 has seen an increase in mortgage lending activity when compared with the previous quarter. […]

The October 1st deadline for new mandatory licensing rules of HMOs is only weeks away. There has been almost no government assistance in the form of information campaigns considering the latest .Gov website update says landlords could get an ‘unlimited’ fine for renting out an unlicensed HMO. The old rules included a stipulation that the […]

The RLA wants councils to commit to rooting out the criminal landlords giving the sector a bad name, following the publication of the University of York’s report on private rented housing today. The association, which contributed to the report, said it is time local authorities showed strong political leadership and used powers already at their disposal […]

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) and now the National Landlords Association (NLA) are backing a review of the private rented sector by the University of York. The review is written by Dr. Julie Rugg and David Rhodes (see property MOT article) titled – The Evolving Private Rented Sector: Its Contribution and Potential. Click here for […]

I have been living in my property for over three years and would like to purchase the freehold. The property the company who own the freehold have agreed to sell this onto me and have sent a letter to me with all the costs to purchase, but know they are saying they can’t find the […]

If you are looking to invest in the Birmingham property market this invitation is definitely for you. This very special event is your chance to get up close and personal with Birmingham as an investment destination. After touring our off-plan developments you will be driven back to the venue for lunch, followed by an update […]

I would be delighted if any Property118 readers and a guest can attend our next Property Investor Partnership Seminar which is taking place on: Thursday 20th September, commencing at 6.45pm for a 7.00pm start.   The event will be held at Insight, Creation House, Norwich Business Park, Norwich, NR6 6BF. The evening will cover everything you […]

All Property118 members are invited with a guest to attend (FREE OF CHARGE) a property seminar run by the Property Investor Partnership (PIP), who are official sponsors of Property118 and have worked together for over a decade. In fact, Mark Alexander, founder of Property118 and I shared the same mentor going back over 30 years ago! This […]

GoCompare have researched what the renting population of the UK are looking for in a rental property and what landlords actually offer in their advertisements. The interactive tool compares survey results which have been broken down nationally and by age group – allowing for greater insight into the world of renting. Survey questions included thoughts around […]

I am about to buy a property via a limited company. One I think would be likely to eventually sell for £520,000 to £540,000 which I think would be good value. The other ones I own were values recently at between £350k and £425k when I extended the lease last June 2017. As I am […]

This may sound like a strange question amidst the climate of all the stuff going on to provide security for tenants by lengthening AST agreements with associated caveats for tenants benefit contrary to most landlords’ legitimate interests. However, I would welcome advice re the following. My elderly brother has been offered a long term let […]

I would like to set up a company for the freehold on the building of a block of four flats. We are buying the freehold and want to register this in a company name. Does anybody have advice on the best way to proceed or where to start please. Many Thanks Dawn Editors note: Please […]