According to The Sun Newspaper; “Treasury chiefs are planning to hike the extra levy on buy-to-let purchases in a fresh bid to ease the housing crisis.” The article goes on to say that a government source revealed: “Increasing the buy-to-let levy is something the Treasury are looking at doing in the Budget.” “It will be […]

Earlier this year (2018) mortgage lenders were forced to tighten up their affordability criteria. Since then, LTV has rarely been the restricting factor when it comes to BTL borrowing. Instead, the level of borrowing has become more restricted based on “affordability calculations”. This is because lenders are now required to apply a stress test of […]

Croydon Council’s agenda for last Monday’s Licensing Sub-Committee states: “Exclusion of the Press and Public The following motion is to be moved and seconded where it is proposed to exclude the press and public from the remainder of a meeting: “That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be […]

Did anybody watch this program last night? If so, what did you think? I missed it but a spokesman from Landlord Action said …. In Waltham Abbey a seemingly perfect professional tenant, an estate agent, wins the trust of a Landlord in dire straits, by using false references. The landlord,  Anthony, previously lived in and […]

I am looking for legal advice as Liverpool council granted my licence for less than 5 years. This is their replay. I am aware it’s up to 5 years, but there is no reason why I shouldn’t be granted 5 years licence when I only bought my house in 2018. 27th July 2018 Dear Pawel, […]

The Hawks have it. The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee have voted unanimously to increase the Base Rate by 0.25% to nearly a decade high of 0.75% Given the economic outlook, productivity gaps, strength of the pound and Brexit uncertainty I see this as a short term decision if not possibly one that will […]

London Central Portfolio (LCP) have released their analysis of HMRC’s Quarterly Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) Statistics for Q2. Tax receipts in Q2 2018 are down 13.8% compared to Q2 2017, a drop of £317m. SDLT Tax income is no greater than  Q3 2015 despite an increase in top rate from 7% to 12% and […]

My broker has just come back with a long list of No’s Skipton – maximum 10 properties in a portfolio Accord – maximum of 15 properties but maximum of 10 with mortgages on them Virgin – Maximum of 10 properties in a portfolio Santander – do not accept clients with more than 4 properties Leeds […]

Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), the country’s first deposit protection provider, has appointed two key senior figures to deliver further improvements to customer services through technology. François Josserand takes on the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) while Louise Walton joins as Head of Customer Experience. The double-hire is a statement of intent from TDS, as […]

My aunt (+70) cannot raise mortgage finance within her Offshore company, on buy to let property. She has no mortgage at present property value £500k. She wishes to incorporate UK ltd company and transfer the property from offshore to onshore Uk Ltd. I am age 40 and her nephew. She wishes I join the business […]

Stunning build complete apartment investment opportunities are now available for readers in Southside, Ilkeston. Prices start from only £87,950 for a spacious, one bed apartment with secure parking, rising to only £106,995 for a two bed. According to local letting agents, Martin & Co, predicted rental yields are up to 7.2%, offering a fantastic investment […]

By way of background, my wife and I are both 56 years old. In recent years, my wife has been caring for her elderly father and managing his property portfolio. I am a plumber, qualified to fit boilers and do gas safety checks. My taxable income is around £34,000 to £38,000. It varies from year to year […]

The answer to the question is; “possibly, but not necessarily”. There are a number of other ownership structures to consider as well as buying in sole/joint names or a company. The best tax structure for landlords very much depends on taxable income and personal circumstances. For example, a couple who are earning say £30,000 each […]

Did you know that commercial lenders have three main categories of manager called Hunters, Farmers and Retailers? This is very relevant if your business is dependent upon knowing which commercial lenders are hungry for business. Before I explain, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cliff Verrill, I’m a commercial finance broker and previously worked […]

Estate agents are seeing a surge in inquiries about downsizing from retired homeowners with 1.4 million over-65s saying they will consider downsizing in the next five years.  However, estate agents warn that these houses are often harder to sell because they need a lot of work, according to new research from the UK’s leading independent […]

The government has agreed to retain rent a room relief at its current level of £7,500 per annum. However, it has also proposed a new “shared occupancy test” in order for those renting their spare rooms to continue to qualify for the relief. AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) believes that the new test will add […]

The Housing & Finance Institute have released a report titled A Time for Good Homes – a discussion paper on meeting the needs of the generation that housing forgot. Click Here to read the full report. The report is Critical of the Private Rental Sector stating: “Over the last 15 years the type of housing […]

Hi everyone, I have tried searching the archives but I cannot find a definitive answer for my question. I’d like to know if it is possible to add my name to the deeds of a property by way of payment, for example monthly installments instead of a lump sum payment. I’m trying to buy my […]

We currently rent our home via a local estate agent, but we keep receiving letter for the landlord to state she is in arrears with the mortgage. We have contacted our agents who keep saying they struggle to contact her and when they do she advises them everything is fine, but the latest one states […]

Birmingham is a really exciting city undergoing a massive transformation, not only for those who work and live there, but also for those who are savvy enough to invest early. – Birmingham had the second fastest growing city centre population from 2002-2015, an increase of 163% (9800 to 25800 people). The popularity of big city […]

Please will you help me to explain to the Government how to solve the housing crisis as opposed to making it worse? Politicians and the media seem only speak in sound-bites these days, so that’s how I have worded the petition I’ve started on 38 Degrees. Housing Policy Needs Urgent Change We demand an urgent Government […]