The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is refusing to disclose five reports regarding the controversial Universal Credit programme that were requested under the Freedom of Information Act. To read more please click here “The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has ruled that the Project Assessment Reviews (PARs) should be disclosed but the DWP is appealing […]

The issues surrounding the buy to let market. Some months ago I attended The National Landlord investment Show, on the issues surrounding the buy to let market and I am now returning to discuss the issues that still affect the market and to what degree the tax changes have made to the market and those […]

Dear Mark The crux of the issue regarding putting BTL properties into a company seems to be whether HMRC will agree that my wife and I are in “business”.  This means whether what I do at present can be correctly described as “business”. If yes, then relief from CGT and Stamp Duty will be given on […]

Was the Bank of England’s decision to increase the Base Rate from 0.25% to 0.5% and overreaction to artificially high inflation figures or can we anticipate potential future adjustments upwards? One of they key factors expressed several times by Mark Carney and his team for the increase in Base Rate is the erosion of slack […]

Hi is anyone aware of any mortgage lenders available for a 10+ portfolio with values from £50k other than TMW (I have given up looking for 40k lenders unless anyone know of one). My wife and I have built up a portfolio of 15 properties over the last two years, generally for between 50-60k each […]

The Bank of England has increased the Base Rate for the first time since July 2007 from 0.25% to 0.5%. Despite modest economic figures and a cut in projected growth rates the current 3% inflation rate was apparently too much to ignore against the 2% medium term target. The Monetary Policy summary press release said: […]

The Grenfell fire has quite rightly forced all owners of high-rise blocks of flats to consider their safety, and in particular, analyse their cladding, if any. I am the leaseholder of a flat in such a building. It has been told it has the same cladding as Grenfell Tower, and must be removed and replaced, […]

Live system, constantly updating …. please allow up to 30 seconds loading time The Property118.com mortgage sourcing tool is available for you to use with our compliments (no charge). Once you have found a product you like simply click the “ENQUIRE” button and complete your contact details in order to progress matters. This system can […]

The Government will extend a proposed cap on security deposits to six weeks’ rent instead of four, it has been announced today 1/11/2017. The details were included in the publication of the draft Tenant’s Fees Bill. The Government first announced that they would introduce a cap on security deposits along with a ban on charging […]

Today I had to undiscombobulate my accountants who were in utter confusion over Section 24. Not only had they applied it to my 2016-17 tax return but they had calculated it wrongly too. Fortunately I spotted this and was able to point out the error of their ways, to much embarrassment on their part. It […]

Hello, long time lurker here. I own the leasehold on an ex-Local Authority flat. The flat above mine, which is also in private hands has, for the 4th time leaked water into my flat. My question is, although building insurance is included in the service charge it does not compensate for lost time & earnings. […]

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation and Liability for Housing Standards) Bill is a private members Bill sponsored by Westminster North Labour MP Karen Buck. It presented to Parliament through the ballot procedure on 19 July 2017 as a first reading not having yet been subjected to any debate and is due to have a […]

I’m 23 years old, just finished under-graduate university and currently unemployed. Starting a Masters degree in property in Sept 18. I have no income and unlikely to be fully employed until July 2019; but have capital which I want to invest in property now. Mortgages are unavailable to me due to no income. In the […]

I have some tenants who have failed to sign the renewed shorthold tenancy agreement that I have signed and issued to them. This involved a rent increase. They were given 10 weeks’ notice of the contract renewal and agreed to meet me at the property to sign the new contract. The excuse that I was […]

Schedule 15 of the Finance Act 2003 is the piece of legislation which enables a partnership to transfer its properties to a company at the point of incorporation without paying SDLT. Link to HMRC guidance. A Partnership is defined by the Partnership Act 1890 as “the relation which subsists between persons carrying on a business […]

I own an HMO in the London borough of Croydon where I have had no choice but install wireless, battery operated radio frequency interlinked fire alarms (specifically these are the AICO 10 year Lithium battery Ei600 series alarms, the only alarms on the market frequently accepted as an alternative to the mains wired systems). I […]

In June we began to rent out a room in a shared house (HMO) to a young single chap who seemed very personable and clean and tidy in appearance. He was not in a position to pay his months rent and deposit in advance so to help him out we agreed to accept his deposit […]

This is an exciting new investment opportunity in Liverpool’s city centre. Interiors are finished to a high specification to complement the grandeur of the exterior. Originally Union Bank’s head office, it is converted to 26 luxury apartments offering a 6% net rental return for 2 years.  One bedroom apartments start from £169,950. Halifax House enjoys […]

A new report by the Adam Smith institute (the free market thinktank) sets out why the UK should abolish Stamp Duty Land Tax. Taxing transactions of Britain’s £7.5tn stock of property is keeping people in homes of incorrect sizes and too far from jobs Stamp Duty Land Tax is four times more harmful to economic […]

I rent a property to students through a local student Lettings company and have done so for many years. It is let to groups of friends under a joint tenancy, there are no individual bedroom locks and as such I believe that it is not a HMO. Recently the students have requested individual locks on […]

The examples below are designed by HMRC to support their main Income Tax guidance for landlords. They deal with a range of tax issues that you may need to think about if you rent out a property. Changes to tax relief for residential landlords The tax relief that landlords of residential properties get for finance costs […]