Maybe Government should focus on only two things to solve the Housing crisis:- That supply meets demand Available housing is lived in Instead, Government seems to be obsessing about ownership. No, no, no, no, no! In my opinion focus should be to incentiving the building of new housing and empty housing to be sold or […]

This is the 15th post in my 2017 Legal Update series. Evicting tenants is not a nice thing to have to do. Sadly, however it is sometimes necessary. If it is necessary then it is best all round if you just get on with it. In many cases eviction proceedings are brought solely to force […]

North Somerset Council are now working in collaboration with local landlords on a brand new solution “The Ark Passport Scheme” to help more benefit assisted and low income tenants secure private rented accommodation. A shortage of affordable housing and the introduction of Universal credit*, which restricts the payments of rents direct to landlords, has led […]

Radio 4’s Unreliable Evidence program on this evening (13/9/17) @ 20:00 is discussing housing law and looks to be covering a number of topics of particular interest to landlords. more details can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0939hpt “Housing Law Unreliable Evidence A judge led inquiry has been set up to establish the facts of the devastating […]

Money Facts has reported the number of Buy to Let mortgage products available to landlords has hit a record number since they dropped to below 200 after the financial crisis 10 years ago. There are now 1,725 different Buy to Let products available across lender compared to the pre-crisis high point of 1,942. The last […]

Does anybody here know anything about Pinnacle’s Canterbury Student Village developed by Manchester-based Pinnacle Alliance during 2013-5? The development, which consists of 336 student pods, was developed by Pinnacle Alliance off-plan aimed to attract both UK and overseas buyers. The ownership is leasehold. Completed in 2015, the development has been successfully tenanted until now. Despite […]

The National Audit Office has released its homelessness report with all indices rising isn’t it time the government works with landlords rather than using them as a political expediency. Click Here to see full report. 60% increase in households in temporary accommodation since March 2011 with 77,240 households in temporary accommodation @ March 2017 £1.15 […]

This is the 14th post in my 2017 Legal Update series. If you are in Wales or own or manage a rented property in Wales you may have noticed from this update series that quite a few of the new regulations don’t apply to you and you may be wondering what is going on. What […]

Two developers Douglas Barrowman and Baroness Michelle Mone OBE have started a £250 million development in Dubai of two luxury apartment towers and a shopping mall. The first 150 apartments can be purchased off plan from the developers using the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Studio apartments can be purchased from 33 BTC, with additional interior design requests […]

We are now 10 years on from the Global Financial Crisis and in particular in the UK from that infamous news report by the BBC’s Robert Peston. Peston reported on BBC news he had heard that banks were no longer willing to lend to the Northern Rock bank and that unsecured savers need not panic […]

I have two properties in my sole name and I am a 40% tax payer. However, my wife has no income at all. I am looking to enter her on the deed by transferring her 50% of the equity on these properties. She will be hit with a tax bill of £3750 on £125,000, but […]

We have a small portfolio of 10 flats and a house in Hertfordshire which we have managed for several years now. We also have a development company that builds/renovates property to sell. My daughter who works in London earning £45,000 a year is looking to buy a flat near where she works. A suitable flat […]

This is the 13th post in my 2017 Legal Update series. It’s been my opinion for some time that HMOs are an enforcement bonanza waiting to happen. If I were head of a Local Authority Enforcement Team in any large city I would be rubbing my hands with glee. Bearing in mind the issues discussed […]

The cost of bridging loans have been reducing over the last 5 years. Rates now start from 0.49% pm and therefore they are no longer seen as a lender of last resort. Also their use has changed from just the traditional chain breaking bridging loan. Bridging loans are mainly used to provide quick, short-term capital […]

A CPD accredited briefing for property lawyers, commercial agents and local authorities on regaining possession of commercial property. Wednesday 27th September 12:30-1:30 The Sheriffs Office is a leader in the field of regaining possession of commercial property, including the removal of squatters and trespassers. We provide nationwide coverage and have worked on many high-profile cases. […]

Last month a couple of unsubstantiated statistics were published in the papers.  They both came from the Labour mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, who has an axe to grind.  He is fighting the government over the continuance of the mandatory universal licensing scheme that was introduced in 2013 and will end in December.  He […]

Good afternoon. Has anyone come across any non-bias impact analysis of an article 4 directive going live in any of the London boroughs? Did rents go up? Did standards go up? Interested in selective licensing too, seems to me that this will accelerate gentrification but given a number of London boroughs are further along with […]

I currently own a rental property in the NE that I’m looking to sell. I am a serving member of the UK armed forces and posted overseas. The new property that I’m looking to buy would, in all likelihood, be rented (initially) until I’m posted back to the UK. What stamp duty would the HMRC […]

Some Property118 Readers will know that I built my dream home at Hart Lake Hill, Winter Haven in Florida. A few years ago I decided to let the property long term. I have many friends in the area too and just received the email below from my best friend and neighbour in the area. It’s […]

This is the 12th post in my 2017 Legal Update series. One of the chief complaints made by tenants against landlords is the poor condition of their rented property and the difficulties they face in getting anything done about it. And one of the chief problems for both landlords and tenants is the multiplicity of […]

A few months back the freeholder of our building wrote to all the leaseholders (via his solicitor) giving us ‘Section 5B’ Notice of his intention to sell the Freehold via auction with a deadline for the majority of qualifying leaseholders to make him an offer. So the first thing we leaseholders did was make sure […]