What is your image of someone who is the victim of a scam?  Take a few moments to think about this before reading on. I am sure we all have the image of the gullible person with the street wise con artist slyly taking their money.  Well think again.  Research conducted by Exeter University and […]

I am a British National with a small Buy to Let portfolio. I am married to an Egyptian national, who has no residency in UK, though is a regular visitor. He is therefore not a UK tax payer and has no UK income. My UK income is only from the BTL’s. If he buys a […]

This is a case study of how a couple with two daughters changed the structure of their property business to fund their girls’ through University tax free, and which changed their lives forever. An inspiring case study based on a true story. Mr & Mrs Smith own their property portfolio jointly and each account for […]

My property portfolio is in joint names with my son. 95/5 split to me. I collect all the income, my son receives no income, and I declare 100 per cent on my tax return. My husband is about to retire and will therefore not be utilising his tax allowance. Is it possible for me sublet […]

The specialist property finance market can now cater for a very wide ranging types of projects, properties and timescales. With ever more niche lenders, products and criteria becoming available to private individuals and companies. Short Term Loans: Designed to assist in purchasing or refinancing property quickly, whether you are looking to add value with light […]

The Loughborough Building Society has launched its new ‘Buy for Uni’ mortgage targeting university students who want to get onto the property ladder while they are still studying. This is similar in criteria to the Bath Building Society student mortgage that has been available since 2012 see >> https://www.property118.com/student-buy-to-let-mortgages/33850/ The Loughborough BS will lend up […]

I am hoping for clarification on this as it seems many in the profession are acting on conflicting assumptions/understandings. If landlord uses the Form 6A on a tenancy which commenced pre-01/10/15 did he need to comply with the changes under the the DRA2015; i.e. serve Gas Cert, EPC & How to rent guide? Or can […]

When it comes to running a commercial property, whether that’s being a landlord, or managing another kind of commercial property, you can find yourself in need of an energy performance certificate. The EPC was part of a green EU initiative designed to diagnose and document various buildings energy efficiency and CO2 emissions, and therefore, their […]

Date: 7th March Time: 7pm. Location: 20 Wolverhampton Road West, Walsall. WS2 0BS Tickets via: THIS LINK  Organiser:  www.uklandlordsnetwork.co.uk Event Overview Come along to UK Landlords Property meet where you will engage, learn and succeed in the property world. Everyone is here for the same thing and that is the ”LOVE” and ”PASSION” for property, so […]

I have been using DPS for my deposits until now and find it hard going. Their “prescribed information” is not very clear and I find it hard to negotiate their website. “Tenancy Deposit scheme” seems clearer and I have just signed up to them, although not used them yet. Perhaps other 118 members could share […]

Tory MP for Peterborough, Stewart Jackson, went on an excoriating attack against slum landlords and the local council for a scheme to help them with the cost of repairs. The local authority will temporarily lease the properties from the landlords before making repairs. Jackson wrote in the Peterborugh Telegragh that he did not know what […]

I have spoken to my accountant in relation to Digital Tax Returns and he has advised me that, Landlords will be required to do Digital Tax Returns every quarter. In other words 3 times over the course of 9 months and then final Annual Self Assessment by 31 January. He has told me that, 3 […]

Over the last 5 months 41 landlords have completed a vigorous accreditation scheme in Somerset, which they believe will protect good tenants and enable their local authority to effectively target ‘rogue’ landlords. Since the first National Landlords Code of Excellence training day took place in November 2016 over 50 local landlords and letting agents have joined the scheme, with 11 more becoming […]

It has been reported that Blackstone Group LP and Prudential Plc have been selected as the preferred buyers of Bradford and Bingley, which includes Mortgage Express, by the government owned UK Asset Resolution (UKAR). The acquisition by Balckstone and the Pru insurers is for £12.5 billion of mortgage lending of which 70% is Buy to […]

Lloyds Bank has produced a report on the affordability of homes in UK cities showing the average price of a house in a city is now 6.9 times the average annual salary. These are the least affordable home figures since 2008! Since 2012 the average city house price has risen 32% from £169,966 to £224,926 […]

We are seriously looking into adding an events calendar to Property118 and want to trial this before investing too heavily into additional software. Message To Landlord Event Organisers If you host landlord events and want to reach more landlords there is no better online exposure available than via Property118. Just look at our growth of unique […]

Mark Procter, director of Kirby Property in Cambourne, Cambridgeshire, was sentenced to three years and four months for fraud at Cambridge Crown Court on Friday. Procter gradually siphoned off tenants’ £140,000 of tenants deposits throughout 2014 and 2015 to pay for divorce proceedings and luxury holidays, the court heard. Since the case it has been […]

Purchasing a holiday let can be a very rewarding and enjoyable endeavour. In this article we outline five things to consider when purchasing a holiday let, that will increase both bookings and your potential rental income. 1. What Makes a Great Holiday Let UK Holiday lets are becoming an increasingly popular choice for families and […]

Below is the full response from HM Treasury and Housing Minister,Gavin Barwell, to my MP Emma Reynolds who raised concerns on my behalf concerning Section 24 and the ban on Agents fees:   HM Treasury, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Dear Emma, 3 JAN 2017 Thank you for your email of 16 December […]

I read the following article last week and wanted to share it and hear your views. The former Welfare Minister Lord Freud has identified that one in four low income tenants are in rent arrears under the Universal Credit Scheme as a result of DWP administrative problems: http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/policy/welfare-reform/universal-credit/freud-one-in-four-universal-credit-tenants-in-arrears/7018719.article Increasingly, over the last few months we […]

Dear All, I live in London and have my property investments in London and I also work in London. Given the current property market in London is going through difficult times especially with low yields and high prices and strict BTL lending criteria, I am tempted to look North (Liverpool/Manchester etc.), where the prices are […]