From 07.11.16 the government has imposed the Benefit Cap which sees family housing benefit cut in one real example from around £150pw to 50pence pw effectively leaving me very little choice but to serve a notice to quit/end the tenancy of this single mother and 5 young children. She will end up going homeless and […]

I have two properties that are managed by a letting agency. Despite receiving statements showing that rent has been paid to the agency by the tenants, the payments to me are constantly two months in arrears. When I call to chase the payments, I am given a different excuse every month why the payments are […]

Below is the response from HM Treasury to the comprehensive report written by Dr Rosalind Beck on Section 24 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2015 “the unjust legislation that will make the UK housing crisis much worse.” Click Here to Download the full report by Dr Beck Please leave any (polite) comments you would […]

My ex-partner and I bought a house together a few years ago. At the time, I couldn’t be on the mortgage, because I was not on a British work contract and didn’t have indefinite leave to remain. We put the house in his sole name, though I contributed significantly to the deposit (which I can […]

With so little time left until the autumn statement, when we are hoping the Chancellor will announce a U-Turn on Section 24, is it still worth contacting your MP about it if you have not yet? I think the answer is ‘Yes’, even if Philip Hammond has decided the fate of S24 already, one way […]

If your Landlords Insurance is renewing before the new year let us know when or get an immediate quote and one of the team will give you a call. Landlords Insurance – Price Guarantee We can GUARANTEE to beat any like for like quotation for landlords insurance. Operated on behalf of Property118 by The Property […]

Published today, the Redfern Review is supposed to be an independent report, led by Pete Redfern, Chief Executive of Taylor Wimpey,  commissioned by Labour Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, John Healey MP. The review into home ownership reveals that the financial squeeze on young people is at the heart of the decline in the […]

Nottingham City Council has announced their desire to introduce citywide selective licensing across the 20 wards of Nottingham looking raise an extra £16 million. This will represent one of the largest schemes in the Country impacting at least 26250 properties at £600.00 per property. The council will employ an additional 74 officers to handle on […]

The Daily Telegraph has launched a campaign calling on Mr Hammond to address the issue of stamp duty in next week’s Autumn Statement. Click Here In an article for the Telegraph today, Lord Lawson, Chancellor for Margaret Thatcher from 1983 to 1989, says the Treasury could learn from his time as Chancellor when he cut […]

Over the years, Liverpool has undergone substantial regeneration, but what was the catalyst that brought about Liverpool’s ever changing skyline, and what’s in store for the future of the city? Liverpool has long been the neglected city in the north west. Throughout the 1990s, whilst nearby places such as Manchester enjoyed significant investment, Liverpool was […]

The cost of long term fixed rates is about half of what they were at the lowest point whilst I built my own property portfolio. Newcomers to buy-to-let will not be affected by tax changes on mortgage interest relief because they will buy in a Limited company from day one. Tenant demand has never been higher. […]

As you may know, my wife and I moved to Malta in March 2016 to help mitigate the effects of changes to finance cost relief affecting individual landlords. This is my latest blog on the subject. Since I began growing my property rental business in 1989 I have become accustomed to high gearing and would […]

I have had lots of people ask how the calculation works for the amount you can borrow after the new rules come into force next year regarding Buy to Let affordability testing. To make it simple as a follow up to the example in the original article below: The maximum you can borrow: Pre January […]

Following the hugely impressive decision in West Brom (well done Mark and team!), I’ve been looking into the position regarding my Nationwide mortgage. This started off as a tracker residential mortgage with Portman in 1996. I moved in 1998 and applied for, and was granted, consent to let. Portman applied a 1% loading to the […]

I am a busy landlady and campaigner for good landlords.  At the moment we are studying this consultation by the DCLG and it is another nightmare of tricks for the compliant HMO operator. We have a chain of HMO’s and it is terrifying. Please Click Here to download the consultation. It was published in mid […]

I’ve been looking through the forum discussions this morning, but haven’t found anything (yet perhaps) relating to freeholder demands for sub-letting fees over the last year or two. I wondered if there have been any changes since 2014? I want to challenge SIMARC’s bill of £120 to allow me to sublet my property. They are […]

I have a lady tenant on LHA in a two bed house for the last two years. She has decided to move her mother in with her 90 years of age suffering from Dementia. She had her own council bungalow and all her rent and council tax was paid as she is on pension credit […]

Hi Mark. As a Property118 Founder Member I took advantage of a free 15 minute consultation with Mr Mark Smith of Cotswold Barristers (The chap who extracted 27.5 million GBPs from the West Bromwich Building Society)  I began by asking him, in view of my circumstances , whether it was worth me incorporating my Buy […]

I have purchased a leasehold flat and the building has a design fault. The builder tried to fix it thrice in warranty and failed. Finally the last contractor sent by the builder has identified the fault as a design issue. Now the builder is refusing to fix as it is out of warranty and the […]

Long time reader of this great forum but unfortunately not having the time to contribute much, but hope that to change going forward. A two part question really for myself who has been a landlord for 6-7 years, but never considered new builds/off plan properties. A) Do people have any tips in regards to due […]

Rumour has it that private taxi drivers will no longer be able to offset fuel costs as an expense against their income, thus preventing them from getting unfair tax relief on their fuel. The Treasury initiative is designed to “level the playing field” with private motorists who have to pay for fuel out of their […]