Can anyone please advise me on an HMRC issue? We were buying our first Buy to Let property at the beginning of 2016 which fell through on 26/3/16. Our accountants are telling us that HMRC will not allow us to claim the costs associated with the failed purchase, which has cost us thousands of pounds. […]

I am interested on any advice people can give on my current situation. I am looking to buy a house that has been divided into two flats – with a view that at some point I’d like to separate these officially to leaseholds – as I believe they will be worth more on this basis. […]

Barclays is launching a range of Buy to Let fixed rates with the headline grabber product being a 10 year fixed at 2.99% with a £2000 fee up to a maximum of 65% Loan to Value (LTV). Other rates to be offered include: 2.09% 2 year fixed max 75% LTV with a 1% fee or […]

I have a couple of properties becoming available for family lets, but in the past I have found them to be hard to let at the rent level I’ve asked for. Due to taking on fairly high risk tenants (DSS tenants usually with no deposit), and tenants leaving properties damaged and with rent arrears, I […]

Irrespective of opinions and views, Trump has promised to slash and bin regulations. Ronald Reagan once said that the words all business owners dreaded were ” I am from the Government and I am here to help”. Moving back across the water to the UK, we are drowning in regulations, and no where is the […]

New data from the upcoming Moneyfacts Personal Pension and Annuity Trends Treasury Report has revealed that last year pension funds enjoyed their highest returns since 2009. Despite considerable economic and political uncertainty during 2016, the average pension fund finished the year up by 15.7%. This is the fifth consecutive year of positive pension fund growth […]

Am I classed as self employed if I am a property landlord? Many thanks Caroline

In short, I’ve just used the HMRC web chat to ask whether the rent element of a Sharia mortgage would be treated the same as interest from Apr 2017 or as a fully allowable cost. Their eventual response was: “Based upon current guidance rents (if sub-letting) continue to be wholly allowable in the same way […]

With professional landlords being forced to confront ever-increasing financial and political change, staying informed about changes in the mortgage market is more important than ever. Mortgage Strategy is the UK’s market-leading mortgage news publication, which publishes free news, insight and analysis on its website, www.mortgagestrategy.co.uk Alternatively, Mortgage Strategy sends several free email news alerts a […]

The fence between my property and the neighbours blew down near the start of last year. The fence is believed to be a shared fence as the property deeds do not show a “T” on either side of the boundary and no evidence to dispute this has been found. The neighbouring property is owned by […]

We have a small block of 5 flats, landlord and previous management company did nothing to maintain it, so we have formed a RTM company to manage it ourselves. One of the flat owners claims the landlord and previous management company owe her compensation for various things that were wrong in her apartment from purchase […]

Building Societies are offering substantially cheaper main residence mortgage rates compared to high street banks. Moneyfacts data analysis shows the average 5 year fixed rate at maximum 75% Loan to Value offered by a Building Society is 0.66% cheaper than the comparable Bank product. The average 5 year 95% LTV Building Society mortgage product is […]

Does anyone know how far back I can use a capital gains loss? I made a massive loss in 2011 and never thought to use it, so I am looking if it can be used now? I carried out a google search and it said 4 years, but does anyone know for sure if this […]

The FTSE 250 listed Berkeley Group is completing its first development of 22 Prefabricated or it calls ‘Modular’ Homes in Kidbrooke Village, Greenwich in London. A patent is pending for the new Urban House design using offsite fabrication swapping the back garden for a roof terrace and providing front of house parking and bicycle storage. The […]

I wonder if you can advise or offer some thoughts please on this. My wife and I jointly own a flat which is rented out and the lender is Mortgage Express. The value is £650k. Mortgage outstanding £220k. Rent is around £2.5k p/m.My credit is very bad – with adverse on other properties I own […]

Hi, I am looking at buying a studio apartment with the view to changing it to a one bed apartment by moving the kitchen into the lounge area and changing the kitchen to the bedroom. Trying to get a copy of the lease to see what it says re structural changes. I have found out […]

The National Audit Office issued a report on housing in England on 19 January 2017.  Its head was quoted in the press release: “The need for housing in England has in recent years grown faster than its supply, and housebuilding needs to increase across the country.  The government has responded to this by putting in […]

Hundreds of landlords have now downloaded our tax planning tutorials and forwarded them on to their accountants with a view to making an appointment to discuss the content. By their own admission, the accountancy profession are generally not the best at marketing and forward thinking. Perhaps that’ s because they spend most of their time […]

I have a 3 bed flat and would like to convert it into 2 x 1bed flats. It is above an A1 and an A2 premises. I have been told that as no external changes are being made that it comes under permitted development, but can’t find any literature to back that up. Can anyone […]

Could any one out there tell me how they have got round the benefit cap? I have a single parent who’s got 4 kids and her benefit cap has taken the rent down to £29 a week it used to be £120. I know she can apply for discretionary housing payment, but is there anything […]

Do your accountants save you more than they charge you? Are they forward thinking? We want to know which accountancy practice is the best in the UK according to landlords and to give them the recognition they deserve. To achieve this we need your help. If you think the accountancy practice you use deserves to […]