We have a rental property that was rented out on an initial 3 months short term assured tenancy. That period ended and the tenant has been there for nearly 2 years. We now need to increase the rent and she has said it must be done in accordance with the contract which says it will […]

I have a client doing a re-mortgage on an existing let; lender is Skipton Building Society. They stipulate the tenants must not be in receipt of DSS. They’re not, but it raises the question: “What if a tenant goes on to claim benefits, including housing, after the tenancy has commenced?” Logically thinking, this must cause […]

We have 3 properties with an agent for the last 12 years. We are generally ok with the service of the agent but now realise that the fees that we are paying for their services are too high, compared to other agents. Their site states 18% but we are paying 12%. Having phoned a few […]

Not good news for all, but helpful for those in Scotland wishing to move their property into a ltd company. Hopefully the UK government will follow suit and help landlords survive the changes. Deputy first minister John Swinney said “Our priority is to make sure first time buyers have the greatest possible chance to get […]

If a property is bought (as a family home) with a buy to let mortgage, and has always been more than 40% occupied as a dwelling by the borrower and their relatives. Does the mortgage contract then become regulated? I have checked the FCA handbook and PERG section 4.1 seems to confirm the above (the […]

I am trying to find out if there is a minimum time the paperwork from previous tenants has to be stored by the landlord in case a legal challenge is brought out against them. Once the tenants has moved out and paperwork destroyed there will be no proof that the landlord has followed procedures and […]

Paul Shamplina is co-hosting a new radio show ‘The Property Hour’ alongside Clive Bull on LBC (97.3 FM). The show will discuss the latest housing issues/trends, and listeners will be invited to phone into the show as well as join in the debate online using #LBCPropertyHour. The Property Hour will be broadcast every Thursday for […]

X1 The Gateway is situated right in the heart of Salford Quays, overlooking the area’s stunning waterfront and neighbours four incredibly successful sold-out projects. The success of these highly sought-after developments is testament to the triumph of Salford Quays as a prime residential area. Since the creation of MediaCityUK (Europe’s leading digital hub), the city […]

The last Prime apartments are available at Bentley Court, Keighley West Yorkshire, centrally located, with excellent transport links, providing massive rental appeal. These investments can be offered with a unique 50-50 easy payment plan with no requirement for a mortgage. The above product allows the opportunity to purchase prime UK stock at utilising a range […]

We are about to buy a residential house to live in, partly financed by taking out a new residential mortgage, and partly financed by taking out a Let-to-Buy mortgage on our existing home and releasing equity from it. The house we are buying is in very poor condition and is not habitable until some essential […]

In January 2015 I bought two properties and contacted a letting and management agency to help in marketing the properties. They also offered a service to manage refurbishment works for a fee. Part of that service was to get competitive quotes etc. After they arranged an initial meet with a builder to initially spec the […]

I’ve just been on a health and safety course through my employer and a part of the course covered civil claims by individuals against their employers and other employees. This got me thinking about what would happen if this situation should ever arise in the future. Is there a way to protect your assets in […]

Dear Mrs H… The Government has recently consulted on the higher rates of stamp duty land tax for purchases of additional residential property. The consultation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-higher-rates-of-stamp-duty-land-tax-sdlt-on-purchases-of-additional-residential-properties/higher-rates-of-stamp-duty-land-tax-sdlt-on-purchases-of-additional-residential-properties and contains examples of how the higher rates apply in different cases, which you should find useful. The Government is now carefully analysing the consultation […]

Basically I’m in a student house in Leeds, trapped in a joint and several contract with one house mate paying the first months rent (back in august) and then refusing to move in, we have not been able to fill his room so are now stuck with his rent. The letting agency refused to chase […]

My Dad lives in a home that is under my name. I claim the property as a rental on my taxes. However, my dad is destroying my property by building numerous structures without permits and now the city if on my case. He has also started a neighbor war and the cops get called to […]

We need to urgently sell our Buy to Let flat but the lettings agent has renewed the AST signed our behalf, which is fine but they have removed the break clause which has always been in the agreement. What rights do we have? The AST is until Feb 2017 and we need to sell now. […]

We have a town house in London Zone 2 area and we are thinking about splitting this into 2 flats (flat 1 – ground floor and first floor and flat 2 second floor and loft) to increase both rental income and valuation. The rear garden door is perfect for secondary entry. It sounds like a […]

Birmingham has been recently be confirmed as the UK’s Buy to Let property Hotspot outside London after a surge in activity. The city has leapt to second spot for Buy to Let purchases according to Council of Mortgage Lenders data. The high speed rail network and the £750 million redevelopment of Birmingham New Street Station […]

I am receiving insurance compensation for loss of rent due to the upstairs flat that I own becoming uninhabitable. Subsequently my tenant has had to move out and building works are set to continue until the end of this year, but I am still receiving the rent as it was insured. However I have just […]

Dear Campbell Robb, You may recall a letter you received from a landlord called David in October 2015. In fact, I wrote the letter upon his request and published it on-line; you can see it here, along with comments from others. https://www.property118.com/campbell-robb-ceo-shelter-open-letter/81625/ Time has moved on and it has now become clear to many others […]

The average tenant in England has paid £41,196 to their landlords over the last five years, according to new analysis. This figure is almost enough to put down a 20% deposit on the average first time buyer home, which is currently priced at £216,500. In London, the average rent for a two bedroom property has […]