Page 748 – Property118

How to get a holding deposit back?

30th April 2015

I am a prospective tenant where the agency and landlord have taken considerable time drafting the lease, so much in fact that there is little time until the lease is targeted to commence. At this point I have no confidence that the AST will be complete when my current lease expires. Given this I have […]

Could I get stitched up buying an informal HMO?

29th April 2015

I have had an offer accepted on a 3 bed house which I am buying, but what worries me is that the house is currently tenanted with 5 rooms being let to individuals, it is an informal HMO being done on the sly as they should really have a licence. The agent tells me the […]

Subletting a property but refused consent

29th April 2015

I’m currently living in a room in a rental property under a tenancy agreement scheduled for a period of 4 months. Unfortunately my work situation has changed and I’ll be moving away from the area. I’ve found another person willing to take over my tenancy agreement for the room, but have been told by the […]

Buying a property already tenanted through an agent

29th April 2015

I am buying my first buy to let and I am going complete in the next few days.   The property is already tenanted by the same agent I bought the property from. When I viewed the property I mentioned to the agent that I intend to go solo when letting the property, and it […]

Deposit protected and confirmed in writing but no prescribed information?

29th April 2015

I am landlord with a case on deposit. The tenancy started april 2008. I protected the tenancy and I also informed the tenant about it by writing in a letter below and then enclosed the DPS confirmation. I now notice there is a format that is set on the deposit prescribed information. In addition the […]

Landlord Licencing scheme debate - Mark Alexander and the Mayor of Newham

Newham Council, Licensing and Planning

28th April 2015

As mentioned on a previous thread I got an outrageous fine and increase in license cost from Newham Council, however I paid it and I had to pay £500 for the license and a further £300 fine. Instead of a 5 year license they issued me a 1 year, so now I have to pay […]

Buying the freehold – last minute show stopper

28th April 2015

We own a leasehold flat in a block of 5. Our Freeholder has always been absent and a year ago all flat owners started the process to purchase the freehold. We managed to prove to the Crown that attempts to establish a freeholder have proven unsuccessful and we were given the go ahead to apply […]

No Fees Help With Property Insurance Claims

28th April 2015

Hello All  I am posting here at the invitation of Mark Alexander (founder of Property118) to explain how you can get free help when making a property related insurance claim. I have been a member of Property118 for a few years and recently met Mark at the ExCel exhibition centre. This is my first post so […]

Swapping to BTL after relationship break-up?

27th April 2015

My partner and I have unfortunately broken up after 7 years together, during which time we have cohabited on a residential mortgage in both our names. We also have a 2 ½ year old son. Thankfully the split is amicable so we are in discussions over what to do with our house. We are very […]

landlords emergency cover

Landlords Emergency Cover in Minutes

27th April 2015

You can buy Landlords Emergency Cover in minutes through Property118. This product, supplied by our partner Surewise, is not for all landlords and you will need to weigh up the potential benefits against the costs. Landlords are busy people and we understand this. That’s why the process to purchase is as straightforward and simple as […]

Bank of England report on the Buy to Let market

27th April 2015

Buy to Let (BTL) mortgages represented 15% of the total outstanding residential mortgage loans at the end of 2014 with gross advances of new loans recovering back to 2005 levels (see chart A). Total annual gross lending has grown since 2010 to £27.4 billion reflecting increased supply and demand factors with BTL now standing at […]

HMO’s and Heat Networks Legislation???

27th April 2015

Has anyone got a clue what “Heat Networks Legislation” is all about?  I read an article and links yesterday having never heard about it before, although it appears it was due to have been in force from this month – now delayed until December. It mentions magic words like HMO which involves me – and […]

Electronic weekly rent book?

27th April 2015

As we know, if rent is paid weekly, by law the landlord must provide a rent book and it is in fact a criminal offence not do so.  However, does anybody know if the rent book must be in hard copy format? I am aware that for most legal purposes, electronic documentation is acceptable as […]

Mortgage provider mandating back-to-back fixed term AST

27th April 2015

Having nearly come to the end a remortgage process the lender has now sent me a form that am supposed to sign committing me to fixed term tenancy agreements that must be no longer than 12 months with a ground 2 (Used when the property is subject to a mortgage which existed before the start […]

Cutting off my nose?

27th April 2015

I have my eye on a prospective rental investment, a modern 2 bed town house which I know will rent quickly for £525. The guy who is selling bought it just last month but due to personal reasons is selling it straight away. He paid £80K and wants his £80K back.  Am I being stupid […]

NLA critical of Labour housing policies

27th April 2015

Responding to Labour Party leader Ed Milliband’s announcement on new measures to cap rents, a legal requirement to disclose rent charged to previous tenants, and restricting tax reliefs for landlords who don’t keep properties to basic standards. Richard Lambert, CEO of the NLA said, “we understand Labour wants to assure tenants they have their concerns at […]

Tenant not paying rent because I don’t have consent to let

23rd April 2015

I am and a landlord and currently completing eviction orders on a tenant who has not paid his rent in 3 months. A section 21 and section8 have been issued. The tenants defense for non payment is the following: I do not have consent to let my property (which I am currently working on with […]

Good news for landlords as cheaper buy-to-let mortgage deals become available

23rd April 2015

The number of buy-to-let (BTL) mortgages available on the market is on the rise, with cheaper rates also becoming available to landlords. In recent years, there has been a healthy rise in the number of BTL mortgages on offer, up from 476 two years ago to 745 today, the figures show. Also noted in the […]

Subletting and deposit protection dilemma

23rd April 2015

I need some help to get my head around this subletting and deposit protection scenario please.  The landlord (person A) rents a flat to a tenant (person B) on an AST and protects the deposit correctly. However, the tenant then decides to move out and sublet the entire flat to another person (person C), and takes […]

Mark Alexander

Best way to buy and sell investment property?

22nd April 2015

What is the best way to sell (or buy) a buy to let property these days? My thoughts on this have evolved in recent years, mainly due to the the speed at which the buy-to-let market has become more and more established. So here’s a question for you to ponder …. Does buying a tenanted […]