I thought I had the base covered where in my lease it states ” the tenant agrees the landlord reserves the right to appoint cleaners if he feels that the property has not been cleaned to an acceptable standard, such costs being borne by the tenant” Looks pretty clear cut to me. Tenant and landlord […]

I have just bought my first property to rent. The first floor windows need replacing. The current windows have a top opener only and is about 20% of the total. I have heard that I may need to have bottom openers which allow fire escape? Can I replace like for like or do I need […]

Hi, Probably been answered before however …. Deposit wasn’t protected, but the tenant decided to use the deposit in lieu of the last months rent. It seems I reluctantly agreed. at least that is what he is saying.  I am in the middle of court proceedings after asking him to leave for sub-letting the property, […]

For my main job (nothing to do with property) I work through my own limited company, taking around £8k in wages per year and £30k in dividends. This is just enough to keep me out of the higher tax bracket. Over a few years this has left me with enough money sitting in my company’s […]

I have a tenant that stays in a room on a separate AST. Their contract comes to an end on 31st January 2015 and a signed contract for 1st Feb 2015 to 31st July 2015 was signed on 8th December 2014. Prescribed information on Tenant Renewal My question is when do I have to reissue […]

Following on from the announcement of increases to court fees for money claims, there are now plans afoot to increase the fee for a possession claim by £75.  Possession claim court fees last went up in April 2014. The fees introduced at that time are as follows for proceedings started in: • High Court – […]

In most countries there are only lawyers, the phenomenon of Solicitors and Barristers is relatively unique to the UK.  From my personal perspective, solicitors are a bit like GP’s, i.e. they offer initial consultations and refer to specialists. However, with the deregulation of many aspects of law, solicitors now have to compete. A good example […]

I am a Landlord with a small portfolio of properties in London (mostly within Zone 2). I am using the services of various estate agents but after experiencing everything from bad tenants to having to do everything myself (despite signing up for a “management service”) – to put it bluntly, I feel ripped off, and […]

Today was Judgement Day in the case of Mark Robert Alexander (me) vs the West Bromwich Mortgage Company. I was representing a group of 360 affected borrowers, who between them contributed nearly £500,000 to fund the legal action. I am extremely disappointed to report that we didn’t get the News we were so desperately hoping […]

MY deceased brother’s estate has a Grade 2 listed property converted into 4 separate flats all mortgaged. There are no shared parts except the garden  and all flats have separate entries. We wish to start selling off the flats, but the only information we have is that the flat freehold was in my brothers building […]

Are late payment charges as stated within an AST still applicable once an AST has expired and the tenant is still in situ and not paying rent/paying late..? Probably not worth seeking formal legal advise for such a small amount that I’m concerned with so I’d thought I’d see if anyone here had any pointers.. […]

I’m feeling a bit desperate. I separated from my husband in December 2014. Due to the nature of our break up, I decided that I’d had enough and moved myself and my children to another county. It’s was perfect until last week, my mother had a massive stroke and is seriously ill. My nightmare now […]

I’ve just been sent a 1 year Assured Short hold Tenancy to review before we sign and move in 2 days. It has a 6 month rent review clause that I think is unfair and not just because its every 6 months. What is the best way to ask the agent to remove it? They […]

We are looking at mortgaging an investment property we bought towards the end of last year via our Limited Company. However, as most will be aware, there are few mortgage deals available for Limited Companies, and attract large fees and high interest rates – more so as this is our first BTL. Previously, we loaned […]

The Treasury has decided that to conform to the European Mortgage Credit Directive (compulsory by 2016) all Buy to Let contracts, where the mortgage was not entered into solely for business purposes, will be defined as “consumer” loans. Hence all Let to Buy or accidental landlords will become regulated in a similar way to residential […]

I am evicting a tenant with a section 8 in ten days time.  The tenant has just issued me with repair bills which he claims to have done during his contract. No notification has been give as to any works being required. The works include replacing all taps, lifting and refitting carpets due to noisy […]

There are builders currently working next door to one of our rental houses. They say they are converting a 4-bed into a 7-bed house, including a loft conversion and a ground floor extension. The agent is liaising on the landlord’s behalf.  The agent has said they are doing the side extension – we don’t yet […]

My tenant was arrested ( I was told by his employer) and now he is in prison. However, I am not able to get any info about where he is held and for what crime he was arrested.   He isn’t British but has a permanent visa for staying in UK. I do not have any […]

RESEARCH from our landlord emergency insurers suggests that 4% of all emergency claims are due to an inoperable toilet at the rental property.  With an average claim cost of £204.82 across the board, it is no surprise that so many landlords are learning that emergency cover is essential to protect your property, finances and cash […]

My fixed term agreement has come to an end and I got an email from my letting agency who requested an increase in rent as well as a renewal fee of £120. “The terms of the renewal are that an extension of the original Agreement may be terminated by either party giving to the other […]

The well established lender Precise Mortgages has enhanced its bridging loans to help increase the range of products, and at the same time provide an even smoother and more efficient process for borrowers. If you are buying a property in need of renovation and want to sell or refinance it shortly after completion this new range of 0% […]