Has anyone on Property 118 had any dealings with Quantum Law or Quantum Tax Planning Ltd, regarding their Stamp Duty land Tax Scheme from around 2009 / 2010?  If so, have you had any correspondence fro HMRC concerning a Discovery Assessment asking for all the SDLT saved to be paid over? I used the Quantum […]

The FOS (Financial Ombudsman Service) have done it again!  In the past the FOS have controversially agreed that rate hikes applied by Bank of Ireland, Skipton Building Society (Amber Homeloans) and also the Danske Bank (formerly National Irish Bank) were fair. Therefore, is it really that shocking that FOS would also rule in favour of West […]

My tenant moved in on 1st September paid a months rent and deposit. Her rent was due on 1st October but with one thing and another did not receive until the 15th Oct and paid 5 weeks out of 6. It became due again on the 7th Nov but again she asked to pay 5 […]

Hi Everyone, I have a portfolio of 3 flats in South East London, 2 are mortgaged at 75% of their current value and let out for a good rental income and one is under renovation at present. I’m also in the process of buying a fourth flat in the same area which also needs to […]

I’ve been talking to our local council about splitting a (very) large HMO into an HMO and a family home.   They have clear rules for gardens for family homes (these should have at minimum a garden the size of the footprint of the building), as well as clear rules for flats (a good balcony […]

Brief outline:  We rented a property to a working couple with children, they paid the deposit and provided a rental guarantor in the name of the father of the male tenant. They paid the rent direct into our bank account via internet banking. The tenancy started ok, then a payment went missing, I followed this […]

A property investment fund operated by Hermay Ltd, claiming to have funds under management of £136 million and believed to be offering returns of 22% and upwards, is to be investigated following a complaint to PrivateProsecutions.org submitted by a Property118 reader.  A Google search revealed that others have raised concerns about Hermay Ltd. via the […]

Breaking News!  Due to continued demand for her highly informative and content-rich live event, the Property Success Accelerator, Author and Property Mentor Hazel de Kloe has added another must-attend date to the diary this November. For more information and to book your place, click here. Eager novice and experienced property investors alike are really appreciating […]

After the Bank of England quarterly inflation report, and attending the regional seminar, all the latest indicators have revised down any risk of a rise in the Bank Base Rate. I have been arguing for some time against the need to increase rates based on economic headwinds, but the latest figures all show a marked […]

I am starting up my own letting agency in the new year and would like to know how I go about advertising directly onto all the property portals. I have searched the web but for some reason it seems difficult to find this information out. I’m hoping somebody out there can help me with this […]

I have had contact from an agent I use occasionally, telling me that HSE are now recommending that landlords cannot be sure that their gas appliances are safe for tenants unless each appliance is serviced as well as having the LGSC inspection. I suggested this was her contractor looking for extra work…… and I asked […]

I recommend all my tenants to buy contents insurance, and in this article I will explain why and where from. From your tenants perspective it’s a good idea if their deposit is important to them, and I have yet to find a tenant who doesn’t care about money! One glass of spilled red wine, a […]

I am 30 years old and looking to lay the foundations now to better myself in years to come. I currently own a house that I am renovating and when finished will be worth roughly £210k. I owe £80k on the mortgage. I bought my first house back in 2009 for £94k with a mortgage […]

From today, the Government has launched a new service which enables landlords to start the process of evicting tenants using the Section 21 accelerated possession claims online. This was an idea which was first put forward by Landlord Action, as part of our role on a Government Think Tank to help speed up evictions. It […]

Milton Keynes Private Landlords Association (MKPLA) is proud to announce that, during a meeting on 10 November, the Council’s Cabinet voted unanimously NOT to extend licensing of shared housing to smaller properties that are not currently within the scope of mandatory licensing established by the Housing Act 2004. MKPLA Chairman Alex Caravello said ……… “It’s […]

Home Secretary Theresa May has met with a tenancy referencing firm to hear concerns on the forthcoming immigration status checks which landlords or their agents will have to carry out.  FCC Paragon asked the minister to revisit the Government’s proposals ahead of its ‘Right to Rent’ pilot scheme, due to commence in the west midlands […]

With the recent significant increase in the use of High Court enforcement officers evicting residential tenants it has become clear that not all of these evictions have been conducted legally. The potential cost implications for a landlord for incorrectly evicting a tenant can be huge as the claims for damages could not only come from […]

Castle Trust have introduced a new short term Buy to Let product called the Flexible Zero Mortgage, which is designed as an alternative for raising short/medium term finance from 1 to 5 years. The USP (unique selling point) is that there are no monthly payments, because the interest is accumulated and added to the principle […]

I have just bought a house with an existing tenant. The tenancy was for a fixed term of 1 year beginning on 13 February 2013, and so the tenant has been holding over since February this year. The original landlord served a s21(1)(b) at the start of the tenancy.  I am wondering if I can […]

Just received a letter from the council saying they have been informed that the house I let out is in a state of disrepair and will need to be inspected. The tenants have just recently received an order to vacate using section 21. The tenants signed a form stating they had inspected the property and […]

Im new to the BTL business and I’ve found a  back to Back terrace with a loft conversion at a very good price. I’m pretty certain the loft conversion doesn’t meet the regs as you have to come up more of a ladder than stairs. The room itself has 2 velux windows in and is done […]