I found out yesterday that Woolwich have now started using a reference rate of 5.79% at 125% in their rental calculations. They seemed the last of the lot in this regard after BM stopped using the pay rate last year. I’ve only been in the BTL game for a couple of years now, and wanted […]

The CUBE brand have announced their latest release in the UK. Using new architectural design for luxury en-suite student projects, facilities will range from a fitness gym to a pop-up cinema. Using group buying power a discount of £10,963 has been negotiated. The £50,913 high-spec en-suites would generate yields of around 8% however, due to […]

Can I as a Landlord, do my own tenant checks? Or is my only real option to use an agent or referencing service? I am really struggling to find a definitive answer on this one. Tenant checking services in general charge approximately £25. But what am I getting for my money? How do I know […]

I completed on a new flat purchase around 5 weeks ago which I paid for in cash. When the property was surveyed by BTL valuers they deemed it uninhabitable and therefore I couldn’t obtain a mortgage on it. I have now almost completed the necessary renovation works, but my broker informed me today that I’ve […]

I have had a tenant in my property since 2012. The most recent letting agent inspection report identified a major leak from the shower area affecting the room on the floor below. The tenant does have a bath they can use, but I have just been told they are disabled and cannot use it. On […]

Last autumn I put up my property to rent and used my local authorities approved rental list to advertise the house for the first time. I was contacted that day by social services who had a large family for the property. I met them a few days later and was told the father was taking […]

I have let my property for the past three years to the same tenants. My situation has now changed and I have decided to sell the property, giving my tenants notice to vacate explaining that I am selling the property. My tenants have now shown an interest in purchasing the property, and I have also […]

Where would you invest next for capital growth? If you had 200K to invest would you buy 2 houses up north outright or 1 house down south outright or leverage the money and buy more ? Bearing in mind buying a home outright is just a cash cow with no aggravation (apart from tenants). Many […]

I rented my property to a Limited Company based on my knowing the director. Over the period of the tenancy the Director closed and opened a few companies but still paid some rent from which ever company he chooses. The company was a provider to the Local Authority, so they get young people from Local […]

Hi Readers, My previous tenant vacated the property leaving £787 in rent arrears. The secure deposit which the letting agent lodged in their own name is for £625. The agent has identified £193 worth of repairs that need carrying out as a result of damage by the tenant. Whilst the tenant has agreed to the […]

On the 14th of May last week the Immigration Bill received Royal Assent. The Immigration Act 2014 contains 77 clauses and changes how the UK’s immigration system works. The Act is designed to reduce attractions that draw illegal migrants, make it easier to remove people with no right to reside and encourage UK Courts to […]

Newham came top in a report carried out by Shelter on the number of mortgage and landlord possession claims in each Local Authority area for the last year. The possession claims figures are taken from Ministry of Justice Analysis and based on the total number of landlord and mortgage claims in each area. The figures […]

My late Uncle died in December 2013. He lived in rented property which I believe is owned and managed by the same company. His rent was completely up to date; in fact he had paid more as it was in advance. He had lived in the property for the whole of his 76 years with […]

I am at my wits end with a refuse nightmare and rats!  I’ve been doing up a building containing 3 flats for about a year. When we started the project there was a large amount of refuse in the back yard of the property and in the alleyway adjacent to it. I phoned the environment department […]

I’ve decided to get started with buy-to-lets after a long period of interest but without enough capital.  Borrowing against my home and using savings I’ll have just shy of £100K to invest into deposits. I’ve been reading Mark Alexander’s advice on capital/debt so plan to retain some of this for rainy day funds rather than […]

My tenants guarantor has died and I don’t know what, if anything, I should do.  What would other Property118 members suggest? Can I insist they provide a new guarantor, or can I evict them? If I evict how should this be done? Thanks Fred Jones

I recently agreed to rent a flat and have just moved in.  The flat was advertised as part furnished but I explained to the landlord, before I agreed to take the flat, that I had my own furniture. He said that’s fine but he wouldn’t reduce the rent. I agreed to that on the basis […]

Ongoing for nearly a year, a letting agent (I no longer use them) owes me over £1,000.00 in rent that my tenant paid. I have been very patient and listened to many excuses and promises to pay me I’ve even been told that the bank has been authorised to pay me. The owner has no […]

I would like to know if I can get my holding deposit back.  I went for a property to relocate. The property was owned by a private landlord who appeared difficult from the start. She stated the deposit and asked us to pay via bank transfer. We did but 3 days later had to pull […]

One of my clients, Philip an IT consultant, recently completed on a purchase of a three bedroom house in Edmonton North London. It was his first venture into property investment and so I was impressed at how wisely he had bought. Furthermore it’s encouraging to see that it is still possible to acquire property in […]

In a Sky News interview this morning Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, said that rising house prices due to lack of supply represent the biggest single domestic risk to financial stability and continued recovery. Mr Carney compared the UK to his native country Canada which has half the population and builds […]