This is probably fairly simple but I cannot seem to get my head around it. My wife and I and my inlaws (mother and father) are going to buy a BTL property in the new year. I have 3 questions. I’m guessing we would need to be tenants in common each owning 25%? As some […]

Our management company has just increased the service charge for our flats by 23% starting January 2014 (excluding ground rent which is a separate charge.) Just 6 months ago, they sent us a bill of £2,000.00 each for redecorating, to be paid upfront in full. The property comprises of 6 flats in a block with […]

I know that due diligence is needed when buying Below Market Value “BMV” when the vendor is in financial difficulty. My understanding is that if the vendor is subsequently made bankrupt the sale can be overturned buy official receivers. However, if the buyer was to re-sell the property for a profit? Is the person who […]

It would appear that Mortgage Express are now operating a zero tolerance policy on buy to let mortgage accounts which fall two or months into arrears. In recent months I have heard of several landlords who feel hard done by. After just two months of mortgage arrears have accumulated Mortgage Express have called in their […]

I’m looking for some clarity on taking equity out of a BTL Property, and whether the interest on the loans is tax deductible. If I have a property with little or no mortgage and I’m in the process of re-mortgage it,  taking say £50,000.  Can I use this cash to buy a fast car and […]

And the winners of the Simply Business Landlord & Property Website Awards 2013 are …..  #1 Property118.com Simply Business said …. “Our number one pick for this edition of Landlord & Property Owners Awards is property118.com. The portal offers a remarkable number of tools and resources for landlords and property owners alike. It is simple […]

I own 6 BTL’s, all mortgaged, acquired over 12 years. They are all in my sole name. I employ local letting agents on a let only basis, managing the tenants myself. I now struggle to manage them as well as I like due to time constraints /work commitments. My question is this; could I employ […]

Back in 2009 I wrote a paper warning of the risks of associated with Lease Options to both vendors and tenants who decide to rent with a view to purchasing a property via a landlord using a sandwich lease option method to control ownership of property.  Originally published on 17th October 2011. Re-published on 12th […]

It is that time of year when we start to get a bit of time on our hands to review what are plans are for the next year. After getting to know and work closely with Tony and Chris at LettingSupermarket.com we did a small scale Victor Kiam (if you remember he liked the razor […]

My wife and myself jointly own a BTL which we let out. I am a higher rate tax payer but my wife is on the 20% rate. Ideally I would like to do a transfer of equity into her name to reduce our tax on rental income. I have contacted the mortgage company and there […]

Accidental landlords looking to sell and take advantage of tax breaks on former main residences are being advised of the importance of doing so before April 2014. The Chancellor George Osborne confirmed in his Autumn Statement that Capital Gains Tax relief on former homes will be halved from 36 to 18 months when the new […]

Being sold by current landlords to release funds for investment in a larger HMO. 4 bed multi let HMO producing rental income of £1,880 pcm. Gross Yield 9.6% based on £230,000 purchase price. Local Authority Fire Risk Assessed and professionally prepared.  End terrace house, PVCu double glazed windows, central heating and enclosed rear garden. Situated […]

I have been a landlord since 1989. In this series of articles I will explain how to become a landlord, how I built my property investment portfolio and some hints and tips I’ve learned along the way to make my own life and my tenants lives a lot easier. It can be a lot less […]

UK Property Research Tool What you need to know and where to find the information X This Property Research Tool is for the benefit of all property buyers, landlords, tenants, owner occupiers and professional advisers associated with property. Thanks to business sponsors and Property118 Members for their incredibly generous donations making the development of this […]

I came across a story today and felt compelled to share it with you. It has nothing to do with property for a change but it touched me and I think it will touch you too …… ….. At the end of the wedding party, her mother gave her a newly opened building society account, […]

Mr Iain Duncan Smith the Work and Pensions Secretary, admitted to Parliament yesterday that the Universal credit system was not yet ready for couples who make a claim. This was after a storm on Sky News using NLA figures showing that the number of landlords letting to people on benefits has crashed from 46% to […]

Reading about the experiences of other landlords with Mortgage Express on Property118 has been very disturbing and familiar. I hope that sharing my brothers story will result in the National media and housing charities picking up on what is really going on in the PRS. I am happy to be contacted by the press and […]

We are about to have our home repossessed and are looking to rent but obviously failing credit checks. The repossession is a result as arrears we obtained when my husband lost his job. He is now in employment and as we have 3 children we receive some financial assistance. We have no problem affording the […]

Are mortgage lenders having a campaign to ask interest only mortgage borrowers “what are your repayment plans?” In the last 24 hours I have been contacted by two people, with different mortgage lenders, both telling me a very similar and disturbing story. The first was my plumber, he popped around to see me yesterday. He […]

The news that firms which manage blocks of flats are to be investigated by the Office of Fair Trading should be welcome to anyone who owns a flat in England or Wales. Complaints about the management of blocks of flats and the activities of managing agents have been escalating in recent years, as more and […]

Earlier this year I promised to review various areas of the UK to establish what returns are available and what I would be buying if I was starting out again today.  Note that I’ve been a landlord for nearly 25 years and stopped buying four years ago to retire and live off the fruits of my investments. […]