Foreign owners of UK residential property face a new capital gains tax (CGT) if they sell after 6 April 2015.  Some property experts believe sales will rise ahead of this date, pushing up the supply of available London property this year. Has anyone seen evidence of this yet? Regards David

I’m looking for a reliable tenant vetting service.  Do you use these services to verify your tenants? What are the best services available? What is your experience with these services? What are the alternative tenant verification processes (bad tenant registers; guarantors; rent in advance? Thanks for your advice! Helen

I put down the reservation fee to buy a property on a re-assignment basis (i.e. I am buying the right to buy from somebody else; not directly from the builder). I do not have any problem in putting down the 10% required to exchange contracts however, at completion (expected to be December 2015) I will […]

Having recently acquired a property with a 75% Loan to Value mortgage, I had to pull down from the mortgage on my main residence to make up the other 25%. My question is can I deduct the interest only element of the 25% for tax purposes as well as on the 75% mortgage?  Thanks Brian

My mother lives in a retirement bungalow which is fully owned by her. I would like to buy it from her to remove it from her estate to reduce IHT tax and possible care home possession.  There is an age implication whereby someone living on the estate has to be 55, which I now am. […]

I have read up on this all over the internet and there are different pieces of advice!  Tenant is 2 months in arrears, his AST doesn’t run out until December 15th 2014. Can I do a section 8 or not? If not is it a Section 21 A? or B? We have been thrown out […]

At last the Government has agreed that every letting agent in England and Wales must join an authorised consumer redress scheme to ensure tenants and leaseholders have a straightforward option to hold their agents to account. The law comes into effect from today – 1st October 2014.  Any agent that fails to join one of […]

I am currently letting a 3 bed property to 2 reliable tenants. I wanted to cancel my contract with the letting agent as I recently relocated back to UK after being away for 12 years. They tell me due to the tenants having been found from their agency, I cannot cancel the contract until after […]

I’m thinking of entertaining the idea of getting my first BTL.  I’m mortgage free at my present home so by moving in with mother and renting my property this would give me a small income of around £450 / £475 a month. I want to get a 3 bedroom property and rent 2 of rooms […]

I have submitted a Planning Application to turn the basement of a 3 storey house into a self-contained flat.  Many others in the street have done so without any provision for extra Parking. The application has been approved subject to a condition under Policy AW5 that I create a hard-standing parking provision in the rear […]

Has anyone else heard about a group of small companies that are preparing a legal battle against West Brom for wrongly raising interest rates in the aftermath of the credit crunch? It would appear they cited “a market disruption clause” as the reason to lift rates that should have tracked the LIBOR rate. Their solicitors […]

Southwark Council have just published their proposals for additional and selective licensing. The consultation papers and response form can be found at http://www.southwark.gov.uk/talkrent. The proposal is for a scheme that is not generic in nature but focuses on the problems with the PRS market in Southwark. It is intended to be easy for landlords to […]

I have been contacted by freelance TV Research Journalist Ryan Ramgobin who is working with a TV production company called Films of Record. They claim to have been established for over thirty years and make human-interest documentaries such as BBC2’s Great Ormond Street series.  Ryan is currently researching the problems landlords face and would like […]

The Leasehold Knowledge Partnership “LKP” recently reported that the Law Commission is going to examine subletting fees charged by freeholders and their managers and speculation is rife that they will be outlawed for good. LKP have advised anyone selling or renting out a flat should keep all documentation with a view to making a claim […]

There is a solution, however, civil litigation or involving the Police is highly unlikely to to provide it.  If a rogue agent has shut up shop after plundering funds owed to clients then you could be throwing good money after bad by instructing a solicitor, especially if the business was a Limited Company with no […]

I have 4 properties in my portfolio and I just try and to a good landlord and hope that my work reaps dividends later.  I should have completed a re-mortgage yesterday (Friday) on a refurbished property that is now let. Actually I have completed the re-mortgage, I just haven’t received my money from my solicitor. […]

Within the last 2 weeks another Letting Agent operating for approx 7 years has gone into receivership. Tenant deposits had not been protected, some landlords had not been paid for at least 7 months and apparently all the money has disappeared!!  They must have ‘managed’ over 200 properties, a fair amount of bond money and […]

I am a landlord of over 10 years now and I have to say I’m very rarely shocked, but I feel that this particular letting agent has over stepped the mark of what is acceptable behaviour and should be punished.  The only problem is – I don’t know how to go about it and would […]

I am looking to remortgage a BTL property for the first time, which has been renovated. The outbuilding was converted to a sunroom/lounge and have added a shower/WC which is under the permitted development specs.  The house has 5 beds but only 2 floors, apparently some lenders specify that if there are 5 occupants it […]

I am new to the forum and I may even be in the wrong place, but someone out there may be able to advise me or even help me find what I am looking for.  My wife and I are English professionals living in France. We own our house outright. Due to a change in […]

We are new to this forum but were recommended by a work colleague following our difficulties with Haart’s full management service.  Not to go into the whole long and laborious story but we have been using the full management service for the past year and are now coming to the end of the contract. The […]