HELP! We took on a couple a year ago as tenants. A month before the end of the contract the man said he was leaving his partner and gave notice for himself, but she wanted to stay on. We have given her notice, but she has only paid £225 this month instead of the £825 […]

I am currently going through ADR with DPS, and am just wondering is it at all possible that the lead tenant can request all the documentation that the landlord has submitted as evidence? The process is now with the independent adjudicator, so a decision is imminent, however, I was just wondering if either party is […]

My tenants reported a very serious leak from the water cylinder to my letting agents, who called in my plumber, who could find no trace of a leak from the water cylinder. When my tenants got home from work they found the next door neighbours pulling up carpets following a bad leak from their boiler […]

The phrase “amateur landlord” annoys me, I really wish people would stop using it. First off, if you were a tenant would you want to be dealing with an amateur landlord? I don’t recall ever seeing an advert on Rightmove or Zoopla which reads “Amateur landlord offers this stunning 3 bed ……” do you? Would […]

The importance of my question is that, depending on the answer, it may be a way for landlords to bypass requirements for HMO licensing,  selective licensing and the problems associated with article 4 restrictions. Yes it’s a simple question but with enormous consequences and to my knowledge the question has never previously been asked. Just […]

I have just read the latest survey about rent rises. We have several properties, but one, a townhouse, is coming up for review. In light of the latest RPI, and CPI which this month are aprox 2.7% and 3.3% respectively I am considering a rent increase. I was thinking of using these figures as a […]

I recently visited my tenant with a congratulations card as they had recently had a new baby. While I was there my tenant mentioned that the water pressure was very low from the bath tap and would my husband come round to have a look some time and that there was no rush (we manage […]

Provision for regular investment into rental properties needs a well considered BuytoLet strategy. A sensible Rainy Day fund is essential and prudent investors will factor this in when purchasing their rental investment and adopt an on-going approach to property upgrades. This is very much in keeping with Mark’s advise in the Basic fundamentals of a […]

I have a 6-bed HMO (2 storeys and unlicenced). I was inspected recently by the local authority and all was found to be pretty much in order, however I was unaware that I needed to produce annual inspection certificates for the smoke alarms, emergency lighting as well as an annual PAT cert. 1. Annual PAT […]

When we first published this info-graphic article we were blown away by the response and positive comments on Twitter. Who would have thought statistics on house movers could be so interesting? When you think about it though, as landlords it is useful to know why, how and when people move mome. I think what’s caught […]

As early as Christmas working households claiming support for private sector rent could outnumber those in which nobody works, says a new report published tomorrow (Friday 18 October) by London Councils. ‘Tracking Welfare Reform in London’ reveals that just under 50 per cent of households receiving benefit in private rented housing in the capital have […]

At Landlord Action we just don’t evict tenants for rent arrears or ending the tenancy because the landlord wants the property back.  We also get instructed by landlords that are worried about the condition of their property and how the tenants are treating (or mistreating) it.  If instances such as this are left to continue, […]

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) have reported the average house price in Britain is now £247,000. This figure reported for August 2013 is 0.3% higher than the previous record in 2008. Year on year house price inflation increased from 3.3% in July to 3.8% in August this year However the Bank of England are […]

In the last year Landlords borrowed £640 million on Bridging finance for the purposes of Buy to Let. The use of Bridging Finance by Landlords has increased significantly in the last few months with a record total for July and August alone coming to £194 million, which is an estimated 36% of all bridging loans […]

This Broadcast was meant to be last Wednesday but is instead being run today  between 12pm-1pm. Paul Shamplina, Founder of Landlord Action will be taking to the airwaves on BBC4’s You and Yours show, to highlight the shocking risk to landlords of the latest money making strategy to sweep the property industry, “Rent to Rent”. […]

This is my first contribution to Property118. I hope to make many more. We have formed a Right to Manage (RTM) Co for our block of 137 properties, and are now going fo Right to Enfranchise (RTE). However, we have recently discovered a discrepancy in our leases, which our solicitor (no longer practicing!) did not […]

First off, great site! As a wannabe investor/landlord for several years, I’ve been a keen follower of this and similar landlord online resources, which have been a great source of inspiration and learning about the landlord business. Many thanks! My wife and I are now planning to take our first steps into residential property investment […]

I have an example of how the commercial market is changing. Some lenders are now taking a risked based view of using second charges over equity as security for development finance rather than only relying on pure cash being put up as collateral by investors. Example of a recently completed case, as follows: A builder/developer […]

I am interested that I can’t see any response to, or comment about, George Osborne’s announcement last week to withdraw benefits to claimants – first for 1 month, then for 3 months. Am I the only landlord with social tenants?! There are serious implications. Here is an extract of a letter I am sending to […]

I would like help please with legal clarification over whether I have to legally return rent paid in advance by a tenant. An independent professional inventory clerk has confirmed the tenant is liable for damage and the deposit and rent held is not sufficient to cover the damage. My tenant has paid me rent 6 […]

The Council of Letting Agents has today called for better electrical safety standards in Scotland’s privately rented properties. Speaking at their inaugural conference, Council of Letting Agents (CLA) Convenor Kathleen Gell said: “Scotland depends upon the properties that our letting agents manage. People rely on these properties for their homes and they need to be […]