NEWS from Paragon Mortgages for Professional Landlords Paragon Mortgages has updated its product range for professional landlords. The range includes six two year fixed rate products fixed until May 2015 with rates starting from 4.99%. There are also 12 two year trackers, with maximum LTVs between 65% and 75%, and one five year tracker. Intermediaries […]

Can you offer any advice to Roberta whose tenants have put in a request to change carpets? Roberta wrote in to say:- “This is something that has just arisen – a new tenant moved in earlier this week when I was away for a few days so I haven’t met her yet. I have used a […]

I have a court date coming up in April as I am taking my ex tenant to court over damage caused to the property by condensation. Does anyone have any experience with claiming for condensation as this is my first and hopefully my last court case? The tenant and his wife was with me for […]

Hi Mark (and all Property118 readers who may wish to chip in with an answer too) I am reading lots of really good articles on your website. Great information! Your article on Richard Baker inspired me to target Northampton, thank you for that. I actually live in London and really only have Saturdays to travel […]

Norwich property investment up for auction The freehold ground rent interest in Sentinel House in Norwich’s Surrey Street comes up for sale at the Acuitus commercial property auction on February 14 2013 together with an additional 41 lots. The current ground rent from the 104,000 sq ft office building (pictured left) is £100,000 pa and it […]

Mark Garner, a regular reader of Property118 has very kindly written in to share these thoughts on simple changes the government could make to incentivise the necessary growth of the UK’s Private Rented Sector.   What do you think? To increase the size of the UK PRS the Government need to change their current policy on:- Pensions […]

Auction House Devon and Cornwall are delighted to announce their next property auction will be held at 2pm on Thursday 14th February 2013 at Lewtrehchard Manor, Lewdown, Oakhampton, Devon EX20 4PN Contact details for further information are:-

The following Landlords Story about “Repeat fraudulent Tenants” came from a landlord who wishes to remain anonymous but who would also very much appreciate any advice you can offer. “I let a property to a couple found through agents last year. They have failed to pay any rent since then, save for the deposit and […]

I’ve put together a secret page called “20 Hot Tips for Buy to Let Property Investors”. This page contains links to my favourite articles and blog series’ I have added to Property118 over the last two years. In these articles I share ideas on how property investors can save money, minimise risks and maximise returns.

42 lots are going under the hammer on 21st and 22nd February 2013 in the Auction House Cumbria sale. Lots 1 through 26 are properties in North Cumbria where the auction will take place at carlisle Racecourse, Durdar Road, Carlise CA2 4TS and will start at 2pm on Thursday 21st Feb 2013

I have a single rental property which I bought in 2009. I refurbished it to a good standard and rented it to a young couple using an agent on a tenant find basis. The agent took the deposit. I allowed them to have dogs at the property. The young lady and dogs left, and a new […]

What will happen to your rental properties if you suddenly pass away? For landlords, it is more important than ever to protect both your rental properties and your family’s future.

Shawbrook Bank specialists in commercial and BTL finance have reduced their arrangement fees to 1.70% a saving of 0.80%, and their rates by up to 0.60% across their term product range. Big advantages Shawbrook have over many other commercial lenders is their desire to lend with far less onerous stress testing compared to high street […]

The former club house of an illustrious south Wales Valleys rugby club which is going under the hammer could be ripe for conversion, says auctioneer Paul Fosh. The Llanhilleth Rugby Club building (pictured left), on Commercial Road, Llanhilleth, near Abertillery, is to be sold at auction next month (February 14). The rugby club had been […]

The Great North Property Auction on Wednesday 6th February 2013 will see 67 properties going under the hammer from £9,950 – £289,950.

Findings from my|deposits reveal that the majority of tenancies end without any issues over the return of the tenant’s deposit. Last year approximately 99% of my|deposits members returned their tenant’s deposits either in full (60%), or with deductions agreed by the tenant (39%), without the need to involve the scheme.

One of our readers has sent in the following email (dark blue text below) and is looking for ideas that other landlords have used to minimise tax by spreading rental profits between spouses.  Mark Alexander has shared a few thoughts but would like to point out that he’s not a qualified tax adviser. Therefore, we […]

Per instructions from East Midlands Housing Group, Mansfield District Council, executors, Beneficiaries, trustees and other sources Barnes Chartered Surveyors is holding a collective sale of investments and “property with potential” of immediate interest to speculators, builders and investors on Thursday 28th February 2013 at the Towers, Botany Avenue, Mansfield, Notts NG18 5NG commencing 3pm prompt.

The National Landlords Association (NLA) is reminding all private residential landlords to familiarise themselves with the Green Deal and begin making energy efficiency improvements to all relevant properties, as the Government formally launches the scheme today (Monday 28th January.) The Green Deal is the Government’s vehicle to make the UK’s housing stock more energy efficient. […]

Accidental Landlords question regarding “no inventory” I have taken over as the landlord of a property after a divorce. Before this I was never involved in the property business!!  Anyway the house was purchase about three years ago and the first tenants that took the property are still in situ.  My issue is that I […]

The number of energy inefficient properties owned by landlords is steadily decreasing, according to research from the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA).  In December 2012, 61% of landlords reported that they had no properties rated F or G in terms of their energy efficiency, an increase of 11% on the year before.  This rise in […]