We have a tenant who is a single mum and she has been in the property since December 2011. One month after her starting the tenancy with the letting agent we use she started missing payments and paying minimal amounts like £5 per month. We served her section 21 notice on Oct 25th 2012 and […]

I have been asked what the dangers or pitfalls for businesses and clients would be in merely sitting back and waiting for the Banks to sort out the issues surrounding interest rate hedging products (IRHPs). The Banks have split down IRHP into three categories of the likelihood of mis sell. In essence, Category A are […]

I have often read that Landlords issue a Section 21 notice at the start of a tenancy. My Question is what are the advantages of doing this, and are there any drawbacks that I should be aware of? What happens if the AST ends and then rolls on to a Periodic tenancy and after a […]

Rent2Rent contracts – if you’re going to to it do it right Rent2Rent companies are using the wrong letting contracts Whilst I have never been a fan of the Rent2Rent scheme I have to accept that a lot of investors are using Rent2Rent as part of their strategy. As it is the mission of Property118 […]

In our role as inventory providers we sign in and out keys on a regular basis but as part of our own processes we also ask that the agent or landlord signs our worksheet to say they have received the keys back. This means that if there is an issue with the property going forward […]

Sorry to have to re-visit the issue of Foxtons again! I’m afraid it is the same story of unfair renewal fees. The “good “ thing is that mine is not a new case, just unresolved since 2010. I had used Foxtons to let a flat in 2009 – at that point I was made to […]

The National Landlords Association welcomes the new NLA Chairman, Carolyn Uphill, to the helm of the organisation. Carolyn, formerly the NLA Deputy Chairman, joined the Board of Directors in July 2011 having worked as a Local Representative in Manchester since 2010. Carolyn has extensive experience as a successful businesswoman and professional landlord letting student and […]

Yesterday the Treasury Committee published a letter sent to Andrew Tyrie MP from Martin Wheatley, Chairman of the Financial Conduct Authority dated 20 May 2013 regarding the Bank of Ireland’s recent move to increase the margin differential on its lifetime tracker mortgages. The letter looks at various aspects of the banks conduct and the FCA […]

I have relatives who have a protected tenancy, living in an oldish house in a rural area. Now in their 70’s they are finding it impossible to heat the house adequately in the winters. The heating system is antiquated and in need of updating. They have already provided improved loft insulation, paid for cavity wall […]

I can see the benefits of upgrading to business membership as it makes a lot of sense to include a link back to my inventory website and also to add my telephone number and email address so that members who follow one of my comments back to my member profile can get in touch should […]

If in doubt ASK Learning from other peoples experiences is often far more cost effective than making mistakes of your own! Advice on forums is no substitute for professional advice because comments and opinions are not insured. HOWEVER, discussion can lead to ideas which you may not have previously considered and can often point you […]

I have a question regarding what would be acceptable information for a planning department to give a Certificate of Lawfulness for a property I am potentially looking to purchase. Background: Property in question is the heart of one of the areas where 80-90% of all properties are of class 4 use. As many of you […]

My landlord has issued me with a section 21 because I have asked for certain information regarding where my deposit is and to see a copy of the gas safety certificate. I am devasted with this as I have a chronically ill daughter whom is on full disability and the house is perfect for her. […]

Referencing services for landlords come in several varieties and with numerous options and price structures.  You can get anything from a credit check for a fiver through to full referencing which guarantees rent on the due date if your prospective tenants and guarantors are considered to be a good risk. The larger referencing companies have […]

My understanding is that when a tenant abandons a property, they are responsible for the utility bills (gas, water, electric, phone) up until the end of their contract or until a new tenant moves in. It appears that if you send the utility company a copy of the AST, and in the terms it states […]

All good things come to an end – and in due course your  tenancy agreement’s fixed term will end too. What happens then? When the fixed term ends Some people assume that the tenancy will end and that if the tenants stay on they will be squatters who can be easily evicted.  However you will […]

I was renting from an agent and when the landlord returned they gave him my phone no. and he rang me screaming an shouting and swearing saying we had left the property filthy. It was cleaner than when we moved in! Two things were justified and we agreed to pay £200 for a new door […]

I bought 3 properties off-plan in 2008, and was assured that rental demand would be high. However in this particular area (Dudley, West Midlands) rents have declined, and now the Ground Rent is around 25% of the rentals income. The freeholder’s nominated management company have increased their fees, so that takes another 25%, and provide […]

I have a house for my student son and three friends. My question is quite simple. Would you do a three room tenancy agreement for three students renting part of the property and use of the communal areas, or a whole house tenancy single tenancy for the four (with the higher rent)? If there is […]

I have a current tenant, a lady of appx 35 with an 8yr old daughter, who has, can I say, ” gone sour on me.” She signed a Tenancy Agreement , drafted by, my then Letting Agent,for an initial 6months and which has then been followed for a further unspecified period on a periodic tenancy […]

Do you know of a standalone software package for inventories that let’s you insert time and date stamped photos into it? At the moment I use Imfuna Let which is good but I am becoming concerned about the fact that the pictures are time and date stamped in US rather than UK time. That is […]