RLA welcomes news that the Department for Work and Pensions will allow direct payments of housing benefits to be made to landlords in Northern Ireland. However Ministers at the DWP have objected to the implementation of the same policy across the rest of the UK, arguing that payments to tenants will promote financial responsibility. Following […]

Couples in property limbo are living in Flatshares with no way onto the property ladder. 44% of couples living in flatshares say their living situation is affecting future plans to start families 14% of couples in flatshares say they will never be able to afford to buy property 35% of couples say the biggest challenge […]

Peter Block of Homes2rent-uk.co.uk St Albans I am a Landlord and over the past 10 years we have built up experience in successfully managing the purchase, letting and upkeep of residential properties. We are set up to assist both tenants and landlords. We take great pride in our houses, they are homes. Our maxim and […]

An Enquiry into the Private Rented Sector by The Communities and Local Government Committee will give us all an important opportunity to voice our opinions before the 17th of January 2013. The Enquiry is to focus on many important issues often discussed within Property118 by it’s readers: The quality of private rented housing, and steps […]

Last month Mark wrote an open letter to The Property Ombudsman, which is copied below, concerning agents operating illegally. To see that letter and the reply from Christopher J Hamer of The Property Ombudsman CLICK HERE. Action has now started to help better protect the public in the future and the reply letter confirming what […]

Landlord possession claims increase as rent arrears are at their highest level for four years. The Government’s quarterly court statistics show that in the second quarter of 2012 there were 25,422 landlord possession claims that led to an order being made. Since 2010 orders made in England and Wales are up by 8% with Gloucestershire […]

Christopher Hamer The Property Ombudsman took up his current post in 2006. Prior to this he was the Private Secretary to the Parliamentary Commissioner, Director of Services at the Insurance Ombudsman and the General Manager at the Personal Investment Authority Ombudsman Bureau. Immediately before taking up his position as The Property Ombudsman Christopher worked in […]

Peter Lewis of Devon Landlords Association  and his wife have been landlords for about fifteen years as a result of a daughter going to University and deciding to become a landlord rather than paying one. Peter’s career is quite eclectic, but always associated with education in one form or another. He taught in the south […]

Norwich City Council is the first local authority in the country to use Proceeds Of Crime Act (POCA) 2002 against a Criminal landlord who failed to comply with HMO license conditions. Mr Joseph Howman, of Grosvenor Road, Norwich, pleaded guilty to nine offences under the Houses in Multiple Occupation Regulations 2006 and did not meet […]

The founders of Property Tribes and Property118 are very much believers in collaboration as opposed to competition. With this in mind both forums have agreed to share with each others readers the trending topics from this week: The Property Tribes landlord and investor forum is always buzzing with the discussions on Landlordism and property investment. […]

Jaz Dulay of Beaconsfield Bucks I am a Landlord      

Part Three in HMOLandlady’s series of articles that started with Setting up an HMO from Scratch and Finding Tenants for an HMO. This week she shares her stories and frustrations at actually getting someone to turn up for an HMO viewing appointment. It’s definitely been a week of no shows. Why are the people who […]

Peter Davis of Eastern Landlords Association has been in the post nearly three years as CEO of the regional membership landlord association, with more than 1200 members, supporting and advising residential landlords on all rental issues. Peter previously spent five years as Buy-to Let mortgage consultant with The Money Centre, following a period working in […]

Randall Taylor of Inchin Development & Letting Glasgow I have been a landlord since 1975, believe in keeping up to date with all regulations and I am a member of the Scottish Association of landlords. I believe in providing good quality safe accommodation and I treat my tenants with respect and respond as quickly as […]

Barry Jeffrey of James and Company Lettings Uxbridge JAMES AND COMPANY PROPERTY LETTINGS AND MANAGEMENT AGENTS Established to offer a quality, independent lettings and property management service. Located in Uxbridge, we offer an exclusive property lettings and management service. On behalf of both private and investment owners we let and manage quality residential property throughout […]

Malcolm Ingham of Saffron Walden Essex I have been a landlord since 1988. I believe in keeping up to date with all regulations and for this I rely on input from several estate agents and property websites. I also believe in providing good quality safe accommodation, treat my tenants with respect and respond very quickly […]

All the property “gurus” (and I’ve really started to despise that word) advocate buying BMV property – “you make your money when you buy the property not when you sell it” as Robert Kiyosaki (the guru’s guru) says. One of the best ways of doing that is buying repossessed property at below market value. Given […]

The UK Association for Letting Agents (UKALA) has relaunched with a new membership offering aimed at helping professional lettings agents compete in an evolving private rented sector. To help spearhead the new approach, Caroline Kenny (Formerly a partner at Cluttons LLP) has been appointed the new UKALA Executive. Caroline Kenny confirmed that the new membership […]

There are two obvious ways to increase net rental yield; 1) reduce outgoings 2) increase income – but how? In this article I will explain how by using the “deed of assurance” legal document template, which is available to all members of The GOOD Landlords Campaign, you can achieve both. This is a brand new […]

Tenancy Renewals are causing landlords and letting agents problems and complications due to the new Deposit Protection rules requiring landlords to issue a new Deposit Protection Certificates whenever a new tenancy is created. This INCLUDES the provision of a new tenancy agreement for an existing Tenancy Renewals. The consequences of failing to issue a new Deposit […]

Ed Atkinson of Henley Property Partnership Henley-on Thames My wife Maggie and I have enjoyed being landlords for 25 years. Our success, measured by rare void periods throughout our 20 properties, is due to providing smart,quality accommodation with tasteful furnishings at fair rents. With no tenant set-up fees of any kind !  We encourage prospective […]