Page 864 – Property118

How do I add my picture or a business logo to comments?

7th June 2013

So many people have asked us how to add a picture or logo to their comments that we decided to make this really easy. When you become a Property118 Member you will have an opportunity to upload a picture and or a logo to your member profile.

Bad Landlords

6th June 2013

Why on earth would anybody want to search Google for “Bad Landlords”? My stepson (Ilya) bought something to my attention this evening which blew my mind. Ilya is a student at Greenwich University and is studying games development. He’s a self confessed Geek, far worse than me LOL. Mark, he said, you know you run […]

Tenancy agreements – Using the correct agreement

6th June 2013

People often talk about getting a tenancy agreement as if it were the same as getting a table or new kettle for the property.  Anything will do. However a tenancy agreement is a very important document.  It contains the rules which govern how your tenant is going to use your property – your valuable investment. […]

Landlords: how to counter tenants’ complaints about damp

6th June 2013

How often have you had a tenant complain about damp patches or mould? You may even have had builders or specialists in to fix the problem, only to find that the come back again. Unless you have worked out exactly what is causing the dampness and mould  in the first place, than all a builder […]

First steps in recovery of outstanding tenant debt

6th June 2013

When a tenant leaves a landlords property with outstanding debt there is a process to follow which will help with the recovery.  The first thing that is crucial in the recovery process is the location of the current address if the ex tenant has not left a forwarding address. This will be required for any […]

Contents insurance needed on exchange or completion?

5th June 2013

I’m about to exchange contracts on 2 buy-to-let properties next week to add to the property I already own and rent out. According to the Citizen Advice website “You should make sure that buildings insurance is arranged from the date of exchange, because once contracts have been exchanged you are responsible for the property.” 

HMO or two flats?

5th June 2013

I have just purchased a 3 storey property and I’m looking into the best options. I have worked out all calculations based on turning it into ground floor 1 bed flat and 2 bed flat over top two floors but it has been mentioned that a HMO would be a really good option? I don’t […]

Residential Property Development up by over 15%

5th June 2013

The value of private residential property development projects starting on site is up 15.2% compared with the same period in 2012 according to fresh figures from just release by construction industry analysts Glenigan. The UK construction industry has seen a rise of nearly 1.9% in new building project starts in the three months to May, […]

FREE MEMBERSHIP

4th June 2013

[social_connect_shortcode] or Our mission is to facilitate the sharing of best practice amongst UK landlords, tenants and letting agents. Members can choose to receive free a daily Newsletter or a weekly roundup every Saturday.

@HMOlandlady explains how not to invest into HMO’s

4th June 2013

Letting is a business, right?  Why is it, then, that some of my friends think I swan around all day tipping my fictional hat to the occasional tenant with one hand whilst emptying their pockets with the other I currently have 30 tenants (25 of which are in HMOs), purchasing a house to convert into […]

Property Investment in Peterborough – Free ebook

4th June 2013

Buy to let investors in Peterborough can see between 8 to 10% pre tax returns on capital employed for standard housing and over 14% for HMO multilets. Peterborough is part of the London, Stansted and Cambridge growth corridor which is needed to accommodate the growth of London. According to the initial Assessment of Growth Potential […]

Gas Explosion in your property

3rd June 2013

My property was two doors up from the property directly opposite the property that blew up in Tinsley, Sheffield. It is rented out by a local housing association. Our property roof tiles were damaged in the blast. There is literally nothing left of the property. The housing association is having to rehouse not only their […]

Calculating rental yields and returns

Rental Yield Definition

1st June 2013

I wonder if someone would be good enough to explain rental yield to me as I want to know I am on a sustainable track. We have one property which we bought outright for £129000 and we rent this out for £600 pcm. We then remortgaged another property we owned outright to raise the deposits […]

Council Tax Responsibility and risky advice to tenant by CAB

1st June 2013

Citizens Advice apparently advised my periodic tenant yesterday that she can move out immediately by signing a letter agreeing to DPS releasing the deposit to me. I suppose, technically, she has given her one month notice and paid her final month’s rent in the form of the deposit. She is at liberty to vacate any […]

Tenancy agreements – Why you need one

1st June 2013

Did you know its not actually necessary, legally, to have a tenancy agreement?  You can create a perfectly valid tenancy on a handshake, handing over the keys and collecting the rent from your tenant (s54(2) Law of Property Act 1925). The tenant goes in and, bingo – assured shorthold tenancy created. No problem. Or is […]

Online Property Management Testimonial by Suzanne Edgecombe

1st June 2013

Being a regular reader of Property118 I felt I would like to express my gratitude for this free website by writing a testimonial for the online property management company which Mark Alexander referred me to. I submitted a “Readers Questions” article and several GOOD Landlords made a big effort to respond and offer me advice. […]

Prospective tenants are diplomats – could this be a problem?

31st May 2013

I have had an enquiry in respect of diplomat tenants. Where I would stand if I had rent guarantee insurance and they were to default on their rent or breached their contract? Would the same rules apply to evicting them or would they have diplomatic immunity? My concern is whether my rent guarantee insurance would […]

Ask your fellow landlords and letting agents a question

31st May 2013

You have probably noticed that our Forum Page is full of Readers Questions articles. You may have also noticed how many helpful people there out there prepared to share their knowledge based on their experience free of charge 🙂 We are delighted with this as the mission of the Property118 forum is to facilitate the […]

Leeds Building Society BuytoLet rates cut by up to 0.7%

31st May 2013

The Leeds Building Society has cut its BuytoLet rates buy up to 0.7% on selected products whilst keeping low fixed fees and continuing to offer products at 80% Loan to Value. Headline rates include: 3.29% 2 year discount followed by a 3 year discount at 4.99%. (This is based on the Leeds variable rate of […]

Tenants partner moving in, likely issues?

31st May 2013

One of our properties has a newish tenant. We know she is on some sort of top up benefit. The rent, so far has been paid on time and there appear to be no danger signs. It now appears she does have a partner, who “stays” occasionally! If he has moved in, I know her […]

My Property Strategy – Opinions Please

31st May 2013

My property strategy is to purchase 2 bed terraced properties around £130-150K value but try to buy from motivated sellers for £125K where possible. I have made one offer to date on a property listed at £145K owned by a developer who took it as a part ex, but they have (expectedly) declined my offer […]