This weekend I came across a person who could become to landlordism what the legendary Roy Brooks was to the world of Estate Agency. His name is Mick Roberts and he operates in the Nottingham area under the brand of Advance Properties. I’ve not met Mick yet, in fact I’ve not even spoken to him […]

Letting agents regularly go bust amid claims of owing landlords and tenants thousands of pounds, so here’s a quick guide to what to look for to safeguard your money. Letting agents are not regulated, which means anyone can open and trade as a letting agent without any qualifications or licence.

Target markets where demand for student housing is growing are highlighted in a new specialist property report. Cities where demand is at the highest are in Lancashire and Scotland, according to analysis by property consultants Savills.

The Property Ombudsman wants views from letting agents about setting up client money protection insurance to safeguard rents and deposits. Unlike estate agents, letting agents are not regulated and do not have to protect client money in separate bank accounts.

The average monthly cost of renting a buy to let home dropped by 1.3% to £760 in May, according to a new survey. Although rents slipped back across the UK, renters are still paying more in London as average rents climbed 0.8% to £1,187 a month, says the latest monthly letting report from specialist landlord […]

I had a really interesting discussion about life insurance yesterday with a lady I’ve respected for many years. I will not embarrass her by publishing her full name as she doesn’t know I’m writing this. Some people reading this (former clients of The Money Centre in particular) and the lady in question if she reads […]

Just two years after buying my first intentional property investment I owned 9 more. Buying that first one was like finding a magic lantern for my buy to let mortgage business. The Genie that popped out to grant me my wish gave me the confidence I needed to share with other prospective landlords how I got […]

I remember several years back meeting an old farmer boy type landlord in the car park on my way into a Landlord Association meeting. He fit all of the stereotypes I mention in my blog about my first intentional property investment; you know, old, grumpy, HMO landlord, wearing a tweed jacket. Anyhow, he looked even grumpier […]

Students are more likely to rent good quality homes while away at university than worry as much about price or location, according to a new study. Nevertheless, around two-thirds consider landlords are still charging them too much for accommodation, says the research by student housing provider FreshStart Living.

Falling prices and relaxed buy to let finance lending has let landlords swoop to add properties to their portfolios. The average professional property business portfolio increased to 14.1 during the last three months, according to a poll by landlord lender Paragon Mortgages.

A buy to let mortgage in lending terms is very similar to a residential mortgage regulated by FSA rules, but just because something looks like a duck and sounds like a duck doesn’t always mean it is a duck. Buy to Let is still in most circumstances considered to be a commercial loan, and borrowers […]

Shared accommodation rates have grown much faster in the more mature age groups since the credit crisis, as revealed in a census of 10,000 individuals living in shared accommodation by SpareRoom.co.uk. The growth for over 45s in such a short space of time is startling, and the statistics below for the demographic of over 40s […]

Buy to let landlords should get extra tax breaks to encourage them to provide more homes lower rents and more stable tenancies, according to a new study. The action is needed to help a predicted 1.5 million young renters find a home because they are unlikely to ever afford to buy a property, says social […]

Property investors often have a key question – is my money better off in property or in some other form of investment? Many companies try and answer the question – mainly because they want to relieve property investors of their hard-earned cash in return for selling something.

Having agreed to buy my first intentional property investment I soon realised that it’s a bit like a visit to the loo, paperwork is important! I’d purchased my first home a few years before but to be honest I’d forgotten about all the paperwork I’d done at that time. All of a sudden it all […]

The housing market is still trying to shatter the glass ceiling imposed by mortgage lenders restricting home loans, but expectations are exceeding reality for most sellers as sales have plunged 40% since the 2007 boom. A number of surveys looking at the market all report more activity but less sales.

It’s likely that if you own a leasehold buy to let property that you have been a victim of the great service charge scam. Much publicity goes to fly-by-night letting agents whose businesses close leaving landlords and tenants out-of-pocket – but few dare to whisper the rip-off perpetrated by managing agents.

Buy to let is here to stay and even more families will have to rent if the economy does not improve, says new research. The number of private renters is expected to jump from 18% to 22% by 2025 – up from 7% in 1994 – reports a study from the Resolution Foundation for housing […]

The story began in 1989 when I purchased a property which I soon realised I couldn’t afford to live in. I suppose that was my first property investment and many landlords get started that way. I rented that property out when interest rates shot up and property values crashed leaving me in negative equity. I […]

85% loan to value borrowing is back with Kent Reliance Launching two new mortgage products. These are both variable rates at 5.49% for the two year, and 5.69% for the three year discounted rate. The ability to borrow 85% of the value or purchase price of a buy to let property has been a milestone ever […]

The Green Deal has fallen on deaf ears according to the latest research from the Association of Residential Letting Agents. The research found that half (51%) of the landlords questioned hadn’t heard of the Green Deal and over a third (33%) didn’t actually know the energy rating of their buy to lets.