Having spent a lot of time lounging around the swimming pool and on the beach over the last few weeks (wedding and honeymoon in Florida) I couldn’t help thinking about creating a “Charter for Good Landlords”. Perhaps that’s a bit sad but hey, it’s the way my mind works and I can assure you it […]

Mark and I have worked together since 2003 and have very rarely fundamentally disagreed on a subject, but the Green Deal has split us down the middle with myself being very pro and Mark against. I am writing this whilst sat at home having cavity wall and loft insulation added for free! I am aware […]

Guest article by Howard Reuben IFA I am not a salesman, but ……….. buy it whilst it’s cheap! If you are considering your life cover plans at the moment or if you need to arrange life insurance over the next few months or so, please note that the new EU Gender Directive starts on 21st […]

A bombshell was dropped recently. Admittedly an expected Bombshell, but it took all us people working in the public sector by surprise in the speed of introducing the Homelessness Suitability Order, having hung around in the wings for over a year. Since the advent of the Housing Act 1996 councils have been able to make […]

Rightmove’s latest Consumer Confidence Survey of more than 33,000 home-movers finds that the proportion of respondents expecting average asking prices to be higher a year from now has risen to 29%, up by 7 percentage points on a year ago. However 17% of those 2007-2012 buyers who believe their property has declined in value since […]

Simon Dowse of Salisbury I have been a landlord for over 3 years and have worked in the housing market since 2004. I am slowly building a portfolio of rental properties with the aim of keeping them for as long as I am blessed to be on this planet! I insist that my agents treat […]

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. […]

The BuytoLet Loan Directory is the fourth feature publishing competitive and innovative product offerings to help clients identify appropriate funding facilities. In this publication we provide a selection showing the most competitive and commonly used rates on offer depending on the Loan to Value or deposit available in respect of BuytoLet Mortgages.

One of the oft used business phrases is “look after your customers”, but should this be “look after your tenant”. In lettings it is easy to assume that once you have a tenant you should simply leave them alone and your work is done. Imagine that philosophy in a restaurant – you are shown to […]

The FSA Mortgage Market Review rules will come into effect on 26 April 2014 and I have listed the FSA’s own summary at the bottom of this article for the avoidance of factual doubt. Will these new rules have a direct effect on Buy-to-Let? Technically no, as Buy-to-Let is seen as a commercial loan and […]

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