Increasing tenant demand and a fall in the number of properties available to let are driving rents higher, says the latest letting market review from the Royal Institute of Surveyors (RICS).   Tenant demand is strongest in London and the East but increased across all regions.

The Bank of England statistics for lending to individuals – which covers homeowner loans and buy-to-let finance – showed net lending secured on dwellings increased by £0.1 billion, below the June increase of £0.5 billion and the previous six-month average of £0.8 billion.

Tenants pick up the phone and call the landlord or letting agent at the first hint of a problem with the home they are renting – but it’s not always down to the property owner to foot repair bills. The landlord has an obligation to make sure a rental property is fit for someone to […]

Mark Alexander  explains why, even though rates at these levels are extremely unlikely, high interest rates due to high inflation over a sustained period could actually be extremely good news for landlords who follow The Money Centre strategy of combining liquidity and high gearing.

Paying tax is not an option – there’s not a box on a self-assessment form for ‘no publicity’ or to cancel your annual payments to HM Revenue and Customs. The rules say that if you earn the money, then you must pay the tax, but you can manipulate the rules to make sure you do […]

We’ve been reviewing our client’s property portfolio’s now for 20 years and making recommendations that have transformed many of our clients to millionaire status. However, we’ve now developed a way to enable us to help far more clients in the future.

Families and friends of someone who has died that have paid out Inheritance Tax (IHT) on land or a home that was sold for less than the value of the property when they took over ownership can reclaim some or all of the tax they paid. Many property sellers are unaware that they can benefit […]

House prices are pretty much at a stand still this year although prices are up an average 6.7% for all types of property on July last year. Prices climbed a modest 0.4% in July, according to the latest house price data from the Land Registry.

Landlords are urged to check out gas safety at their properties and to make sure properly qualified fitters are carrying out work on boilers, heating and cookers. Student landlords should carry out safety checks before the start of the new academic year, says the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the organisation responsible for enforcing gas […]

The Money Centre’s re-launched online Landlord News Magazine already has 100,232 subscribers according to figures released today by an official source. The magazine was re-launched by The Money Centre just over a week ago and has captured the interest of literally thousand of buy-to-let investors throughout the UK and beyond.

One in four buy to let landlords have solid confidence in property investment and believe now is a good time to invest. Only 2% consider now is a good time to reduce their portfolios – and although the rest think now is not the time to invest, one in three (32%) want to buy more […]

Property investors and small businesses are finding problems borrowing as banks and finance institutions have slashed lending by about £13 billion. The latest annual lending survey by the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB) shows about £20 billion a year was available for businesses to borrow in the mid-2000s and this has slipped by […]

Property investors innocently switching homes or renting them out may fall foul of new measures to combat fraud. Two new schemes have started this month aimed at fighting buy to let fraud – but may trap landlords maximising returns and tax reliefs for their properties.

An effort by the taxman to simplify inheritance tax valuations and forms has resulted in the publication of 80 pages of guidance notes. Solicitors and estate planners specialising in IHT have seen a number of changes from HM Revenue and Customs in recent months – including a new online self-assessment system for dealing with tax […]

Buy to let landlords should ignore the myths about insurance and make sure they have the best cover at the best price, says the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Property investors and homeowners spend billions every year or buildings and contents cover, often without understanding the terms and conditions of their polices.

The banks continue to put a brave face on restricted lending by claiming mortgage approvals are up year-on-year – but any property investor or buyer trying to raise a loan to buy a home will probably tell a different story. Lending figures issued by the banks, building societies and other financial sector groups are now […]

Rents are edging back to highest ever levels as the average UK buy to let rent hit £676, according to monthly data from one of the UK’s largest letting agents, LSL Property Services. The cost of renting a private home rose 0.5% in July – the sixth monthly increase in a row and a 1.4% […]

Low house prices and interest rates have sparked a holiday home boom as investors swoop property at popular tourist locations all over England. An estimated 245,384 investors now own a second home in England – and the figure’s likely to go up, says a survey by top people’s estate and letting agent Knight Frank.

Most landlords look at reducing council tax and business rates while letting property is unoccupied but don’t realise they may have voided their buildings insurance if they make a claim while the property is empty. Thousands of homes stand empty at any one time – the latest figures for England show 650,000 homes were vacant […]

Second home and holiday let owners are set to lose lucrative tax breaks worth thousands of pounds in a proposed change in the law to bring the UK in to line with European rules. The tax landscape for furnished holiday let owners has suffered from uncertainty from the government for some time.

The heat is on property owners to show energy efficiency ratings for homes for rent. Letting agents and landlords may have to show the stats to comply with a new European Union directive requiring energy ratings are available before property marketing starts that is due for introduction in 2012.