Did you know that landlords can now get free loft, cavity and solid wall insulation and more, especially if your tenants are in receipt of benefits?
The procedure to find out whether your properties qualify for free insulation is simple; it costs just £100 for a survey and if the works go ahead the survey fee is refunded too! Continue reading Free insulation for tenanted properties
In this time of austerity, we must all put our shoulder to the wheel, do our bit, and pay our fair share. However, over the last few years with all the new requirements for Landlords and the resulting costs and additional work and some of the more recent developments, I wonder if Landlords are seen as soft targets for income generation?
It is well publicised that in addition to Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs) certain Local Authorities (LA) are now requiring private landlords to be licensed before they can rent their property for which they are charge a fee. To add to this Lewisham Council, for example, intends to not only fine any property owners found to be committing an offence under the Housing Health and Safety Regulation System but also charged an administration fee for doing so. The LA sees both of these situations as a new source of revenue. Continue reading Are Private Landlords Soft Targets?
Advice Requested
David Brinsden has a Green Deal problem and has requested advice from Property118 readers as follows:
“I have two Victorian flat conversions in Bedford, both let on LHA. Both properties have been visited by a council surveyor with a list of improvements needed. This came as a bit of a surprise!
One was easy as the property was due a new boiler & was soon installed. Continue reading Green Deal problem – Advice Requested
The National Landlords Association (NLA) is reminding all private residential landlords to familiarise themselves with the Green Deal and begin making energy efficiency improvements to all relevant properties, as the Government formally launches the scheme today (Monday 28th January.)
The Green Deal is the Government’s vehicle to make the UK’s housing stock more energy efficient. The NLA is warning that after 2016, landlords will be unable to refuse a tenant’s reasonable request for Green Deal improvements.
Furthermore, under the new legislation, landlords will be forbidden to let any properties found to have a poor Energy Performance Rating (F or G rated) after 2018. Continue reading The Green Deal goes live today – landlords urged to check it out
The number of energy inefficient properties owned by landlords is steadily decreasing, according to research from the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA).
In December 2012, 61% of landlords reported that they had no properties rated F or G in terms of their energy efficiency, an increase of 11% on the year before. This rise in the ownership of energy efficient rental properties could be down to upgrades of older properties or the sale of lower-rated properties.
Continue reading Landlords and Tenants Becoming more Energy Conscientious
It’s been a while since I wrote anything in my ‘Don’t shoot the messenger’ series. Mainly because I kept getting shot ha-ha.
But I have a tough skin.
This article is an open letter to all you P118 landlords but probably more the London crew, because it is about rent increases and London is a different animal to the rest of the UK. I see properties for rent in different parts of Britain where the rents seem reasonable.
London is off the scale though. read on
A multi-million pound scheme introduced to crack down on rogue landlords has resulted in only 11 people being reported to the procurator fiscal in two years.
The Landlord Registration Scheme has so far cost landlords and the taxpayer nearly £18 million since 2006, figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives have revealed.
That breakdown revealed responsible landlords have paid £11.2 million in fees, while the start-up Scottish Government grant for the scheme was £5.2 million. Annual running fees for the website since 2006 are estimated to be just under £300,000. read on
I have a shared house where the tenants are respectful and love this refurbished property as their home. The only thing they are requesting is proper drying facilities so they no longer need to use clothes racks or hanging stuff outside in the winter months
What do I do ?
The tenants would be happy to purchase tokens off me for its running cost if I purchased a token/coin operated timer equipment controlling a standard dryer. read on
We are a Manchester based property company and are in the process of building a small two bedroom two bathroom house, which we would like to sell or let when completed.
Where can I find authoritative information, preferably free, regarding the cost differences between :
(1) 12.5 mm dot and dab plasterboard and skim and 13 mm 2 coat wet plaster finish.
(2) 22 mm t & G flooring grade chipboard and 22 mm timber t & G boarding. read on
We have been renting a house and our landlady used a local estate agent for the process.
We are due to renew our tenancy and our landlady, after seeing all the charges for renewing to us from the estate agents, has said she was happy to do a private agreement between us. We get on very well and are good tenants.
The estate agents are now saying I can’t get my deposit back, surely if she is dispensing of their duties, I am entitled to it back? read on
Rightmove have released their House Price index for January which reveals some very interesting trends summarised below.
A copy of the full report can be downloaded by completing the form at the foot of this article. read on
Including in the last 5 Days:
Dafydd Hardy are holding a property auction on Thursday 31 January 2013 at the Anglesey Arms Hotel, Menai Bridge – 5:30PM.
To download the auction catalogue please complete the short form below. read on
Parsons Son & Basley are auctioning 10 properties at the Banqueting Suite, Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, Hove BN3 3BQ Thursday 21 February 2013 at 3pm.
To download a copy of the catalogue please complete the form below. read on
Louis Taylor are holding a property auction consisting of 12 lots with guide prices from as little as £35,000 at 7pm on 12 February 2012.
The venue for the auction is 66 Trinity Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST1 5NB
To download a copy of their catalogue please complete the short form below. read on
Clive Emson Auctioneers are holding their first auctions of the New Year on 4th-7th February offering 116 Lots. Download their auction catalogue by completing the form below. The four auctions cover lots of land and commercial and residential properties across the whole of southern England, from Kent to Cornwall and from the Isle of Wight to the M4 corridor. read on
Download the auction catalogue for the Athawes Son & Co National Property Auction Sale.
Date: Tuesday 29th January 2013 commencing at 1pm
Venue: The Grand Connaught Rooms, 61-65 Great Queen Street, Kingsway, London WC2. read on
HEB Chartered Surveyors are holding their first Nottingham property auction of the year on 13th February 2013.
There are 17 properties going under the hammer with guide prices from £20,000. read on
Richard Lambert, Chief Executive Officer of the National Landlords Association (NLA), says:
“The NLA welcomes the launch of the Green Deal Cashback Scheme. The Green Deal is already set to save landlords thousands of pounds in the cost of energy efficiency measures. That means tenants could see their fuel bills reduce significantly as a result. However, with the added benefit of the Cashback Scheme, tenants are likely to save even more, potentially hundreds of pounds – a significant incentive for tenants to agree to the Green Deal. Continue reading NLA welcomes the launch of the Green Deal Cashback Scheme
Green Deal Finance is likely to become a major discussion topic on forums, especially as it is now being reported by Green Deal Assessors going through training that it will cost between 7% and 8%.
At current interest rates that far more expensive than the cost of borrowing on a buy to let mortgage. Therefore, if a landlord is buying a property in need of replacement windows and a new boiler some may say that it is expensive form of funding. The counter argument of course is that borrowings funded via Green Deal Finance will in fact be paid for by tenants and subsidised by lower fuel prices .
The big question for me is whether tenants will accept that they really ought to pay the loan without asking for a reduction in rent or looking at an alternative property without a Green Deal Finance deal attached to it. Continue reading Green Deal Finance for Landlords – will it be viable?
"It's good to be Green"
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 that under the Green Deal in January this will no longer be available as a free subsidy, but in the current economic climate I am not surprised. However I will be planning on taking advantage of the interest free loans available and having a new more efficient boiler replacement for my main residence. Continue reading Green Deal Referees required by Mark and Neil
National Landlord Day, the major conference and exhibition from the Scottish Association of Landlords is now the largest landlord conference in the UK.
The 2012 event will be the fifth year for this popular event, bigger and better than ever and taking place at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh on 6 November 2012. Having been a sell out every year, our team is looking forward to welcoming over 400 people to National Landlord Day this year. Continue reading Invitation from the Scottish Association of Landlords
