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1086 articles
What to do if you need to evict tenants?
Keeping up with the rules and regulations surrounding buy-to-let properties has never been more important. One lapse could mean a costly court fine or conviction. One area where it is particularly important to comply with these rulings is when a landlord wishes to evict tenants, particularly anti-social or problem tenants. The courts will want to […]
Landlord fined £10,000 while others face jail
A private landlord has been prosecuted and fined £10,000 for failing to get a licence for his rental property. Hastings Borough Council brought a successful prosecution against Philip Dempsey of Malden Road, Surrey, for failing to license his Bohemia Road property between October 2015 and June 2017, despite it being in a ward in the […]
Tenants become landlords to get on the property ladder
Home ownership figures are expected to fall further, as more young people are priced out of the property market. Basically, this means that a whole new generation is being priced out of the housing market, according to a new survey by LetBritain. Its figures show 39% of adults do not have the money to […]
Landlord tax boosts Treasury coffers by £2 billion
The unpopular ‘landlord tax’, which saw a 3% surcharge on the stamp duty paid on additional homes, such as buy-to-lets, has already raised about £2 billion for the Treasury. HM Revenue & Customs’ figures to July 31 show the number of property transactions was 1,204,730, which is about the same as in the same […]
Letting agents able to raise ‘safeguard alerts’ over poor condition homes
ARLA have encouraged property inspectors to raise alerts should they be concerned over the safety of a property. Alerts can be issued to fire brigades, environmental health teams or the National Grid. Sadly, a woman died as the result of an explosion in her flat caused by a broken gas pipe below the kitchen […]
Property investors turn their attention to HMOs
The number one choice for property investors this year is in houses of multiple occupation (HMO), according to new research. The survey by Shawbrook Bank looked at the investment opportunities in property for its clients and their outlook for 2016. These findings show that a third of the people surveyed said that HMOs are […]
UK Home Rental Index shows current average UK rents
The average cost of renting a home in the UK increased by a minimal 0.4% during September to £854 per month This is 5.6% higher than in September 2012 However, only three of the UK’s 12 regions saw monthly increases in average rents – Wales (4.1%), Scotland (1.7%) and Greater London (1.6%) Despite average […]
Checking in tenants with InventoryBase
Collecting signatures on inventories has long been a subject of debate amongst InventoryBase users, in terms of collecting signatures during a Check In of new tenants and when exactly they sign an inventory report. There’s no best practice that’s heavily pushed one way or the other, generally tenants will sign a tenancy agreement in […]
Property technology leads the way in searching for homes
Property technology or prop tech for short is continuing to make impressive waves in the house buying and letting arena. Traditional ways of viewing houses to buy or rent are being swept aside. People are no longer heading to high street estate agents or property management companies. Instead, they are going online to do […]
A trick of the light: preparing property for tenants
The Government has pledged to support house-building in the UK, which should provide new investment opportunities for landlords. New builds can be an excellent choice but unfurnished properties present specific challenges. The following are a few suggestions for preparing a new unfurnished property in order to maximise tenant interest in a competitive rentals market. […]
How could Airbnb’s move into long-term rentals affect the market?
In many markets, homeownership is not an option for a great deal of workers. This is true in the USA as well as the major cities in the UK, with prices meaning workers cannot afford to get a first foot on to the property ladder. More people are renting, in all age groups, and […]
Older citizens join Generation Rent
Think of the average UK tenant and images spring to mind of students or 20-somethings building up their careers and relocating regularly, as they change jobs or win promotion. These are people who are renting while saving up to get a foot on the property ladder. Many people will find it surprising that one […]
Innovative ways to invest in buy-to-lets
With house prices being so high in many parts of the UK, particularly in commuter hot spots such as the South-East of England and major cities, investors are seeking new ways to make money. Some are converting former factories or other commercial buildings into residential homes. One great example is a property developer who bought […]
Calls for all landlords to be held to account
Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, plus the revelations that thousands more tenants could be at risk in high-rise buildings, it is apparent that more needs to be done to safeguard the occupants. Karen Buck MP said that she proposed changes to housing regulations two years ago, but they were voted down by the government. […]
Buy-to-let remains a steady investment in the UK
Buy-to-let in the UK remains a strong choice for investors looking for a steady source of income. In the last 20 years, buy-to-lets have been a sound investment, both through the income they provide as well as the increase in property values. Even with the tax changes coming into force now, it is still a […]
Getting ready to meet new energy efficiency standards
Landlords do not have long to make sure their properties comply with the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) being brought in next year. If their properties are not compliant with the MEES, they could face hefty fines of as much as £5,000 for domestic properties. That is why all landlords are being urged to […]
Property tech ticks all the right boxes for investors
The term ‘property tech‘ is being bandied around a great deal these days as the sector sees unprecedented growth. The trend is set to continue into 2016 with big money being invested into start-up companies which are directly or indirectly concerned with the property sector. With so many people working smartly and remotely by […]
Right to rent faces legal challenge
The government’s Right to Rent ruling, which makes it a landlord’s obligation to find out whether would-be tenants have the right to be in Britain, is to be challenged. The controversial scheme has already been introduced in England, with plans to roll it out in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland too. However, the Joint […]
Landlords look at ways to cut costs
More than one in three landlords are looking at ways to cut costs, because of the increased tax they are facing since April this year. These include the phasing out of mortgage relief and 3% stamp duty on new buy-to-lets, which will eat into a significant part of landlords’ profits. However, the cost-cutting will not […]
Right To Rent could lead to accusations of discrimination
Many rental management companies and landlords were rightly dismayed when it was announced that they would have to check the immigration status of prospective and existing tenants. They argue that it adds bureaucracy, is time-consuming and is putting the onus on them to check the residency status of tenants, which is not what they signed […]
Proptech to shake up letting business
Letting agents are next in line to have their world transformed by property technology. Proptech start-up No Agent‘s founder and landlord, Calum Brannan, says he wants to see a significant improvement in the sector. He does not want letting agents to become extinct, but regenerated through technology. As a frustrated landlord, Calum set up […]
Landlords can find tenants through auctions
Auctions have traditionally been good ways to pick up bargains, whether it is furniture, antiques, works of art or cars. Prime TV shows like Cash In The Attic or Storage Wars also show how auctions can be an effective way to make a profit – if you know what you’re doing. Other popular programmes, such […]
Fire safety comes under the spotlight
The government has launched an emergency safety inspection of about 4,000 tower blocks in the UK, following the appalling tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire in London. Dozens of people are believed to have died when the blaze ripped through the tower block and many more families have lost their homes. Although the Chancellor Philip […]
Demand set to rise for rental properties
House prices rising at a much faster rate than wages is going to put home ownership out of reach for even more people in the future. Research suggests that about one in four households in Britain will be living in private rental accommodation by the end of 2021. An annual report by Knight Frank estate […]
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