Blogs

Tuesday 21st May 2013

So the Government wants us to carry out immigration checks on prospective tenants.   Well, unlike a lot of those who have commented on the proposals, I support the general thrust of what is trying to be achieved but have a few questions of my own...

Friday 3rd May 2013

In a recent blog on the CLG website, housing minister Mark Prisk points out that the Government is taking steps to protect landlords and tenants from what he calls ‘unscrupulous lettings agents’...

Tuesday 30th April 2013

The Johnson v Old appeal was in three parts: first looking at whether the tenancy agreement required the tenant to pay six months rent in advance...

Tuesday 23rd April 2013

It has taken a while for the penny to drop about the build-to-rent industry, but it is now clear that this will become the 21st century, privately-funded institutional successor to council housing...

Friday 19th April 2013

Redress? Regulators? Why? The Government has been prodded towards a method of shutting the stable door once the horse has bolted – otherwise know as a redress system for letting agents...

Thursday 18th April 2013

An NLA membership allows you to feel protected in rental matters, and also ensures that your tenants know you’re trustworthy...

Thursday 18th April 2013

Landlord duties apply to a wide range of accommodation, occupied under a lease or license. The Gas Safety Regulations 1998 deal with landlord's duties to make sure gas appliances, fittings and flues provided for tenants are safe...

Tuesday 16th April 2013

With the forecast of one in five households in the UK renting a property by 2016 resulting in a requirement for an additional 1...

Tuesday 2nd April 2013

We seem to be moving closer to more regulation of letting agencies. Lots of people have long called for this but the Coalition Government has always rejected the idea...

Friday 15th March 2013

Landlords are failing to carry out regular inspections of their properties and are facing expensive maintenance and repair costs...

Tuesday 12th March 2013

Findings from the latest LSL Buy-to Let Property Index reveal the average yield on a rental property as 5...

Friday 22nd February 2013

The Green Deal, introduced by the Government and launched at the end January, is a new way to pay for energy-related improvements like insulation, double-glazing and new efficient boilers...

Thursday 7th February 2013

There has been a huge increase in the number of accidental landlords over the last few years as many home owners have been forced into renting their property, due to a range of circumstances from negative equity to the depressed housing market and divorce...

Tuesday 8th January 2013

What is going to happen with private tenants who are on housing benefit? And what are the implications for those private landlords who accept tenants on benefit? In recent weeks, the Chancellor has signalled the breaking of the historic link between the cost of renting and housing benefit payments by announcing that welfare for housing would rise at less than the rate of inflation...

Tuesday 4th December 2012

Just Do Property was designed for people like you toJUST DO property.  A highly successful one- stop portal for all things property related, justdoproperty...

Tuesday 4th December 2012

I am glad to see that, as reported on this site (http://tinyurl.com/cmaewel) the founder of Dssmove, Aki Ellahi, is flying the flag for tenants on benefits...

Thursday 15th November 2012

When it comes to signs of streaming windows or damp problems in our homes, our thoughts often turn to a dehumidifier...

Thursday 15th November 2012

Believe it or not, mould growth can have a detrimental effect on the health of those living in the affected property and as a Landlord could land you with a hefty fine, which is why mould should be dealt with quickly and effectively...

Tuesday 13th November 2012

It's a good time to be a landlord. Demand for rental properties is outstripping supply of new stock and rental values are soaring as a result...

Tuesday 30th October 2012

Since its introduction in 2008, Local Housing Allowance (LHA) has had a massive effect on landlords letting accommodation to housing benefit tenants...

Tuesday 9th October 2012

The Government has recently announced moves to boost housing by relaxing the planning process. Currently 400,000 planning applications are processed every year...

Friday 5th October 2012

  Last month the rumour mill was rife with the suggestion that the MPC might cut the Bank of England Base Rate below 0...

Friday 28th September 2012

I’ve noticed that an increasing number of property lots at auction recently have been snapped up by landlords who have never bought this way before...

Tuesday 25th September 2012

Should landlords who live abroad be forced by law to use a property management company? I believe so...

Friday 7th September 2012

Are you an accidental landlord? Did you get into the property game through a chance encounter, an unintentional decision or the inability to sell your home? According to the National Landlords Association (NLA) only 57% of landlords set out to enter the buy-to-let market...

Tuesday 4th September 2012

When a property becomes vacant, it can be prone to theft and vandalism.  Damage to vacant residential properties certainly causes problems for the landlords, and makes it harder to attract new tenants...

Tuesday 28th August 2012

Given that Sir Adrian Montague first called for evidence in February, and that a number of radical measures had been trailed, the final report is rather brief and cautious...

Tuesday 7th August 2012

Have you thought about dipping your toe in the buy-to-let market this summer? I’ve noticed that an increasing number of property lots recently have been snapped up by new landlords entering the market...

Friday 3rd August 2012

As demand for rental property continues to rise, so too is the incidence of fraudulent tenants, who are costing landlords thousands in lost rental income and legal fees...

Friday 13th July 2012

Earlier this month ARLA addressed a paradox that poses a very real threat to the letting sector: how to remain a critically important provider of competitively priced housing while conforming to recent energy conservation legislation...

Tuesday 10th July 2012

Building works for landlords – essential advice   For some landlords looking to increase the revenue they derive from their residential property, a renovation or rebuild project has real business appeal...

Friday 6th July 2012

I’m finding that as a result of the downturn in the economy, cheaper properties are becoming easier to secure, thanks to the growing number of repossessions on offer at auction...

Tuesday 3rd July 2012

When you call an estate agent or letting agent round to value your property, they may tell you they belong to a regulatory body such as TPO, NAEA, NALS, etc...

Tuesday 3rd July 2012

I have spent most of my career in the heavily regulated social housing rented sector. The Housing Corporation, Audit Commission, Tenant Services Authority and now the Homes and Communities Agency have all been regulators...

Friday 29th June 2012

Whilst it is vitally important to find a lettings agency who will market your property (or properties) professionally, source tenants and achieve the highest possible rent, there are a number of equally pressing factors to consider...

Tuesday 19th June 2012

There were over 5,000 agency offices vying for recognition at this year’s Sunday Times Letting Agency of the Year Awards, with just under 500 attendees at the awards ceremony...

Friday 25th May 2012

When speaking with landlords of residential properties, we often encounter assumptions about what is and isn’t included in their property’s insurance...

Tuesday 22nd May 2012

With the Queen’s Jubilee approaching there couldn’t be a more apt time to take a reflective look at the rental market over the past 60 years and what patterns are emerging...

Tuesday 8th May 2012

News of the ‘double dip’ recession has thrown a heavy stone into the buy-to-let puddle...

Friday 27th April 2012

Newham Council is looking into sending families to other parts of the country because it says it cannot house them in the borough...

Tuesday 24th April 2012

Type in ‘ethical letting agent’ with reference to ‘housing benefit’ into Google and you will immediately find over 17 million search results...

Friday 20th April 2012

The London Assembly’s report, ‘Bleak Houses– Improving the London Private Rented Sector’, and some London mayoral candidates have totally missed the point when they say private landlords should issue longer-term tenancies...

Friday 13th April 2012

According to Pat Barber of the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks, writing a blog on LAT, “a glossy inventory that relies heavily on photographs will be of little use in a dispute”...

Tuesday 3rd April 2012

Chris Kendall: Blog According to Pat Barber of the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks, has blogged that “a glossy inventory that relies heavily on photographs will be of little use in a dispute”...

Tuesday 20th March 2012

Mortgage rates have remained at an all-time low for quite some time now, which has been advantageous for many, landlords included, but there are ominous rumbles following Halifax’s recent announcement on the increase of its Standard Variable Rate...

Tuesday 28th February 2012

With the continuing difficulties in the mortgage market in general and specifically with regards to first-time buyers, it is looking increasingly likely that 2012 will be the year of buy-to-let...

Friday 24th February 2012

Self-service agencies are popping up all over the place and claiming they will change the face of lettings in 2012...

Tuesday 21st February 2012

London has seven universities in the world’s top 200 university rankings, which is more than any other city in the world...

Friday 17th February 2012

What is your role? Founder and CEO of www.upad.co.uk   What is Upad in a nutshell? Upad is the UK’s largest online lettings agency...

Friday 20th January 2012

Thousands of people across the country are affected by changes to housing benefit effective from January 1...