Blog

Before the advent of the deposit protection schemes back in 2007 many landlords didn't bother with an inventory, or if they did, it was generally a few scribbled notes on a scrap of paper. The fact was prior to deposit schemes, landlords were free to be both ‘judge and...

In 2016 it was reported that 72 per cent of tenants said they struggled to get back the money they felt they were owed from their deposit, while around 59 per cent of tenants didn’t get  any  of their deposit back. But according to this study, only 20 per cent of...

I have seen so many experienced landlords make simple mistakes which cause them personal strife throughout the tenancy, here are my top 5 tips to make the process smoother for all involved;  1. Expect the unexpected – always have a slush fund When you rent out a property,...

When working as a Property Manager, if I received a pound for the amount of times a tenant had contacted me to report they had damp in their home and I needed to send a contractor immediately on behalf of their landlord to resolve it, and then when digging a bit further it had turned out to be...

Yesterday, on the 9 th February 2017, I noticed several news sites, radio shows and websites declaring various headlines about ‘Revenge Evictions’ with comments from prominent MPs, Housing Lawyers and the Housing Law Practitioners Association (HLPA) in the UK stating they felt that...

Buyer enquiries from potential landlords and investors are now up 30 per cent since May according to Rightmove, suggesting that the damage to demand caused by the stamp duty surcharge may be ebbing away. The portal says March and April saw a lull in activity, following the rush in the first...

Legal firm Mishcon de Reya is the latest voice warning of problems which can be caused when apartment owners let out their properties ‘privately’ through short-let platforms such as Airbnb. In its latest Property Update to clients and the media, the firm draws attention to a...

Buy-to-let (BTL) investors continue to benefit from falls in mortgage rates, particularly those looking for longer-term agreements. Analysis by Moneyfacts.co.uk shows that the average five-year fixed rate for a 75% loan-to-value buy-to-let mortgage has fallen below 4% for the first time....

The UK rental market remains resilient, despite an expected summer slowdown in activity. This is the message from the latest Agency Express Property Activity Index. The study of agents’ ‘To Let’ and ‘Let By’ found that during August there 4.1% fewer new...

A Birmingham MP is to put a Bill to the House of Commons after the summer in his bid to stop what he calls “ugly and badly designed extensions” of homes, created with the purpose of housing large numbers of students. The Ten Minute Rule Bill – unlikely to make it into law...