The monthly magazine providing news analysis and professional research for the discerning private
investor/landlord
367 results found for 'landlord news'
Are the dark clouds which have been impacting the property investing outlook and landlord...
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is an iconic western film, which starred the veteran Hollywood...
The Tenancy Deposit Scheme ("TDS") was introduced on 6th April 2007. In essence, s213-215 of...
Most property investors start their investing career by operating in their own personal name....
Unfortunately, many of our investor clients continue to deal with tenants who seem to struggle...
Q. We rent a property to rent out to licensees and our license...
Q. I recently purchased a property with tenants in it. When I viewed...
In Edwards v Kumarasemy [2016] UKSC 40 the Supreme Court has ruled on the extent of an...
The start of a new year brings hope of new products, lenders and rates being cut. We already...
Well, it’s been a very busy few weeks for us since we published our previous edition and...
Now the election is over politicians and the media are keeping busy. There is talk of...
It was back in early 2003 when we first ran an article here on investing beyond the UK and we...
A really interesting piece of news came out recently, which I believe is great news for...
When drafting a lease it is often so easy to take a precedent out and get drafting without...
It seems the government has decided that landlords are profiteering greedy individuals that...
When a landlord is considering redeveloping a commercial property, it has to consider whether...
Thankfully, we aren't seeing the high level of retailer administrations that occurred during...
If you want to let out your residential property in England to tenants, the first thing to...
Q. I have an applicant to rent my property who only wants to stay...
Tenant experience software is designed to enable landlords to better understand the...
Q. Both my tenants and myself are unhappy with my managing agents....
The number of empty commercial premises is on the rise. You only need to walk down your local...
The long awaited Supreme Court decision in the Duval v 11-13 Randolph Crescent Ltd case...
Unwitting second-time buyers have been one of the hardest hit by the additional 3% Stamp Duty...
The uniqueness of this case is that it was about indecision as to whether an appeal at the...
The case of S Franses Ltd v Cavendish Hotel (London) Ltd [2017] EWHC 1670 (QB) caused a stir...
In this month's edition we have some heavyweight analysis on page 16 from Carl Bayley, our...
We have two new lenders in the market in 2015 and the positive effects are already being seen...
The Deregulation Act 2015 ('the Act') was passed on 26 March 2015 and will be of interest both...
Standards of excellence within the Private Rented Sector were recently acknowledged at an...
The Supreme Court recently frustrated a landlord’s attempt to circumvent the...
Last year when the second part of the PRA changes came in, I predicted that these would not...
The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 sets out the detailed restrictions and requirements which...
Brexit 'Breakthrough' is the headline news on my tablet as I write this December column with a...
Whilst the usual remedies remain for Landlords faced with commercial tenants who are in...
Tenants are being quizzed on the tax status of their landlords by HMRC. An HMRC fact finding...
This case involved a dispute between the tenant (in administration) (TCG) and the defendant...
Residential property investors are increasingly adding commercial properties to their...
In the 1970s and 1980s if you wanted new shoes you might have gone to Clarks in your local...
Back in January 2013 I systemised all of my property business documentation and customised my...
Skips once more line the streets as landlords seize on opportunities to redevelop their...
As we sign off this November edition the overnight news is that the UK economy experienced a...
Q. I read in the news that the government is updating the model...
The tenancy deposit scheme regime, compulsory since April 2007, requires all deposits paid...
When assessing the content of this edition the core theme is about adapting to change. Most of...
Q. I rent out the basement flat in the house where I live. My tenant is complaining that I...
Following a year of concerted lobbying and pressure by landlord representative bodies, the...
Important changes are coming for landlords with commercial properties - as of April 2018, it...
Just before Easter I attended The Property Investor Show at Excel London. It never ceases to...
Q. I am transferring my property portfolio to a limited company. Do...
Q. My tenant hasnt paid his rent this month. When can I issue proceedings for possession?
How does a landlord, with just one or two properties, ensure that they have everything they...
The case of Barclays Wealth Trustees (Jersey) Ltd v Erimus Housing Limited provides a useful...
Q. My tenant is unhappy about the lock on the door of his rented...
Q. My tenant broke his ankle when he fell after stepping on a...
Q. What is a Rent Repayment Order (RRO)?
Q. I have not protected my deposit and my tenant is threatening to take me to court for the...
A judge said to me recently "A bit of a minefield" to describe the rules on tenancy deposits...
February 2018 saw the Court of Appeal apply a common-sense approach to the often-subjective...
Q. My tenant left my property in a dreadful state and I need the...
The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England & Wales) Regulations and the Energy...
With the festive season rapidly approaching, many of you will be looking forward to some rest...
Rents are set to sky-rocket, and buying a house is getting further out of reach for many,...
Q. My tenant is 10 months in arrears of rent and we have served an...
So many landlords still insist on doing their own inventories or not having one at all, which...
Before I get onto the moans about the impending changes to business rates, let’s start...
Q. I have just purchased a property that has existing tenants. Is...
As a landlord and broker I've never known such frantic activity as has been seen in the first...
From the 1st April 2018, landlords of private rented commercial and residential premises will...
There have been some dark days on the high street. It’s not just the tenants who feel...
As Scotland’s short-term let licencing scheme has now come into force, landlords must...
Q. My tenant has refused to accept delivery of a notice sent by...
Q. I have read recently that a court case has found that the Right...
Q. I am trying to get a mortgage to buy a property that is already...
Just before Christmas, on 20 December 2018, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Bill...
Robin, the obvious first question: what do Rentify do and what is the background of the...
The Court of Appeal has recently given judgment in an interesting decision on s13 rent...
In the current climate of redressing the perceived imbalance between landlords and tenants,...
New energy efficiency rules for properties in the private rented sector in England and Wales...
Over 600 private landlords came together in London on Thursday 9th June to learn how the legal...
Mr. Justice Morgan gave judgment on 16 May 2013 in the High Court in the case of Marks and...
Q. My tenants told me that they wanted to cancel their tenancy six...
Q. My tenants are using my property for business use. Presumably...
As the New Year commences we have recently experienced a period of heightened volatility in...
For better or worse, landlord licensing in its various forms seems a fairly straightforward...
The DWP announced on 16th May that the six demonstration projects, designed to assess the...
Removing tenants in default can be fraught with difficulties. Although the process can seem...
The problem with paperwork is that we never really look at it until it's needed, and then it's...
Q. I have a tenant in my house who is refusing to move out. I need...
This article may not appeal to the faint hearted. Through any economic growth cycle, or 'boom...
The proposed lengthening of leases to 990 years, as well as the removal of ground rent, is...
The Pre-Action Protocol for debt claims has been in force since 1 October 2017 and sets out...
My letting agency is my life, I would almost go so far as to say, its all I know. Having run a...
In the last month we have attended and exhibited at two major property events in London, both...
Q. We are a letting agency and have a tenant who has asked for...
The issue of who is responsible for which repairs at a property is often a fraught one. The...
As the readers will certainly know, it is election season in the UK. A few weeks of constant...
There is no doubt the impact of the coronavirus on the commercial property market is going to...
The Government has recently announced that it is planning to make the leasehold system fairer...
The Government has thrown its weight behind a Labour MP’s proposals to allow tenants to...
In December 2014, the government launched a pilot scheme in the Midlands and Birmingham areas...
The Court of Appeal has sided with private landlords in a case which threatened the way they...
Landlords in the UK are spending nearly £4.7bn a year on their rental properties, an...
A common property investment strategy is to buy a property and convert it into a HMO....
New House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing rules are expected to be introduced in spring...
In an earlier article, I talked about the options that are available to landlords of...
Property investors need to be aware that as early as October 2014, residential landlords will...
2023 is predicted to be a tough year for some commercial developers and landlords as EPC...
Q. I have served a notice of rent increase (under the statutory...
Q. I let a tenant in without getting her to sign a tenancy agreement first. She now says she...
It’s currently estimated that in the UK, there are 4.86m leasehold properties, of which,...
Q. I have served a section 21 notice on my tenants and want to bring...
Our front cover this month is perhaps a little dramatic but it's meant to underline what we...
Generation Z will account for 32% of the 7.7bn global population in 2019, nudging ahead of...
You are a landlord of commercial property and are owed money by your tenant. How do you...
For the first time since 1963 UK public debt exceeds 100% of GDP. At the same time, this...
As regulation tightens on the residential property industry, there is one requirement that...
Turnover rent agreements are not new. They have been used in the retail and leisure property...
Buying a holiday home should be a dream moment. But for people who bought chalets at the...
With an average rental return of 7.69% Ireland is once again top of the pile in Europe for...
Renting is on the rise in England and Wales. The dream of home ownership is out of reach for...
Jim Halliburton, based in the West Midlands, is a well known, highly experienced private...
Q. My tenant paid me a deposit when the property was let in March...
Marks Out of Tenancy is a new website that allows tenants to rate and review their landlord...
Q. We have had a nice, respectable looking couple apply for our...
There is no ignoring the effect of the flexible workspace revolution in the UK office market....
The latest set of changes, which come in to force on 6 April 2020, will impact on non-UK...
As a residential or commercial landlord, it’s almost inevitable that at some point...
The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) regulations have been in place since...
We commented in our July issue, immediately after the 'shock' announcements in the Budget from...
The recent surge in residential rental values, specifically in London, has renewed the focus...
In property there is a saying location, location, location. As a broker who has been involved...
The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 passed...
Landlords wanting to obtain possession of their residential property should consider serving...
Q. My tenants fixed term will come to an end in a couple of months...
When a landlord chooses to use a letting agent, from the outset, generally the only thing they...
I recently saw an interview with property developer Martin Skinner discussing the proposed new...
Landlords across the country will be affected by new legislation which came into force in...
In recent years, many of our coastal towns - particularly on the heavily-developed south coast...
In January 2013 the Office of National Statistics (ONS) announced that, contrary to media...
Q. live in Kent but rent out a small flat in Cardiff to tenants who...
The Government’s latest move in the property sphere is its 23 April announcement of...
As I started to write this article the doorbell rang, and I was greeted by another delivery...
The appeal of rooftop developments is not difficult to recognise and landlords and developers...
In the early days of lockdown 1.0, with businesses closing, staff being furloughed or made...
Organising property repair work is a hugely misunderstood area of any lettings agency. There...
Some of you will have heard of Bitcoin and the general topic of cryptocurrencies. Let me offer...
Mortgage lenders in the Scottish buy-to-let sector will need to update their lending...
Residential service charges can be something of a minefield for investor landlords. The...
Nick Clegg warned in December last year that annual increases in the amount of local...
Property investing is about control. Control of an income producing asset so you gain the...
Q. I own a property which is rented out to six tenants – it is...
It's not very often these days that something stops me in my tracks, but something did this...
People considering a move overseas seldom consider how it might affect tax on their UK...
The effects of the pandemic have been there for all to see, so far. At the risk of being the...
Not many landlords like to think about evictions. But the subject of eviction, and especially...
The Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 ('the 1993 Act') enables tenants...
Yet again I have been shocked by a story told to me of appalling 'service' provided by an...
Beware landlords in the Birmingham, Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley and Wolverhampton areas. From...
The latest (2014) Budget saw the announcement of a radical liberalisation of the entire...
One entrepreneurial property strategy that has emerged over the last few years is that of...
Fair wear and tear is the most misunderstood area of the whole renting process and agents and...
There has been a lot of attention on the use of CVAs in recent months. Many big-name brands...
Q. I rented a property to an elderly tenant who lived there on his...
Landlords of privately rented residential properties read on: the installation of fire safety...
Just a few weeks ago I was invited to participate on a panel debate at the Landlord Show at...
The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) will come into force in May 2018. The...
Landlord compliance is an absolutely essential part of renting property no matter what your...
Will the pandemic and its economic impact mean that tenants want shorter terms and/or break...
On 2 December 2015, the Supreme Court handed down the much awaited decision in Marks and...
I read an article the other day saying social media doesn't work for letting agents and I...
Since 30th September 2003, the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act ("CLRA") 2002 has given...
Rent guarantee insurance has always been one of those easy-to-put-off decisions for investors....
Analysis across ten major British cities has revealed that rising rents, increased living...
By the time you read this the recent announcements concerning increased stamp duty for Buy To...
The Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 (as amended) ('the 1993 Act')...
CP11/16 - You are going to hear a lot about this directly or indirectly over the next few...
From the 30th September 2017, the mortgage lending criteria for landlords with four or more...
This autumn's Property Investor and Home Buyer Show at London's Excel Centre on October 7-8th...
The anticipated second part of the PRA (part of Bank of England) changes are now with us and...
I was talking to a landlord at a networking event last week and he was explaining that he has...
As another Rent to Rent practitioner disappears leaving hundreds of tenants and landlords...
Parts of Oxford Street were brought to a standstill on 19 January when a Thames Water burst...
From a private rented sector perspective, the Autumn budget was refreshingly dull and...
Q. My agents have contacted me regarding the new fixed term tenancy...
The recent legal judgment in 'Superstrike v Rodrigues' in respect of tenancy deposit...
Moneyfacts reported recently that mortgage lenders are slashing rates on products designed for...
We have known that this was coming for a few months now but it was only very recently, on 1...
For months now we have questioned the viability of having commercial property leases for...
Q. I am renting out a flat (which is currently empty) and a couple...
Q. Our tenants six months fixed term ended a few months back and has...
Many property investors are facing an increasingly challenging tax regime, following the...
According to figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), 189,650...
Q. I have protected my tenants deposit but I forgot to give them the...
The Lettings Industry Council (TLIC) released a new PRS report in June. TLIC was formed by...
We often hear news about one of the big four supermarkets, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and...
In general, family property investment companies are bad news. The shares do not qualify for...
There is still a constant misunderstanding on how deductions can or should be made from a...
In October, the average rent on a newly let home in Great Britain rose to £1,204pm,...
Until 2007 the UK property market was pretty predictable, property prices doubled every 10...
Welfare Reform is one of the Coalition Government's flagship programmes in the current...
As many readers will be aware, the government announced, on the 11th of May, its long awaited...
After a bit of unfortunate yo-yoing, the Government has recently re-confirmed its intention to...
The latest - September 2023 - Hamptons Monthly Lettings Index has revealed that a rising...
Can a Rent Repayment Order only be made against an Immediate Landlord or can a Superior...
Q. I have a tenant on housing benefit - she is a good tenant and...
Just when you thought there was a let-up in the Government’s apparent war against...
Most investor-landlords would agree that HMOs can be a fantastic investment. If you choose the...
It's busy on the landlord meetings circuit in London at the moment and in the last few months...
After the events in the financial markets of 2008-9 which led to the Great Recession and where...
The failure of one of the UK's largest shopping centre owners, Intu, last summer heralded a...
Q. I rent out the ground floor of my house to tenants. My tenants...
I still find it difficult to believe that this actually happened to us as we went through a...
The rental market is changing again; we have record number of property investor millionaires -...
Historically, landlords have felt confused as to which part of Section 21 should be applied...
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) receipts shot up from £8,670m to £14,100m between 2020...
Q. I have been trying to get an electrical inspection done at my...
Well you can’t have missed the new world we have found ourselves in. The new way we are...
Q. My tenants, 'A' and 'B', a couple, have split up, but neither of...
The two terms ‘lease’ and ‘licence’ are bandied around and often used...
A pronouncement heard frequently at property meetings is 'I am full time in property'. My...
With the new Mortgage Interest Relief Restrictions (MIRR) starting from tax year 2018 (also...
Q. I have read that it is a good idea to take photographs at...
Well the Christmas decorations have been packed away and the cost of Christmas is now known....
Q. I have been told that I can only charge five weeks rent deposit...
On 25 March 2020 the Coronavirus Act 2020 (the Act) was passed into legislation, which...
Private landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants at short notice without good reason...
Get Living recently announced that it is to scrap security deposit requirements from the 14th...
Q. Someone told me that I now have to check prospective tenant's passports....
The title tackles the idea that people are bad at self-assessment if 93% believe they are...
As the UK's residential property investment community prepares for its traditional spring...
Paul Ribbons is a trader at heart and unlike many investors he does not want to take on huge...
More than 400,000 first time buyers have been able to get on the housing ladder using the...
Commercial leases is one of the topics I am most often asked about, and an understanding of...
NatWest Intermediary Solutions is introducing a loan-to-income cap of 4.99 times income for...
On top of having to save for a typical rental deposit of £840, plus stumping up the...
A recent case, Smith v Khan, where a landlord unlawfully evicted the wife of a tenant, serves...
Many landlords own their property portfolio personally, and operate a property management...
Q. I have been contacted by a utility company for a bill which was...
The permitted development (PD) rights, which enable a change of use from office use (B1a) to...
Although 2023 is likely to be a testing year for landlords, we need to approach it...
Q. We are a letting agency trading through a limited company. Our...
As a we went to press on this October edition, the government announced on 29th September that...
With the rise of the sharing economy and increasing worldwide tourism, people are using homes...
Build cost challenges have become the undeniable undertone of every land and development...
The latest Global Residential Cities Index Q2 2019 has just been released by Knight Frank. The...
I am quite sure that many of you will remember 2020 for the rest of your lives (hopefully long...
A new report was recently released on the BTL market looking at the overall impact of recent...
In the UK, the short- term letting business really came to the fore with the London Olympics...
Q. We purchased a property with sitting tenants three years ago. The...
250 monthly editions not out - which represents a milestone achievement for Property Investor...
The National Landlords Association (NLA) recently suggested that private landlords have lost...
After 18 months of changing advice, many Brits have adopted to working from home (WFH) as the...
As a 'good' letting agent that has been a member of ARLA since 1993, who trains and qualifies...
Q. I started a claim for possession based on rent arrears back in...
The shortage of skilled tradesman in the construction industry was well reported over two...
Landlords purchased one in ten (10%) homes sold across Great Britain during the first half of...
The European Mortgage Credit Directive (MCD) needs to be fully implemented in just over one...
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak recently announced a stamp duty holiday until the end...
As with any new government scheme that promises to save landlords money, the devil is in the...
Q. I signed a six months tenancy agreement with three tenants in...
Q. I understand that the law changed on 1 October making more HMO...
Landlords are always looking for the best deal, whether it's BMV purchases, a keen mortgage...
Q. My property has an open fireplace in the sitting room which my...
Some of you are probably still at that stage of rinsing out the sand from your beach sandals...
The ironically named 2015 Deregulation Act brought us revisions to Section 8 and Section 21...
Q. We served a section 21 notice on our tenant two months ago. My...
I asked the editor what I should focus on for this article. The response was the USA real...
In May 2013, legislation was introduced in England to allow offices to be converted to...
What is your primary aim when assessing a potential deal: income or capital gain? In this...
To research this article I googled 'I hate letting agents' and was met with pages of reasons...
Most tenancies in the private rented sector can be brought to an end by a section 21 notice...
So - here we are again. Nothing’s changed, has it? Well, OK, the election. That’s...
Everyone involved in the planning system will be aware it can be a controversial and highly...
For those that do not know, I have a degree in computer science. After moving to California,...
The housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, announced that private tenants will not be evicted from...
The spectre of hyperinflation left very deep scars amongst German citizens over many decades...
Evictions are getting harder, tightening up regulation and paperwork, the immigration act,...
The debate trundles on, as to whether the PRS needs to have standardised or longer term...
In times like these people will stop at nothing to make a fast buck from the misery of others...
As long-term subscribers to this magazine will be well aware - unlike some sections of the...
I’ve been managing my HMO properties for over ten years now but this month during a...
With one in five households in the UK currently living in private rented accommodation, the...
The UK’s population is ageing and is projected to continue to age, because of declining...
Since the early autumn period we have attended a number of property events including the...
Recently, I was watching the second movie spin-off from the TV series 'Sex and the City'. In...
Since the start of the pandemic, landlords have faced a number of obstacles put in place by...
There are various kinds of properties that may be suitable for sale at an auction. These...
A new report by the National Landlords Association (NLA) assesses the benefits of the private...
For many in property, and in particular those doing development projects to sell on to...
ARLA Propertymark recently issued its April Private Rented Sector (PRS) Report, which revealed...
Average rents in Scotland for new tenancies in the private rented sector (PRS) have risen...
After a rocky start for our Euro PIN Fund (a fictional fund of 10 property-related listed...
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has released a new 21-page report...
Over the past year we have seen Mandatory HMO licensing increased in scope to include all...
The title refers to a USA soap opera that ran for a very long time. I sort of remember it...
New data released by travel money specialists No 1 Currency has revealed the full extent of...
Q. Someone told me that tenancies for more than three years need to...
Where do I begin when offering opinions here to new or early stage investors in this current...
With the end of 2023 approaching fast and with many preparing to enjoy a well-earned rest, or...
The recent TDS Guidance Notes on Disputes states that good detailed evidence at the start of a...
In the previous (October) edition we made reference to the ongoing demand from overseas...
It's now fourteen years since I went along in 2001 to the Home Buyer Show at London's Excel...
With the bank base rate at its highest level for 15 years, we have all likely heard of some...
There is enough money out there plus willing banks happy to lend, but deals are in short...
The Immigration Act 2014 introduced provisions for all new tenancies in England from February...
From 1st June 2019, the Tenant Fees Act comes into force, in England. The Act controls what...
Fifty-four years to the day after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Chancellor...
This article is the second part of an in-depth look at student accommodation. At the time of...
According to the latest quarterly survey conducted by the broker Mortgages for Business, 60%...
'Fail to Plan' : 'Plan to Fail' is a well known quotation attributed to Benjamin Franklin...
Savills has revealed in its Spring 2014 survey, conducted by YouGov and entitled 'What Do...
A pullback in the buy-to-let (BTL) market is threatening to reduce prices further in London...
In 2015, the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property in England and Wales) Regulations 2015...
Q. I have been told that I have to carry out right to rent checks on...
One question that is not asked enough in the property world is: “Should I start with...
On the 06 April 2007 holding deposits for landlords and agents changed quite considerably. The...
The average age for a first time property buyer across the whole of the UK is now 36 and it...
Some three months after Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s calamitous early autumn mini...
By the time you read my words below, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, will have...
Q. I served a section 8 notice on my tenants on 7 April, but they...
On 1 October 2013 the Government introduced a new scheme of relief against payment of business...
The Leasehold Reform Bill became law on the 24th of May as part of the “wash up”...
Amid all the headline-grabbing political manoeuvring over Brexit, a policy proposal, which...
Local knowledge and time-proven contacts are why many long-term landlords and property...
Many landlords have seen a steady decline in their net rental profits in recent years....
The prestigious Property Investors Awards ceremony, which had sold-out four months ago, was...
Come on. Be honest. Let’s face it. You’ve asked yourself that question,...
Q. My tenant asked if she could sublet a room to a lodger and I told...
Q. I signed up with a letting agency five months ago for their full...
As the days get shorter and the UK's July heatwave fades away into hazy memories, the...
Crowdfunding has now been around for several years now but is still experiencing very rapid...
Q. Our tenant is disputing our claim under the deposit for cleaning...
Our lead article on page 16 this month: ‘Is now a good time to buy at auction?’ is...
This is a much debated question for which there are many answers. Well, this week we...
Our involvement in selling our clients properties at auctions gives us quite a good overview...
Q.I rent a property to a married couple with a young baby and have...
I've been investing in property since 2001 and on a full time basis since 2003. Since then I...
Q. I live in Nottingham but own and rent out a flat in Cardiff. My...
Q. I am buying a property but when I went to visit it recently there was...
The abolition of no fault eviction is back on the agenda. According to a recent BBC Panaroma...
Earlier this month I was a presenter and co-host at an educational day event with the focus on...
The residential rental market has been tumultuous over the course of the pandemic, with...
Housing Minister Chris Pincher has said that the eviction ban is formally over but the...
Generally, I like to keep things simple. Find a property and make an offer, either Below...
Landlords’ confidence for their own business showed only 29% of landlords had positive...
There is much talk around Brexit and the effects on the housing market, the Private Rented...
Sorry to bring doom and gloom, but my prediction that once established in Newham, selective...
My wife and I are visiting family in the USA. While there, I have been taking the last two...
This is the fourth part of my series of articles on creative contracts. If you haven’t...
New energy-efficiency requirements for rented accommodation in the UK have now come into force...
Q. I was talking to an insurance salesman at a business exhibition...
As many long term readers will know well we always try to balance our reporting in PIN with a...
How many times have we as landlords received an application from the perfect tenant, good...
Are you an investor who is focused on running a successful business or are you focused on a...
After Rishi Sunak’s recent Budget on March 3rd, we thankfully have some certainty in...
The latest twist in the seemingly endless Brexit saga will result in Parliament reconvening...
House sharing is becoming an increasingly popular way for people to move wherever their next...
I was recently sitting in an airport departure lounge, and struck up a conversation with a guy...
The vast majority of long residential leases contain a raft of obligations regulating the use...
Q: Someone has suggested that when checking tenants, I should do searches on social...
Q. Our property was spotless when we let it but was in a very dirty...
I’m aware that many readers of this column are already sophisticated commercial...
Q. I contacted my tenant (a single mother with a young son) a...
In recent months we have looked at some specific residential investment income related...
Knight Frank recently released the Q4 2015 figures for the 55 property markets included in its...
I recently met up with Rachel Knight, a portfolio landlord and property entrepreneur based in...
In this article we are going to talk about the types of property you can buy from auction and...
There is a lot of bad press out there regarding tenants who are on benefits, and many...
“Uncertainty is a constant” - the closing sentence in Manish Kataria’s...
The bad news (for our Euro Fund at least) is that Sterling continued to strengthen against the...
For many years prior to the current tax year commencing on 6th April 2013, landlords with...
I started this article originally as an auction update. It has been an interesting couple of...
With me today is Motiul Islam of Sotherby’s Asset Management. He is also the host of the...
Q. I am renting out my own home to tenants while I work abroad for...
The reform of the leasehold sector has been high on the Government’s agenda since the...
As we approach half way through 2018, borrowing for HMO properties is still popular with...
Over the last 10-15 years, the private rental and HMO (houses in multiple occupation) sectors...
Once more into the inflation breach, intrepid readers…thanks for indulging me. Unless...
As this month’s cover indicates this is our 200th edition, after 18 years of publishing...
Being a landlord can be stressful enough, worrying about property prices, mortgage rates and...
Whether acquiring 100 acres, or prime central London space, developers will want to develop...
For many years, landlords have looked at ways of mitigating their exposure to business rates...
Q. My property only has four tenants, but I have been told I need a...
The HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) and many a property investor are having a love affair...
There is a line from the first Star Wars film where a pilot is told to "stay on target". They...
Today London is widely regarded as the centre of the UK economy, but go back 250 years and...
Real estate has long held the status of being one of the safest investments to make. ...
Paragon Mortgages' Private Rented Sector (PRS) Trends report in early-May, based on interviews...
It has been rambling its way through Parliament like the Caribou wandering north to south...
The Renters (Reform) Bill was introduced to Parliament on 17 May 2023, delivering the...
Q. My tenant has not paid any rent for over six months now. I...
As most landlord investors will know, new and more rigorous landlord-related regulations have...
Q. One of my tenants has a bond from the Local Authority. How do I...
Back in late 2009 I did a seminar presentation to an investor networking group near...
In April 2019 the government announced that it wants to “introduce a generational change...
We only need to read the financial pages to see various economists predicting their version of...
The current avalanche of relatively positive market news, economic and housing market data...
One of the useful things about the benchmark exhibitions - in all business sectors, not just...
On a regular basis we hear about dodgy deals, failed structures and individuals who break the...
The High Court in London has overturned Enfield Council's plans for additional and selective...
Once one of the largest providers of some of the world’s most valuable fossil fuels, the...
The name may have changed, but the story in Scotland’s PRS remains very much the same at...
On April 6th 2012, the Localism Act 2011 commences. The Act is designed to address various...
Against fierce competition I have just exchanged on a one bed flat in Olympia with a five day...
Q. My tenant, who is in arrears of rent, has told me I can’t...
Monday 29th April was a red letter day in Ashton-Under-Lyne's, Job Centre Plus office, as it...
As we go to print on this December edition the Conservative Party, led by Boris Johnson, has...
This month I have been busy working on a development site whilst the HMO portfolio ticks over....
Q. I manage a rented property in Wales. I have heard that deposits...
When we first started this fictional fund five years ago, the intention was to create a fund...
As the UK enters uncharted territory, there will be many changes to ‘business as...
Investing in property destined for the rental market carries with it many administrative...
For many investors the following quote are just words: “Hard work beats talent every...
Q. I am getting very worried about the Renters Reform Bill. Can...
The government indicated its strong commitment to tackling aggressive bailiffs without...
And they're off! A 10% increase in residential asking prices from now to February 2014. Well...
Real estate (property) has no purpose unless there is a way to extract value. As investors, we...
There has already been a lot of press comment about the Help to Buy (HTB) scheme. In this...
Tenant quality has always been a concern for prudent landlords. But it is perhaps especially...
Arlington Investors recently announced the acquisition of two student accommodation assets for...
To say that technology has changed the way we work is an understatement. In the 20-or-so years...
I'm sure you're already aware that the Local Finance Act November 2012 makes provision for the...
Q. I am preparing a new property to let and I understand that I need...
Q. I served a possession notice on my tenants the other day and they...
With a bank holiday weekend and a birthday week away I can’t pretend it’s been a...
The government is proposing quite a few changes to the housing sector at the moment and is...
On 16th March 2016, Chancellor George Osborne presented his eighth Budget. In a speech lasting...
The last five years have witnessed dramatic changes to the property investment landscape....
The title for this article is a rather old saying that is a common belief in the computer...
If I were to give you a pound for every new developer who’s told me they’re...
As investors holding property in companies explore ways to optimise their real estate...
2020 was a year nobody expected. Around this time last year, Covid was preparing to unleash...
One of the perks of my job is that I get to travel around the country meeting lots of new...
Over the past week a number of reports have been released regarding landlords and their...
When I opened my first letting agency, a franchise, I spent what to me at the time was a...
Normally, in the property business, a deal is a deal. If you bid for a property at auction you...
The average advertised rent for new properties coming onto on the rental market hit another...
Ever heard it said that the auctions are six months ahead of the rest of the market? Or that...
I was in New York for the UK general election and had the luxury of watching the results at...
Congratulations to Richard Bowser on the remarkable achievement of the 250th print colour...
Global stock markets fell during the fourth quarter of 2018 and the UK did not buck the trend,...
The property industry has seen a boom in technological innovation over the past few years with...
Demographics is a hot topic at the moment. Already this year, we have heard that the Chinese...
Despite the poll tax being publicly rejected nearly 30 years ago, the Valuation Office Agency...
Research by independent letting and sales agent Benham and Reeves has looked at the...
Almost a quarter (22%) of private landlords, with properties in England, lost rental...
Recent YouGov Reports survey data suggests that mortgaged buy-to-let landlords are fairly well...
I’ve been struggling to come up with a title for this article and wanted to make it...
No, I am not referring to sitting down with a packet of Rizla and putting on a Bob Marley...
The chance of a landlord being able to make a low-yielding property 'wash its face' without...
Sitting in Cannes recently on a warm St. Patrick's Day morning I found myself listening to the...
There's been a lot of buzz around buy-to-let recently. Whether it's talk of the sector's...
Be thankful that the pandemic has not been worse. While there have been many missteps, it...
On balance, one would have to describe this Budget as a bit of a 'nightmare' for most...
As with any major purchase, the devil is in the detail when it comes to investing in...
Alas, this will be my final article and I have to say how much I have enjoyed over the years...
On 2 February 2022 the government unveiled its long-anticipated Levelling Up White Paper, an...
The latest Hamptons Monthly Lettings Index (September 2022) has revealed that September saw...
The UK PIN Fund (our fictional Fund consisting of property-related companies that are listed...
Traditionally, residential landlords would claim the ‘wear and tear allowance’...
Most property investors use mortgages and other finance types to fund their property rental...
The government has issued a consultation called ‘Overcoming the Barriers to Longer...
The ever-popular Property Investor and Homebuyer Show attracted some of the leading names in...
The housing market continues to adjust to 4%+ mortgage rates with positive signs of increased...
Annie Duke's book, Thinking in Bets, frames the world as a poker game. The subtitle, "Making...
A legendary Chinese curse is ‘May you live in interesting times’. In the guise of...
A busy month with plenty of highs and lows and the key lesson this month has been to keep my...
Friends of Property Investor News will know that the editor Richard Bowser met legendary...
Energy Performance Certificates (EPC’s) have already been a part of property...
Alongside some others in the industry including Richard Bowser, the editor of Property...
As part of the recent Spring Budget, the Government announced that it would be scrapping...
Despite the Renters Reform Bill introducing a landlord portal and the suggestion that there...
The Tenant Fees Act came into force on Saturday 1 June 2019. The Ministry of Housing,...
Another quarter (rent) day has passed for commercial property landlords and reports have...
The private rented sector (PRS) up until the early 1990s had been legislated almost to...
They say time slows down during an accident or a ‘frightening event.’ It has come...
If the career of a private landlord were compared to a boxing match then most of you will...
Supply and demand: Focus on this and provide a product which meets the needs of your...
Ever since the announcement that Section 21 will be scrapped, most landlords have accepted...
Ask any young professional working in London what concerns they have for the future and the...
In any business, plans are laid down which could be anything from diarizing the calendar for...
Our lead generation over the past few months seems to have hit a vein of first-time or...
John Rayes interest in property investment stemmed from his experiences in the construction...
The word 'let' means 'easy' in Danish but anyone who has dabbled in the private property...
At the end of January, the Bank of England (BoE) held interest rates at 0.75% amid early signs...
Chancellor George Osborne sent shockwaves through the private residential sector in July when...
It has been a whirlwind of change and regulation and legislation in the last six years or so...
‘Build it and they will come’ - is an old adage which many an overly optimistic...
The London based property developer Dandi recently opened its flagship co-living scheme in...
A Selective Licensing scheme that charges Nottingham landlords up to £890 a year for...
London boroughs are warning of housing pressures in the capital reaching ‘new...
The practice of Rent 2 Rent and other similar catchy titles were recently highlighted in The...
The news concerning the troubles being experienced by the likes of Debenhams and Monsoon...
"Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit and wisdom is not putting one in a fruit salad" -...
The latest (Q1 2021) Central London Office Market Snapshot from commercial property...
Last year, the government announced that Section 82 of the Coronavirus Act 2020, which...
Of all the many and varied issues which can beset a building project, perhaps the most serious...
The government has announced that it will deliver ‘the biggest change to rental law in a...
Terry Vaughan, founder of CREonline, invented The 60-Second Real Estate Course a long time...
Every three months, the LendInvest BTL Index surveys all postcode areas in England and Wales...
For the most part, property investing is a mid-to-long term play. Stuff which happens in the...
The British Property Federation (BPF) reported in October that in the past year the amount of...
MPs have called for the security deposit cap proposed in the Draft Tenant Fees Bill to be...
If you’ve applied for a BTL mortgage this year, then you would have seen some changes...
The Chancellor George Osborne announced in his recent Autumn Review that he will increase...
Well, I’m still not entirely clear on how we arrived again at THAT time of year....
What could renting look like in a decade’s time? Shifts in attitude from government and...
So as the shutters came down on the property investment sector's first major exhibition of...
Busy investors have enough on their plates without worrying about what will happen to their...
A consultation on a new licensing scheme for landlords renting out shared houses in Nottingham...
We live in politically turbulent times. Ignoring shifts in the geopolitical landscape, the...
I will have covered my Top 10, 'Buying At Auction' Tips in the preceding series of articles...
The latest (March 2022) UK Residential Market Survey by RICS has revealed that housing market...
It is likely that some or even many of you will have seen or heard me speak at a live property...
So, they said. But they were wrong, at times like this, weren’t they? Mortgages coming...
Liverpool City Council introduced a flagship landlord licensing scheme in April 2015 by...
As each month goes by, the supply crisis affecting the Private Rental Sector (PRS) increases,...
In October last year, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government extended HMO...
The vote count is final. We have a decision. On the topic of, 'can you predict the future',...
House prices continued to rise across the UK in June, according to the latest (June 2022) RICS...
As a general rule I try to bring you insight that is focused on the fundamentals combined with...
In recent months there has been an increasing awareness that the UK economy is now firmly in...
With the share of households living in rented accommodation increasing from 11% in 2004 to 21%...
COVID-19 - What does the name mean? First, it is an abbreviation, so it is easier to say it....
Warren Buffett has said that derivatives are the toxic waste of the financial community. Are...
By the time you read this edition, the first in a series of stages of the Great Unlocking will...
The government’s flagship, multi-billion pound scheme for helping people to buy a home...
In the October 2014 issue of Property Investor News we looked at investing in the shares of UK...
Attention grabbing headlines like 'Avalanche of office to home conversions imminent' were...
On 10 May, Prince Charles outlined the government’s priorities for the year ahead when...
With almost 50,000 full-time students, Sheffield City Council recently approved a Student...
Compared to previous years, one month in 2020 is the equivalent to one year during the...
A major house builder has blamed, in part, recent tax increases on private landlords as a...
The Levelling Up White Paper published last month acknowledged that reform of the planning...
"We've had people in our recent auction rooms paying at least 10-15% more than I would have...
This month our lead article on page 16 looks at the concept of co-living and it’s not...
The latest, June 2024, UK Residential Market Survey results continue to point to a relatively...
First off a strong statement from an investor who not only has a buy to let portfolio but...
A major house builder has blamed, in part, recent tax increases on private landlords as a...
Ahhh, Jeremy. Curator of the red briefcase. Financial engineer.
Successful...
Most landlords start their portfolio in their own personal name, perhaps along with a spouse...
Global stock markets all performed well in Q1 2019. Even the FTSE 100, which has had to...
It is now some six months on from when I started to hear and note some tentative signals, that...
What is the point of Build to Rent (BtR)? On the surface, the idea is to develop a site where...
There are things you control and there are the macro events that happen to you. Even great...
As a trainee fund manager studying for my CFA, I found myself on a steep learning curve....
I should probably sneak in a disclaimer right at the start by saying that these aren’t...
The latest research from new homes provider, Stone Real Estate, has looked at where is...
Autumn is approaching, the kids are back at school, the roads are once again jammed at rush...
The panel included Stephen Johnson, MD of Commercial Mortgages at Shawbrook, alongside Karen...
Good news appears to be contagious at the moment, particularly with regards to the UK...
The events that followed the EU referendum in June 2016 may once again prove to be relevant to...
Following our report on the city living apartment market in the key north and Midlands cities...
As of October 1st, the government concession on SDLT rates brought in last year to stimulate...
The ongoing progress of the Renters Reform Bill has finally moved across to the House of...
Responding to the Chancellor’s Budget statement, David Smith, policy director at the...
This is the fourth and final article in this mini-series - if you haven’t read the rest...
The latest research from Warwick Estates has revealed that while the majority of homebuyers...
According to many scribes, the ability to hold up a looking glass up an industry and deliver a...
Seventy-three per cent of all landlord sales in 2022 were landlords retiring from the sector,...
Let’s reflect. The world seemed orderly. If you had been investing in London, you were...
The Building Societies Association (BSA) has just reported that lending for 2012 was up 30% on...
So - have you heard? The pandemic is over. There’s a number of reasons to qualify that...
On the 20th of October the Home Office confirmed the rollout date of the 'Right to Rent'...
This month’s article will focus on one of my major areas of research in 2023 - just how...
Some of you will no doubt have received marketing emails, from property educators of late,...
For landlords in the UK, it is fair to say that “it never rains but it pours.” In...
As I mentioned last month, I am spending some time in the USA for the balance of 2019. A few...
Without doubt one of the main buzz words in the residential property investment market within...
The Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022 was a Government Bill introduced in the House of...
Punitive, unfair on all landlords wanting to buy in or sell out of the market and...
Almost 9 in 10 (88%) new build homeowners and three-quarters (76%) of UK adults want...
Last month we sold a property for a client who was over the moon with the result. However,...
News in January that the start of building work on a major £90m shopping development in...
A new research report by LonRes and Hamptons International called London Moves, looks at the...
Rumours that the Renters Reform Bill might not survive the parliamentary session due to...
New analysis of LOREMA and Land Registry data by London Central Portfolio (LCP) has revealed a...
Landlords with furnished properties can claim a 'wear and tear' allowance for their...
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has recently released details of a...
Zoopla’s UK Cities House Price Index for July 2019 revealed that weak house price growth...
With the General Election due to take place on 4 July and (at the time of writing) no...
It's probably true to say that, over the last few years, portfolio expansion has been the name...
The annual turnover of the UK's hotel sector increased by 11%, from £16.5bn in 2014/15...
By the time this article is in your hands, the General Election in the UK will be over. The...
When letting out a residential property, landlords take a keen interest in the financial...
Thousands of new homes are at risk following cuts to social rent, warned planning specialists...
After numerous delays, the Environment Bill has now entered the Statute Book, bringing...
Hamptons’ latest annual off-plan sales index has revealed that 32% of new homes sold in...
It is not entirely beyond the realms of possibility that by next summer we will be able to...
The Labour Party Conference was in full swing in Brighton. Should the policies it was...
It was recently reported that ex-Manchester United players Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville have...
So here we are again - one of the strangest years so far, certainly from my perspective, is...
While the FTSE 100 had a fantastic fourth quarter, rising by 10.1%, our PIN Fund (a fictional...
Working with round numbers, where would you invest £100m if you wanted to buy up to...
There were many talking points after the Summer Budget. Let's hear the opinions of those in...
A new comprehensive poll into public attitudes towards development in Greater London has...
Important and encouraging news has emerged in relation to numerous claims being brought by UK...
All over Europe the housing markets in cities and regional locations are showing impressive...
While selective licensing has been around for over a decade its use seems to be spreading...
I was utterly shocked when George Osborne announced that landlords would no longer be able to...
New data from Rightmove has revealed the effect the staycation boom is having on the rental...
Social housing became important to me when the tax changes from section 24 came in, because I...
It is quite likely that most readers will more than once have heard the marketing adage to new...
Local councils in Scotland are to be given new powers to control Airbnb-style short-term lets,...
It's the 4th of June and I've only completed two deals this year with a combined potential...
New short-term lets will require planning permission under plans designed to prevent the...
Arise Sir Keir Starmer, you and your colleagues now have five years or more to deliver on...
The single biggest tax issue facing many landlords who own mortgaged residential rental...
The Levelling Up Bill is now back on the political agenda, albeit not without controversy. One...
All five of the housebuilders in our Fund returned double digits in Q3 2019 (up to 22nd of...
The UK faces a “dramatic and catastrophic winter for customers” as energy prices...
Many times I get asked, how can I tell if a letting agent is good or bad? And this is a very...
After the pitiful returns our PIN Fund achieved in Q3 of just 3.3%, (thanks to the collapse in...
For those old enough to have grown up before smartphones, the morning ritual would include...
Following months of uncertainty in both political and economic markets, we hope for calmer...
My comments here last month that market conditions were looking very positive for the year...
Welcome to Q4 of one of the more challenging years of recent times. For finding deals? No, not...
OK, it sounds dramatic and, under normal market conditions, a 0.25% cut in the Bank of England...
New rules to be implemented by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which will restrict the...
Japanese knotweed is certainly a hot topic in the property world at the moment - its presence...
David Kirwan, from Kirwans law firm, has warned that heavy-handed councils are driving private...
The latest Hometrack UK House Price Index for September has revealed that while the average...
The FTSE 100 surged by 8% in the first quarter of this year and, including dividends so did...
This month the new financial year kicked off. All of my companies and my personal portfolio...
Rental unaffordability for single earners has hit the highest level for over a decade,...
As the worst of the pandemic is hopefully over, I’ve been reflecting on what we as...
The decision to expand our fictional PIN fund, which is focused on housebuilders and other...
News that a coalition of retailers, landlords, councils and pubs have joined together to call...
Staycations seem like the practical solution this summer. Explore your own country and avoid...
Despite the fact that inflation in the UK, and throughout most of the Western World for that...
The European Central Bank (ECB) lowered its benchmark interest rate from 0.05% to 0% on the...
The UK housing market is unlikely to see much change in 2019 with a continuation of weakening...
All measures of sales market activity continue to improve as pent-up demand returns to...
StuRents, the UK’s largest student accommodation portal and data provider, has launched...
Many property investors are considering the option of incorporating their BTL portfolio to...
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported in mid-February that the average UK house...
The overall demographics for Portugal are not good. The country has a total population of just...
Its June, the sun is shining and I'm looking forward to summer. Just the chance of some...
Long awaited reforms to social housing recently became law on the 20th of July as the...
What conversations are you holding back from? Ever caught yourself dodging those conversations...
Q. I have some tenants who have been in the property five years and...
Chester, Wrexham and the Deeside area are not only separate settlements but also straddle the...
In a key development for property investors, the Government has published a Bill establishing...
Whilst developers are busy getting their sites back up and running in the wake of coronavirus...
We are not ones for sensationalist headlines, but we do feel the current state of the rental...
Chinese president Xi Jinping's recent visit to the UK may have garnered many of the national...
The Eurozone economy represents a strong opportunity for investors in 2016, with Germany the...
Located in the Thames Valley, on the M4 Tech Corridor, only twenty two miles from Central...
Research released in March showed that landlords with bigger portfolios have swung...
It was announced last week that Blackstone has purchased a majority stake in The Office Group...
The number of occupied shops grew in January as openings rose faster than closures fell,...
Housing will be one of the biggest issues facing the country at the General Election in May....
One of the biggest advantages of investing in commercial property is that you can undertake...
It is over two years since the government completed its consultation on improving energy...
Chancellor George Osborne delivered his fifth Budget on 19th March 2014. Carl Bayley, author...
Q. My tenants' fixed term assured shorthold tenancy is coming to an...
A new runway at Heathrow will put even more pressure on a declining construction workforce, a...
RICS reported in its Q2 2014 Construction Market Survey that the skills shortage in the...
The Property Investor News (PIN) Fund, a fictional fund of 10 property-related shares created...
Is it just five years since Lehman Brother went bust? Well judging by current residential...
With the exception of Rightmove, the other nine companies in our Fund either started paying a...
Homes England, Savills and master developer Urban&Civic brought a group of SME housebuilders...
Property development has got to be one of the world’s most highly leveraged business...
Coronavirus is having an impact on the property industry, to say nothing of daily life that...
As the UK lifts the last of its lock-down restrictions on the 19 July, businesses around the...
When it comes to self-managing rental properties, some landlords are happy to do it, some...
The divide in the commercial property market between retail property and the industrial sector...
Many property investors want to leverage not only their money, but also their time, and...
Q. Can I serve a section 21 notice by email?
The news that Westminster council has sought permission from the Treasury to accept cash...
If you find the April 2020 edition of PIN, there is an article looking at what impact the...
It’s not an uncommon event in the age of austerity, cuts in local government spending,...
As far as property fraud or deceitful tactics go it is not quite one of the oldest tricks in...
Q. I rent out a flat to tenants under an assured shorthold tenancy....
Almost every landlord at some time will have a situation where the tenant falls into arrears...
Turn the clock back to early 2012 and if you asked anyone in property circles about 'crowd...
While there has been a severe housing shortage across most of the country for many years, the...
In these uncertain times and with little clarity and applicable historical data points, how...
Q. I need to put the rent up but the tenants are not willing to pay...
British shopping centre owner Intu Properties has collapsed into administration after failing...
Midlands by name - and Midlands by nature - might be an apt description of the market in the...
Some believe good luck happens to certain people while they admit bad lucks follows them...
As we come to the end of a turbulent year economically and politically, it is a time when many...
The City of Liverpool has a population around 470,000, with 1.4m overall in the wider...
Back when people could fly any time they felt like it, you would occasionally hear a warning....
