Base rate speculation causes fixed rates to rise
Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report data, not yet published, highlights that as SWAP rates have seen a steep increase due to base rate speculation, the average two-year fixed rate mortgage is also starting to rise.
Charlotte Nelson
The post Base rate speculation causes fixed rates to rise appeared first on Property118.
View Full Article: Base rate speculation causes fixed rates to rise
Trade body sets international agenda for invasive weed control event
Leading experts from across Europe will be sharing best practice at the annual International Invasive Weed Conference, organised by the Property Care Association.
A key event for a wide range of professions looking for the latest insight into invasive non-native weeds. The event ‘Management, Understanding and a Look to the Future’ takes place at the Møller Centre, University of Cambridge, on 23 November.
Focusing around three key themes – the management and understanding of invasive weeds, as well as a look to the future – the conference sets out to provide a comprehensive picture of the current and future issues relating to invasive weed control.
The day features a unique mix of discussion and insight from academia and different sectors including ecology, utilities and transport, as well as governmental and public bodies.
The meeting will address traditional invasive weeds such as Japanese knotweed and also investigate a new generation of non-native species which are becoming of increasing significance across the public and private sector, including aquatic plants.
It will draw on the experiences of academia, including Dr Ken Thompson of the University of Sheffield, Dr Maria do Rosario Fernandes of the University of Lisbon and Dr Uwe Starfinger, Julius Kühn Institute, Germany.
Philip Santo FRICS, of Philip Santo & Co, will provide an update on legal issues from a surveying perspective, while representatives from organisations including the Environment Agency, Defra, Monsanto, CABI, South West Water and Network Rail will also take part as guest speakers and as panellists for the question and answer session.
Professor Max Wade, chairman of the PCA’s Invasive Weed Control Group, said: “The impacts of invasive plants are wide-ranging, posing risks to the environment, water industry and transport infrastructure, and even public health.
“They are growing in number and the legislation surrounding their control is becoming more complicated.
“In line with their far reaching impact, the conference has been developed to provide industry-leading insight which covers a broad subject area, and is of appeal to a wide-ranging audience.”
The full conference programme can be viewed at www.property-care.org/conferences/invasive-weed-conference-2017/
This online area also includes a link to a video giving a flavour of the event, filmed at last year’s conference.
A further video regarding the challenges for landowners in tackling invasive weeds is also available to view at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuHzVzgyV_E
Noted for its training and technical expertise, the PCA incorporates the British Wood Preserving and Damp-proofing Association (BWPDA), which has been in formation for more than 85 years.
The trade body represents the UK’s flood protection sector as well as the structural repair, structural waterproofing, wood preservation, damp-proofing and invasive weed control industries.
©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Trade body sets international agenda for invasive weed control event | LandlordZONE.
View Full Article: Trade body sets international agenda for invasive weed control event
Airbnb paid HMRC £188,000 for last year’s UK tax return
Although Airbnb collected more than £675 million in rental payments last year their total payment to HMRC for corporation tax was £188,000.
The commissions earned by Airbnb are booked through it’s subsidiary in Ireland, but they also have two British subsidiaries.
The post Airbnb paid HMRC £188,000 for last year’s UK tax return appeared first on Property118.
View Full Article: Airbnb paid HMRC £188,000 for last year’s UK tax return
Freeholders plans to extort more profit from property owners
In 2012 I bought a flat in Manchester as an investment and I have rented out the flat for the last five years however I recently received a letter from the management company stating they were introducing a new annual charge of £126 to “Provide a notice and registration fee upon granting of a shorthold tenancy”.
The post Freeholders plans to extort more profit from property owners appeared first on Property118.
View Full Article: Freeholders plans to extort more profit from property owners
Can I enforce safety checks on commercial tenant?
We have one commercial lease (office building) wherein our tenants have denied their responsibility to carry out annual Gas Safe checks and Electrical Installation Condition checks.
Do we have any recourse against them apart from invoking forfeiture of the lease for breach of covenants?
The post Can I enforce safety checks on commercial tenant? appeared first on Property118.
View Full Article: Can I enforce safety checks on commercial tenant?
5 per cent of rentals don’t meet energy standards
A new study carried out by AXA insurance has found that around one in 20 rental properties in the UK do not yet meet minimum energy standards, though landlords are making significant progress towards meeting the required standards, AXA found.
As a general rule, an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required every time a home is put up for sale or for rent. So, a landlord needs one to show potential tenants the property’s energy rating, and a seller must have one to show to potential buyers.
There are a few exceptions, for example a lodger landlord won’t need one for a room that’s being rented out and listed buildings may also be exempt as they can’t have some upgrades like double glazing.
The requirement for an EPC has been the law since 2008 (2009 in Scotland), meaning that if your home has been let or sold since then it should have one. They remain valid for 10 years.
There’s a national register of EPCs, unless you’ve opted out, where you can take a look at your property’s previous certificates, as well as viewing similar properties in the neighbourhood for a comparison of energy efficiencies.
From April 2018 all rental properties must have and EPC rating of E or above, therefore the 5 per cent of properties, a significant number, (around 200,000 households) currently with ratings of F and G, will be illegal next year, if they have not been improved by then.
Poor energy performance (an energy rating of F and G) will not only cost tenants more money to run their heating, it often leads to insufficient heating in the home which in turn leads to condensation and black mould growth, a serious health hazard. AXA estimates that tenants in an A rated property would pay an average of £61 per month on energy, compared to bands F to G which would cost around double that at £112.
However, the private rental sector (PRS) in the UK is experiencing significant energy efficiency improvements, with landlords taking measures to gradually bring their inefficient properties up to standard,. AXA estimates the number of F and G rated rental properties has halved since 2015. However, it would seem from this study that there is a significant number at around the 200,000 mark still failing to meet the minimum standards.
AXA estimates that with this level of below-standard housing, poorly insulated and with inefficient heating systems, tenants occupying these homes will be over-paying on their energy bills in total by around £13 million per month.
Gareth Howell, managing director of AXA Direct has said:
“Our study has found that landlords are making significant investments into improving the energy efficiency of their properties and this is part of a bigger trend.
“When we look at our surveys of tenants and landlords over the past five years, we see progress across the board on security, maintenance and numbers with proper tenancy agreements in place.”
Mr Howell thinks that many of the landlords insured with AXA are accidental landlords who typically own just one or two properties.
“They are, by and large, professionalising and investing more seriously in their tenants’ comfort and the future health of their rental properties. Pockets of failure exist in this market, but it is not the story for the vast majority,” Mr Howell said.
Minimum EPC Rating for Rental Properties after 2018
Get an EPC – LandlordZONE Directory
©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – 5 per cent of rentals don’t meet energy standards | LandlordZONE.
View Full Article: 5 per cent of rentals don’t meet energy standards
Categories
- Landlords (19)
- Real Estate (9)
- Renewables & Green Issues (1)
- Rental Property Investment (1)
- Tenants (21)
- Uncategorized (11,916)
Archives
- December 2024 (43)
- November 2024 (64)
- October 2024 (82)
- September 2024 (69)
- August 2024 (55)
- July 2024 (64)
- June 2024 (54)
- May 2024 (73)
- April 2024 (59)
- March 2024 (49)
- February 2024 (57)
- January 2024 (58)
- December 2023 (56)
- November 2023 (59)
- October 2023 (67)
- September 2023 (136)
- August 2023 (131)
- July 2023 (129)
- June 2023 (128)
- May 2023 (140)
- April 2023 (121)
- March 2023 (168)
- February 2023 (155)
- January 2023 (152)
- December 2022 (136)
- November 2022 (158)
- October 2022 (146)
- September 2022 (148)
- August 2022 (169)
- July 2022 (124)
- June 2022 (124)
- May 2022 (130)
- April 2022 (116)
- March 2022 (155)
- February 2022 (124)
- January 2022 (120)
- December 2021 (117)
- November 2021 (139)
- October 2021 (130)
- September 2021 (138)
- August 2021 (110)
- July 2021 (110)
- June 2021 (60)
- May 2021 (127)
- April 2021 (122)
- March 2021 (156)
- February 2021 (154)
- January 2021 (133)
- December 2020 (126)
- November 2020 (159)
- October 2020 (169)
- September 2020 (181)
- August 2020 (147)
- July 2020 (172)
- June 2020 (158)
- May 2020 (177)
- April 2020 (188)
- March 2020 (234)
- February 2020 (212)
- January 2020 (164)
- December 2019 (107)
- November 2019 (131)
- October 2019 (145)
- September 2019 (123)
- August 2019 (112)
- July 2019 (93)
- June 2019 (82)
- May 2019 (94)
- April 2019 (88)
- March 2019 (78)
- February 2019 (77)
- January 2019 (71)
- December 2018 (37)
- November 2018 (85)
- October 2018 (108)
- September 2018 (110)
- August 2018 (135)
- July 2018 (140)
- June 2018 (118)
- May 2018 (113)
- April 2018 (64)
- March 2018 (96)
- February 2018 (82)
- January 2018 (92)
- December 2017 (62)
- November 2017 (100)
- October 2017 (105)
- September 2017 (97)
- August 2017 (101)
- July 2017 (104)
- June 2017 (155)
- May 2017 (135)
- April 2017 (113)
- March 2017 (138)
- February 2017 (150)
- January 2017 (127)
- December 2016 (90)
- November 2016 (135)
- October 2016 (149)
- September 2016 (135)
- August 2016 (48)
- July 2016 (52)
- June 2016 (54)
- May 2016 (52)
- April 2016 (24)
- October 2014 (8)
- April 2012 (2)
- December 2011 (2)
- November 2011 (10)
- October 2011 (9)
- September 2011 (9)
- August 2011 (3)
Calendar
Recent Posts
- Landlords’ Rights Bill: Let’s tell the government what we want
- 2025 will be crucial for leasehold reform as secondary legislation takes shape
- Reeves inflationary budget puts mockers on Bank Base Rate reduction
- How to Avoid SDLT Hikes In 2025
- Shelter Scotland slams council for stripping homeless households of ‘human rights’