LandlordZONE partners with Hamilton Fraser

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LandlordZONE®, the UK’s largest landlord property information website, has announced a formal partnership arrangement with the Hamilton Fraser Group. Hamilton Fraser provide a variety of services such as legal support, insurance, client money and deposit protection and redress for landlords, tenants and letting agents. The partnership is intended to consolidate the success of LandlordZONE® and to aid its future growth.

Founded in 1999 by Tom Entwistle, LandlordZONE® is a free open access website providing articles, legal up-dates, landlord guides and daily news for landlords and agents involved in the private rental sector – both novice and experienced.

Its landlord focused website has become one of the most visited in the UK with 2.5 million visits per annum. In addition it has a subscriber base of over 130,000 members, and a forum which handles hundreds of Q&As per week.

LandlordZONE® has partnered with Hamilton Fraser in order to continue to grow its position as one of the leading online landlord resources. Hamilton Fraser’s in-depth knowledge of the private rented sector, delivered through a range of services, is a natural fit which will offer LandlordZONE® additional resources to further grow its audience and reach.

As a residential and commercial landlord with over 40 years’ experience of the industry, Tom Entwistle founder and editor of LandlordZONE® is excited by the development. Commenting on the partnership with Hamilton Fraser, he says:

“Our primary aim has always been to help new and experienced landlords increase their income by understanding their obligations, so they can run successful and compliant property investments. We do this by providing a wealth of information for landlords, letting agents and other property professionals and this has seen the site grow from strength to strength.

We now feel that in order to continue to grow the level of service we provide to our readership, advertisers and sponsors, we would benefit from additional support. Hamilton Fraser has the industry knowledge, experience, resources and ethos to help us whilst ensuring LandlordZONE®maintains its editorial independence.�

Eddie Hooker, CEO of Hamilton Fraser added

“I have known Tom and LandlordZONE® for many years and have always admired and respected what he has achieved with his website.  Like many landlords and agents I regularly receive interesting and informative emails from LandlordZONE® which helps keep me up to date with trends and information relating to the sector. 

“We want to help maintain and improve the site’s approach to news, ensure its continued independence, whilst also increasing Hamilton Fraser’s distribution opportunities to help the sector continue its drive in improving standards through our products and services in insurance, client money and deposit protection and the provision of external redress and legal support.â€�  

About Hamilton Fraser
Founded in 1996, the Hamilton Fraser Group provides insurance, client money protection and the provision of external redress and legal support to the private rental sector.

Historically a specialist insurance broker, the Group has grown to include a law firm regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority, as well as redress, dispute management and tenant referencing services.

Acknowledged experts in the sector, Hamilton Fraser also jointly own and operate one of the three UK tenancy deposit protection solutions (Mydeposits) for landlords, letting agents and tenants.

They engage tirelessly with Government, landlords and letting agents to raise knowledge and standards in the sector.

In addition, they provide specialist insurance and redress services to the aesthetic and cosmetic sector.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – LandlordZONE partners with Hamilton Fraser | LandlordZONE.

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Call of the Week – protecting the deposit again at the end of the fixed term

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A landlord phoned our Landlord Advice Team this week with a question about whether he was required to protecting a deposit again, as one of her tenants is approaching the end of the initial fixed term. The landlord explained that the tenant was an excellent tenant and was planning on staying on at the property […]

The post Call of the Week – protecting the deposit again at the end of the fixed term appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

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Licensing expert to address Future Renting Conference

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London Property Licensing’s Richard Tacagni has been confirmed as the latest speaker at the RLA’s next Future Renting Conference. Richard is the founder and Managing Director of London Property Licensing, an independent housing consultancy providing simple, impartial and expert advice on housing regulation with a particular focus on the London property market. Well- known as one […]

The post Licensing expert to address Future Renting Conference appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

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Universal Credit landlord engagement newsletters

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The Department for Work and Pensions has released its June 2018 Universal Credit newsletter.

These Universal Credit newsletters will be published quarterly and provide information to social and private landlords about Universal Credit.

Click Here to download the full June 2018 edition:

“1.2 Applying for a managed payment to landlord

If you’re a private landlord or a social landlord that doesn’t have a secure email address and you are applying for a Managed Payment to Landlord (MPTL) due to rent arrears you will need to complete the non–secure UC47.

The post Universal Credit landlord engagement newsletters appeared first on Property118.

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Forum Spotlight: Gaining access for repairs with busy tenant

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This week’s Forum Spotlight looks at gaining access to carry out repairs in a property. The landlord posted on our Forum to say that the tenant is unavailable to let the agent in to the property, to inspect it and to carry out relevant repairs. The tenant works, and say that he can only be there […]

The post Forum Spotlight: Gaining access for repairs with busy tenant appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

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Is IPPR’s report “On borrowed time� pure fantasy or a cynical publicity stunt?

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Whatever it was, the call for the Bank of England to freeze house prices for 5 years was lapped up by the Guardian and the Times.  For those like myself who had never heard of the IPPR, it describes itself thus: “IPPR is a registered charity and the UK’s pre-eminent progressive think tank�. 

The post Is IPPR’s report “On borrowed time� pure fantasy or a cynical publicity stunt? appeared first on Property118.

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Property118 Nominated For Prestigious Award

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WE NEED YOUR HELP TO WIN!

We are delighted to have been nominated for the highly prestigious “Property Investor Webite of the Year” award for 2018.

However, it all comes down to public voting now and we have some tough competition including:-

• NLA
• RLA
• Property Tribes
• The Property Hub
• Property Forum

To win this award would be a sign that you truly value what we do

The post Property118 Nominated For Prestigious Award appeared first on Property118.

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Update on Making Tax Digital

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Digital Tax:

Making Tax Digital (MTD) is a key plank in the government’s drive to digitise tax so that eventually individuals and businesses will no longer file an annual tax return. Currently, every individual and business can access to their personalised digital tax account, and HMRC says these are being regularly expanded and improved.

HMRC’s aim is to become one of the most digitally advanced tax administrations in the world, and as a result the government has announced the roll out for Making Tax Digital.

The programme has been delayed to give businesses more time to prepare, and they will not now be mandated to use the Making Tax Digital for Business system until April 2019, and then only to meet their VAT obligations. This will apply to businesses who have a turnover above the VAT threshold – the smallest businesses will not be required to use the system, although they can choose to do so voluntarily.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) last week published further information on Making Tax Digital (MTD) to support businesses and accountants in the run-up to the start of the mandatory MTD VAT service from April 2019.

This includes:

• New guidance on VAT
• A list of software developers HMRC is currently working with during the MTD VAT pilot that have already demonstrated a prototype of their product ready to start testing with businesses and/or agents.
• A communications pack to provide stakeholders with information to support businesses and agents to prepare for MTD.

As part of MTD, businesses registered for VAT with a taxable turnover above the VAT registration threshold of £85,000 will need to keep VAT records digitally and file their VAT returns using MTD compatible software. This will start from their first VAT period starting on or after 1 April 2019.

Businesses with a taxable turnover below the VAT threshold will not have to operate MTD, but can still choose to do so voluntarily.

The VAT guidance provides information to customers and adds to amendments to the VAT Regulations made earlier this year. The notice also gives guidance on the digital record keeping and return requirements of MTD for VAT including:

• Who needs to follow the MTD rules and from when.
• What digital records businesses must keep, and a series of HMRC directions that relax these requirements in certain circumstances (such as where a mixed rate supply is made, where a third party agent makes or receives supplies on behalf of a business, and where a business uses a special VAT scheme such as a retail scheme or the Flat Rate Scheme).
• How businesses must use software to keep digital records and file their returns from those digital records, including information on when programs do and do not need to be digitally linked in situations where a combination of software programs is used. Given that VAT registered businesses and their tax agents already use a wide variety of different systems and programs to produce their VAT returns, the notice includes a number of illustrated examples to show customers how to ensure their specific set up will be compliant with the regulations from April 2019.

Businesses above the VAT threshold are not required to use MTD for their VAT returns until April 2019 but HMRC has already started piloting the changes with small numbers of invited businesses and accountants. This will be widened out to allow more to join later this year. In the meantime, businesses can start to prepare now by ensuring they are keeping their records digitally and in accordance with the rules set out in the notice.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Update on Making Tax Digital | LandlordZONE.

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