New Freeholder changing the Right to Let game?

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After owning and letting a Leasehold flat for around 20 years the freehold changed hands a few months ago.

I have now received a letter informing me that letting the flat breaks a clause in the lease that says the flat must be used by either the Leaseholder or a member of the leaseholders family and offering me the chance to regularise the situation by either evicting the tenant (of 8 years standing) or paying to have the terms of the Lease amended.

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The Growth of 2nd Charge Loans

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There are many reasons as to why 2nd charge loans are becoming increasingly popular. A second charge mortgage can offer an ideal solution to a remortgage, further advance or an unsecured loan. Today second charges offer very competitive rates. Some of the main reasons for using a second charge loan rather than remortgaging are:

• Current mortgage is on a low rate
• Current mortgage is interest only
• Change in circumstance

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HS2 accelerating Birmingham’s potential into its grand future

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High Speed 2 (HS2) is a Government plan to construct a high-speed rail link from Birmingham to London, the West Midlands, Leeds and Manchester. Curzon Street Station, due to open in Birmingham with seven high speed platforms in 2026, is set to be the first new intercity station built in Britain since the 19th century.

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Nottingham costs FOI

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A Freedom of Information (FOI) request was sent to Nottingham council in March this year requesting information a break down of average costs associated against the £600 licensing fee.

In the response the authority estimated that an average cost of carrying out a rental a house inspection was £77.17.

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Proposal to make BTL a time limited offer – Feedback request

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Once more I am after landlords’ views – this time about a proposal put forward by the Centre for Policy Studies. In a nutshell it is this:

‘What we propose, therefore, is that the Government should make every buy-to-let landlord in the country a time-limited offer.

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38 Degrees have a petition to pause UC rollout

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I would like to share the 38 Degrees petition to pause the rollout of Universal Credit: click here

“To Esther McVey:

Universal Credit is a scheme that replaces lots of different benefits. But it’s been riddled with problems since it was first trialed.

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I have stopped letting properties – Fergus Wilson

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Like all employers in the South East I was heavily dependent on an East European workforce. On 1st October, 2018 at 7.30am a Hungarian workman did not turn up for work. He telephoned to say he was on the ferry heading for Calais as he had been offered a job the previous night in Germany.

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Landlord in Burnley fined £56,000

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Selective Licensing:

A Burnley landlord has been fined £56,000 for breaking Burnley Council’s selective licensing scheme rules.

Landlord David Paul Vallender failed to apply for licenses for four properties he owned and rented out in Athol Street North, Bruce Street, Ada Street and Dickson Street, all of Burnley, under the council’s selective licensing scheme.

The council brought a successful prosecution against Vallender using legislation introduced by the government to help tackle “rogue� landlord property owners.

Burnley magistrates imposed fines on Vallender of £12,500 for each property. In addition to the fines he was ordered to pay a further £5,000 as a victim surcharge and £1,100 in court costs.

Vallender who did not attend the court hearing was found guilty in his absence.

The fines imposed and victim surcharge will go to central government, whereas the costs will go to the council to help cover the cost of bringing the prosecution.

The court was told that Vallender had asked for exemption forms for three of the properties in August 2016, but had failed to progress this any further despite several requests by the council up until December 2017. He had then promised to send the forms in by February 2018, but they were never received by the council.

Vallender, the court was told, had tried to avoid the selective licensing requirement by creating 21-year leases for his tenants. However, the ruse was not accepted by the court.

Councillor John Harbour, the executive member for housing and leisure, had said:

“The council is always willing to work with private landlords and support them in providing good quality and well managed homes for residents.

“In this case the landlord was given every opportunity to work with us but failed to provide the information we needed, despite repeated requests and meetings with officers.

“This was one of the biggest fines ever handed out by the courts in this country for failing to properly licence properties. It shows the importance of landlords and managing agents working with us to improve the management of privately rented houses in our borough.�

Under the Housing Act 2004 councils are given powers to introduce selective licensing schemes to deal with particular problems in specified problem locales in their boroughs.

These schemes are meant to be highly targeted measures to tackle the most severe housing problems arising from poor management of rental properties.

Burnley council is currently consulting the public and landlords in the area about proposals to renew its existing selective licensing schemes. These are currently effective in the Trinity, Gannow and Queensgate/Duke Bar areas, and it is looking to introduce a new scheme in Daneshouse with Stoneyholme.

Selective licensing in the private rented sector: a guide for local authorities – here

[Image shows Burnley Canal]

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Shelter’s Head of Research misled public on TV

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Last Thursday Hilary Burkitt, the Head of Research at Shelter, spoke about the PRS on the BBC’s Politics Live programme, about 22 minutes from the start. click here

She said “people don’t have the stability at the moment

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Waltham Forest Council uncover Rent to Rent Scammer

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A property managing agent who used ‘ghost tenants’ as a front so that she could cram 16 people into one over-crowded house has been hit with a £26,000 fine.

The council property licensing team received an application to register the property on Eastfield Road

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