Correct phone line cable?

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I am planning on inserting a phone cable in a property before putting the carpet down, but am still some weeks off completion of the property.

Does anyone know the current recommended cable to go in for a phone?

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How to avoid Inheritance Tax (For Landlords)

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Mark Alexander of Property118 talks to Ranjan Bhattacharya about options for landlords to plan for business continuity and protecting their legacy for their bloodline from inheritance tax and other risks such as divorce.

The video below also includes:

• Essential inheritance tax advice
• Property investors tax advice and
• buy to let landlords tax advice



The post How to avoid Inheritance Tax (For Landlords) appeared first on Property118.

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Hero Landlord of the Week #4: Monckton Properties

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The landlord, which manages residential and commercial properties in Cheshire, has donated £30,000 to help two local charities including a local Coronavirus response fund.

North West
landlord Monckton Properties is making a big impact on its local community
during the crisis with practical help and a cash injection.

Owned by the
Tatton Estate, it manages a wide range of residential and commercial properties
around Knutsford and has donated
£30,000 to Cheshire Community Foundation’s Cheshire and Warrington Covid-19
Response Fund.

The foundation
raises funds to support hundreds of small charities and voluntary groups across
Cheshire and Warrington, connecting people and companies who want to make a
difference with those needing help.

Zoe Sheppard, CEO of Cheshire Community Foundation (pictured, above) tells LandlordZONE: “We’ve had a lot of requests from food banks who are supporting many people who’ve not had to access support before but have now been furloughed or had their working hours reduced.

“We’ve also had requests from charities needing help with
IT services, helping bereaved people and those suffering domestic violence and
with their mental health. We’re supporting thousands of people in the region and
this fantastic amount of money will help us do that.”

The foundation has also received cash support from
ForViva Housing and Sheppard says any other landlords thinking about making a
donation during the crisis should give money in this way.

“We’ve received a lot of fraudulent applications –
donating through us gives you the confidence that the money will go where it’s
needed,” says Sheppard.”

Monckton Properties and the Tatton Estate is also helping
tenants whose livelihoods are threatened by making vacant properties available in
Knutsford and neighbouring areas, and by offering free parking behind Canute
Place and Knutsford Heath.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Hero Landlord of the Week #4: Monckton Properties | LandlordZONE.

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Coronavirus: Your video guide to the new letting rules

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Legislation changes this week have seen the housing market re-opened, with landlords now permitted to hold viewings and allow tenants to move in and out of rental homes. While this is welcome news, it is imperative that landlords follow government guidelines on how to do this safely to protect themselves, their tenant and their families.  […]

The post Coronavirus: Your video guide to the new letting rules appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

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Activists Urge Tenants to Stop Paying Rent

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Damien Gayle at The Guardian reports this morning that “Activists urge Tenants hit by Corona Virus Crisis to stop paying Rent” Click here

I have just sent this reply:

Dear Damien,

I read your article with interest as I am a small landlord currently coping with the Corona Virus outbreak impact on my business and my tenants and have been helping several tenants to explore their options with government support at this very difficult time.

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Students should pay their rent and not be treated differently to others tenants, say landlords

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NRLA chief Ben Beadle says he is ‘particularly annoyed’ by students organisations campaigning to persuade government to give graduate tenants special treatment.

Students must honour their tenancy contracts and should not be treated any differently to other renters, the NRLA has said in robust comments made to a webinar this week.

The Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), Ben Beadle, also revealed that he has had discussions with both the National Union of Students and trade association Universities UK, and that the latter supports the NRLA and government position that students should not be ‘let off’ rent.

“I have been particularly annoyed about the student situation and how many think they are somehow something different,” he said. “If you enter into a contract then you should honour it.”

Beadle confirmed the government position that there are to be no concessions for students. “We encourage landlords and tenants in all tenures to enter into dialogue and for landlords to help their tenants where they can,” he said.

“But it’s not a landlord’s fault that the universities have closed; student loans are still being paid and [if they move back to their family] their expenditure is likely to be lower.

“For some people it is their choice to move back to their family home, but that isn’t an excuse for tenants not to honour their rental agreements.”

As LandlordZONE has reported on numerous occasions in recent weeks, this situation has been complicated by many universities and some private corporate landlords waiving students’ rent for the current semester and allowing them to choose whether to start new tenancies while they wait to see if their university is to reopen after the summer break.

Beadle also announced that the newly merged NLA and RLA now has a joint membership of 84,000 landlords and revealed that he wants to “reset views of landlords in the sector and position them as a positive partner in establishing a private rented sector that works for everyone”.

Visit the NRLA website.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Students should pay their rent and not be treated differently to others tenants, say landlords | LandlordZONE.

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Ministers rebuffs social media critics over property viewings ‘double standards’

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But Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick admits allowing property viewings but banning family visits ‘may seem confusing at first glance’.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has faced down social media criticism of the government for allowing property viewings while still preventing millions of people from visiting family and friends who are not part of their household.

In a statement issued just a few hours ago, Jenrick defended the government’s position as many people took to Twitter and Facebook to complaint that the government is prioritising sales and lettings agents ahead of personal needs, relationships and community cohesion.

On Twitter @AndrewBrazier1 said: “So as from today we can view a property House with garden but we can’t get a haircut?.”
And @LaurenKendrick added: “So the housing market has reopened and you can now go into a strangers house to view their property.

“But we still aren’t allowed to visit grandparents? Garden centres are reopened where we are surrounded my strangers. But we still can’t visit our family? Really don’t get it.”

And @Simonmwuk commented: “Farcical that the housing market has reopened. I can put my house up for sale, have strangers come in and view it but still not see my family? This government is in a mess.”

Loved ones

Jenrick has clearly been reading the social media posts: “People have asked why they would be able to look around a stranger’s house, but not visit their parents or loved ones at home,” he says.

“Now I understand why that might seem confusing at first glance – especially when people have been separated from their loved ones for so long.

“But our guidelines make clear that in the first instance that viewings should happen virtually.

“When viewings do happen in person, we’ve set out a clear plan to ensure the safety of those already in the property itself, those considering moving in and the estate agents and lettings agents.”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Ministers rebuffs social media critics over property viewings ‘double standards’ | LandlordZONE.

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Something fishy with London’s affordable housing numbers

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London’s City Hall today released their latest house building statistics for the 2019- 2020 financial year and Mayor Sadiq Khan swiftly grabbed the opportunity to take to Twitter to congratulate himself with the following message to his 3.2million followers:

“Last year was a record-breaking year for building new affordable homes in London” he said.

The post Something fishy with London’s affordable housing numbers appeared first on Property118.

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Webinar: Rent arrears, unoccupancy and inspections during the pandemic

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Watch our free webinar featuring Steve Barnes, Associate Director of Hamilton Fraser Total Landlord Insurance who has been working with landlords and leading landlord associations for over 20 years. Steve shares his insightful, half an hour presentation on ‘Coronavirus: Rent arrears, unoccupancy and inspections’, where he covers the status of rent guarantee insurance policies, the importance of mediation, inspections and tenant referencing and what to do if you have an unoccupied property.

This recording is just a snapshot of the high quality content provided at Landlord Law’s virtual conference that took place on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 May 2020. Subscribe to Landlord Law’s YouTube channel for more helpful content.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Webinar: Rent arrears, unoccupancy and inspections during the pandemic | LandlordZONE.

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TV show prompts launch of landlord rating website… but will it get any reviews?

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Service is latest in long line of websites that enable tenants to review landlords and letting agents and are intended to help raise standards, but often struggle to gain traction or reviews.

Renters in Cardiff can now rate their landlord and letting agent on a new website aimed at empowering tenants.

The website joins a list of similarly well intentioned online initiatives in other cities not all of which have been successful. Marks Out Of Tenancy in Bristol and two national websites, AskTenants and RateYourLandlord are still going but StudentBricks, which set up five years ago, no longer has a website.

Rateyourlandlordcardiff.com lets tenants submit reviews – both negative and positive – with an option to upload photographic evidence and remain anonymous.

Reviews are then categorised based on which agencies or
landlords are being critiqued, making it easy for renters to decide before signing
contracts.

The site explains: “Submitting helps hold
agencies and landlords accountable and lets first-time tenants know what they
might be up against.”

Founder Shash Appan says: “The website came out of frustration of the council doing nothing to help renters in Cardiff and no real resource providing a dedicated platform to hold these agencies and landlords accountable.”

TV show

The launch follows recent TV show Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back where comedian Joe Lycett called out the city’s CPS Homes for deducting hundreds of pounds from two students’ deposits for alleged damage.

Lycett revealed a total of 30 students in CPS properties
had been charged for damage they said they didn’t cause, but that when he
visited the houses, found the majority of repairs hadn’t been done.

Following Lycett’s expose, CPS said on its website: “We
have brought forward the process of working with departing tenants to better
manage the hand-back process, specifically giving them a greater opportunity to
put right themselves any damage that goes beyond ‘reasonable wear and tear’.

“While legitimate repairs will still
need to be paid for by the tenants, we have moved to a position where more than
80% of student tenancies we manage do not involve a deposit.” 

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – TV show prompts launch of landlord rating website… but will it get any reviews? | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: TV show prompts launch of landlord rating website… but will it get any reviews?