Is it not an idea to get landlords paid for their time and administrative effort?

admin    Uncategorized     agents

I lose a lot of time (especially being an HMO landlord) with referencing tenants. Both referencing companies and tenants seem to expect all this to be done for free!

It costs landlords time and money, checking when the tenancy started

View Full Article: Is it not an idea to get landlords paid for their time and administrative effort?

WARNING: Proposals to abolish fixed-term tenancies will ‘ruin student market’

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Abolishing fixed-term tenancies will devastate the student market and lead to a major contraction of student homes to rent, warns a leading accommodation provider.

The government’s Fairer Renting White Paper includes plans to move all new and existing tenancies to periodic agreements where tenants will be able to give two months’ notice to quit, while landlords will have to rely on the current mandatory grounds.

Leicester-based Sulets – a not-for-profit, charitable trust – says the student market works on the basis of fixed-term tenancies where there is a defined start and stop date directly linked to university terms.

If tenants gave two months’ notice, the likelihood of most landlords being able to rent to students for anything even approaching a calendar year would be fairly low, explains CEO Irving Hill (pictured).

He says: “If the student tenant should give notice, the chance of renting to another student becomes increasingly difficult as the academic term wears on and particularly so over the summer.

“Importantly, there will be no guarantee that the property will be available to rent at the start of the normal termly cycle in September which will make any type of planning extremely difficult for student landlords and agents.”

Exempted

Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) has been specifically exempted from these provisions in the White Paper, adds Hill, leading to a disparity. “This will restrict choice and will mean increased costs for students due to the significant price differential between PBSA and the student PRS.”

Some landlord leaders have already warned that the entire student let model could fall apart if a loophole isn’t put into the legislation to maintain fixed-term contracts. 

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – WARNING: Proposals to abolish fixed-term tenancies will ‘ruin student market’ | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: WARNING: Proposals to abolish fixed-term tenancies will ‘ruin student market’

Tradespeople given the “ick” by customers!

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New research has revealed the customer behaviours that tradespeople find most annoying, and being watched while they work tops the list.

The study, conducted by IronmongeryDirect found that more than two in five (41%) tradespeople find it irritating when clients won’t leave them alone while working.

View Full Article: Tradespeople given the “ick” by customers!

Meet Mark Smith (Barrister-At-Law) Landlord tax planning strategies – pin Luton

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Our Hon. Legal Counsel, Mark Smith, Head of Chambers at Cotswold Barristers, will be presenting in person an overview of several landlord tax strategies at the pin Luton meeting Tuesday 28th June.

The Luton pin Meeting has returned to its physical venue The Holiday Inn London-Luton Airport

View Full Article: Meet Mark Smith (Barrister-At-Law) Landlord tax planning strategies – pin Luton

Don’t panic! Renting reforms are far from ‘oven ready’ PRS chief tells webinar

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Landlords have been advised not to panic or believe all the scaremongering in the wake of the government’s radical Fairer Renting proposals.

The Property Redress Scheme’s helpline was inundated within hours of last week’s announcement, reports head of redress Sean Hooker, but he believes the proposals aren’t “oven ready”.

Speaking on Goodlord’s Newsagent podcast, Hooker says the upcoming consultation with key stakeholders will be key to shaping a Bill which looks set to go through Parliament in the Spring.

“We will be able to feedback to the government,” he adds. “We can’t change the fundamentals, but we can guide the direction of travel.”

Property portal

Hooker says the proposed new property portal – focusing on homes rather than landlords – in theory means providing a holistic experience by monitoring properties to focus attention on failing landlords

But measuring these standards will be the issue, he adds.

“You could incorporate electricity and gas safety information, deposit information and insurance information,” says Hooker.

“It also makes sense for the government to take ownership and for others like us to have licence and access to this that will help delivery of services.”

Hooker is less positive about the value of a new single ombudsman that all landlords must join.

“In lots of sectors there’s only one ombudsman, but our sector is complex as there’s a host of others involved in the property market, so a single one-stop shop is not the entire answer,” explains Hooker.

“You also can’t wait months to deal with issues – they need dealing with in real time.”

And the challenge of what’s reasonable when it comes to landlords having an excuse for turning down a pet is put succinctly by Hooker: “You could argue that keeping a Great Dane in a one-bedroom studio flat on the 31^st floor of a tower block isn’t the wisest thing to do – but you can’t have a complete ban.”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Don’t panic! Renting reforms are far from ‘oven ready’ PRS chief tells webinar | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: Don’t panic! Renting reforms are far from ‘oven ready’ PRS chief tells webinar

Landlord gives key evidence during trial of parents accused of son’s murder

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A landlord has given evidence in the Sebastian Kalinowski murder trial, who died at his home in Huddersfield.

Prosecutors allege his mother Agnieszka Kalinowska, 35, and her partner Andrzej Latoszewski, 36, subjected him to a campaign of abuse before his death in August 2021.

The landlord told in a statement read to Leeds Crown Court how he discovered a CCTV system had been put up in 301 Leeds Road, reports Yorkshire Live. The property (pictured) has since been boarded up.

He said: “Sometime after he moved into the house I attended to cut back some bushes and I noticed a camera under a windowsill, and a camera in the garden, situated between plants.”

The landlord said no one had asked his permission to install it and when asked about it, his tenants said they felt “unsafe” and that tenants next door were “rough”.

Footage

He said he became aware of a camera in the living room and he knew from Latoszewski, “he could view the footage on his phone”. He added: “I know there was at least one internal camera.”

The court heard that the landlord had intended to sell the property but did not tell the defendants at the time, and arranged for estate agents to carry out valuations.

He said: “They were not very happy at all, they had their own personal things in the house, especially when an estate agent had been a week before. I was quite surprised – I had never had any problems with them.”

The defendants are charged with murder, manslaughter, neglect, and allowing or causing the death of 15-year-old Sebastian.

Latoszewski has admitted manslaughter and both defendants have admitted cruelty to a child under the age of 16. The court has heard from family friends about ‘punishments’ he had to endure, and about texts between the defendants describing what they were doing as ‘torture’.

The trial continues.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Landlord gives key evidence during trial of parents accused of son’s murder | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: Landlord gives key evidence during trial of parents accused of son’s murder

Liverpool granting licences to Agents and not Landlords?

admin    Uncategorized     agents

I have received a letter today from a Letting Agent:

“We have been in discussion with Liverpool Council regarding the issuing of licenses under their new Selective Licensing Scheme. We have had a number of applications rejected on the basis that the landlord is not the most appropriate person to hold the licence.

View Full Article: Liverpool granting licences to Agents and not Landlords?

Disclosing confidential tenant details to loss adjuster?

admin    Uncategorized     agents

My tenants, a family of about 4 years have absconded. They were 2 months in rent arrears, left the water on and there were other malicious damages. I am currently going through the Landlord Insurance claim.

It is a very slow process and the Loss adjuster is requesting so much information including the confidential ones and those that are data protected like IDs

View Full Article: Disclosing confidential tenant details to loss adjuster?

Housing minister promises England will never see ‘un-Conservative’ rent controls

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Housing Minister Eddie Hughes has emphatically shut down suggestions that rent controls could be part of PRS reform.

Following the publication of the White Paper – A Fairer Private Rented Sector – some rent campaigners had voiced hopes that it would usher in tougher rent rules, but Hughes told the Commons: “I have to be blunt and say, ‘Under no circumstances’ – that is simply not a Conservative policy and it is not something we are going to pursue.”

Instead, it appears that the less radical option suggested in the White Paper will attempt to curb rises.

Namely, the government is proposing to only allow rent increases once a year (replicating existing mechanisms) and will increase the minimum notice landlords must give of any change in rent to two months.

Rent increases

The use of rent review clauses would also come to an end, preventing tenants being locked into automatic rent increases that are vague or may not reflect changes in the market price.

The White Paper goes on to say: “Most landlords do not increase rents by an unreasonable amount but in cases where increases are disproportionate, we will make sure that tenants have the confidence to challenge unjustified rent increases through the First-tier Tribunal.

“We will prevent the tribunal increasing rent beyond the amount landlords initially asked for when they proposed a rent increase.”

Commentary within the notes published alongside the Queen’s Speech had also suggested the government would consider rent controls ‘via the back door’.

Dissenting voice

But not all Conservatives agree with him. A letter in The Telegraph from Devon-based Tory supported John Dodwell, in response to a column within the paper yesterday criticising the rent reform White Paper, said: “I believe in the Conservative principles of self-reliance and independence, but it is obvious that a “free market” in property – whether buying or renting – is no longer tenable.

“For such a market to exist and operate fairly, it requires a reasonable equilibrium between supply and demand, and there is little chance of that happening.”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Housing minister promises England will never see ‘un-Conservative’ rent controls | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: Housing minister promises England will never see ‘un-Conservative’ rent controls

Structure your property business to protect your legacy and always refinance on Interest only Mortgage

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Interest Only Mortgages are great for property investors, but what happens when you’re simply too old to remortgage.

In this episode of The Property Tax Show, I’m joined once again by Alex Norian, the tax specialist, from Property 118 to discuss how you can structure your property business to protect your legacy while continuing to refinance on Interest Only mortgages forever.

View Full Article: Structure your property business to protect your legacy and always refinance on Interest only Mortgage