Decorating clause in an AST?

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Does anyone have specific detail in their ASTs about decorating?

I have a nice flat neutrally decorated about to go up for rent. To avoid botch DIY attempts at redecoration can I say no decoration for the first 6 months and then at my discretion and permission thereafter

View Full Article: Decorating clause in an AST?

Daily Telegraph wants to speak with Scottish Landlords forced to sell

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The senior personal finance reporter for the Telegraph, Rachel Mortimer, is looking to speak to Scottish landlords and holiday homeowners who are being forced to sell up by rule and regulation changes in Scotland.
Is your model no longer viable?
Do you feel like you are being punished for running a business?
View Full Article: Daily Telegraph wants to speak with Scottish Landlords forced to sell

Sadiq Khan reveals more details of London ‘rent freeze’ on BBC

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London mayor Sadiq Khan says families would save about £3,000 during the next two years if he was given the power to freeze rents in the capital.

“We are asking government to give us the powers to have rent controls,” he told BBC London news. “We need to set up a commission in London, including landlords and tenants, to have a system that works for London. If it’s good enough for Paris and Vienna, why isn’t it good enough for London?”

Khan said in the long-term, London had to increase the supply of homes long term that were genuinely affordable. “For decades we’ve not built the homes we need. We need 50,000 new homes a year in London – we’ve increased the number of homes from 25,000 to 35,000-40,000 but there’s still a gap.

“Until we have enough affordable homes, we need to control the rent levels. The market isn’t working and families are being priced out of London,” he added.

“Landlords are increasing rent at the end of a tenancy and rents will go up by £3,000 over the next two years. The government needs to give us support to build more affordable homes but in the short term, freeze rents.”

Khan dodged the question about the risk of landlords leaving the sector as a result of bringing in any controls, however later in the programme Landlord Action’s Paul Shamplina (pictured) explained: “Over the last five years, every year we’ve been losing 85,000 properties in London alone.

“A lot of landlords are exiting the market, so there’s fewer rental properties – mainly because of more regulation and taxation, and a lot of landlords are quite fed up.”

View Full Article: Sadiq Khan reveals more details of London ‘rent freeze’ on BBC

Coastal landlords slammed for favouring Airbnb guests over long-term tenants

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Coastal areas now have three times the rate of Airbnb listings than non-coastal areas, up from twice the rate pre-pandemic, according to new research.

Inside Airbnb calculated that in May 2019, one in every 105 dwellings in coastal areas in England and Wales was advertised as an Airbnb. In May 2022 it was one in every 67, while in inland locations it was one in every 196 properties, according to a report in The Guardian.

Housing campaigners say the trend indicates that landlords in seaside towns and coastal getaways may be favouring tourists over tenants.

New laws in Scotland require all local authorities to set up a licensing scheme, while Wales is bringing in a similar scheme and tougher planning rules.

The government is studying the impact of the short-let sector in England, but the charity Action on Empty Homes believes the registration scheme consultation is an essentially toothless proposal, which supports licensing but not limits on numbers or local controls.

Improve powers

Chris Bailey, national campaign manager, says that in Norfolk, 86% of the 7,652 Airbnb-type rentals are whole home listings, while North Norfolk alone has about 5,500 unoccupied second homes with a further 500 homes long-term empty, meaning at least one home in every nine has no one living in it, on an ongoing basis.

“Councils need improved powers to prevent properties being switched from primary residential use to short let or second home status and used as Airbnbs rather than as homes,” Bailey tells LandlordZONE. “This depletes rental housing stock and allows investors to outbid local buyers on average incomes, pushing up both purchase and rental prices.”

Airbnb questioned the accuracy of Inside Airbnb’s findings, emphasising that unusual listings such as caravans or large manor houses, used for events, may not affect the local housing stock.

View Full Article: Coastal landlords slammed for favouring Airbnb guests over long-term tenants

Cardiff to vote through extension to large student area HMO licensing scheme

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Cardiff city council is seeking to renew an Additional HMO licensing scheme for a student neighbourhood within its city centre for a further five years since first introducing it in 2010.

The Cathays Additional Licensing Scheme which includes some 1,000 properties was last renewed in 2016 and is now expected to be voted through for a further five years on Thursday by the council’s main cabinet, to recommence in February next year.

Cathays (main picture) is notorious within the city as a hotspot for student accommodation and contains a significant majority of its HMO properties as well as a population of some 13,000 students.

As is often the case with such renewals, Cardiff city counsillors are claiming that a renewal is needed to deal with issues such as community safety, anti-social behaviour, sustainability, energy efficiency and waste management in an “area with a high density of rental properties”.

But at the same time its renewal announcement, which follows a consultation (see below) with stakeholders including the city’s landlords, promotes the success of the previous scheme.

Higher risk

Since its introduction, the Cathays scheme has secured both the licensing of 1,779 properties, a reduction in the number of higher risk category hazards when a property is inspected from 26% to 8%, and an increase to 46% in the proportion of licensed HMO properties which are up to standard.

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne (pictured), says: “Back in 2010 when the first Additional Licensing Scheme was declared in Cathays, the area presented the highest rate of complaints to the Council’s Housing Enforcement section regarding housing standards.

“The area has a large student population with high demand for rented accommodation but sadly, some landlords and agents advertise and let poor quality properties.

“On the whole since the scheme has been running, complaints have declined and standards have improved as housing enforcement officers are able to take action against landlords whose properties pose a health and safety risk to their tenants with fire safety, warmth and security issues.

“However, we know that even when properties have passed an inspection and become licensed, standards can deteriorate over time and within the private rented market in the area, there remains widespread non-conformity with statutory requirements.

“Redesignating Cathays as an Additional Licensing Scheme area will allow officers to continue to build on the excellent progress made over the past 12 years for the benefit of tenants, landlords and the wider community too.”

Under the previous scheme a landlord paid up to £600 to licence their property depending on the size of the property, but this is due to rise to £960.

Read the consultation document that the council will be voting on.

Pic credit: Jeremy Segrott.

View Full Article: Cardiff to vote through extension to large student area HMO licensing scheme

Are your properties at risk of being underinsured?

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Are you underinsured? With rapidly rising prices for both labour and materials, there’s a big risk that you could come up short in the event of a claim. We talked to Steve Barnes of specialist broker Hamilton Fraser.

No-one but a fool would fail to take out buildings insurance on their properties.

View Full Article: Are your properties at risk of being underinsured?

Freeholders refuse to share surveyors report?

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I am a leaseholder of a flat. There are 4 flats in the house, 2 freeholds and 2 leaseholds. The 2 freeholders are keen for all of us to own a share in the freehold.

As my lease only has 87 years on it

View Full Article: Freeholders refuse to share surveyors report?

Rent refund tax implications?

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Hi everyone, as a good landlord and due to a noisy neighbour (next-door to my tenants playing nonstop white noise) l have given my tenants a 20% rent reduction until I can manage to solve the problem.

My tenants pay the Lettings agent directly the full amount of contracted rent and then I send them the 20% refund for the reduction.

View Full Article: Rent refund tax implications?

Any reasons not to cave into the fear?

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Hello everyone, I am about to begin my journey in property investment. However, reading the current headlines about how dire it will get for Buy to Let landlords both economically and legislatively and for property investment, in general, it is very worrying.

View Full Article: Any reasons not to cave into the fear?

Arrests made by HMRC in tax repayment frauds

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This case highlights the dangers of responding to emails (phishing schemes) and social media appeals promising tax rebates and otherwise ways of receiving large pay outs in return for information.

Four men were arrested in a coordinated operation across England by over 50 officers from the HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Fraud Investigation Service. The team simultaneously executed warrants in Harrogate, Torquay, London and Kent last week.

Large scale fraud

HMRC had identified a large-scale operation by the online fraudsters in a tax repayment scam. After a prolonged investigation the raids took place and 4 residential properties were searched. Valuable evidence was obtained: more than 20 mobile phones were appropriated, plus several computers and tablets.

HMRC is aware that criminals are attempting to obtain customers’ Government Gateway logins and other personal details, enabling them to register for Income Tax Self Assessment and submit bogus tax refund claims before pocketing the repayment.

Individuals, ranging from teenagers to pensioners, are being targeted on social media platforms by fraudsters seeking to ‘borrow’ their identities. In return, the individual is promised a cut of the tax refund ‘risk-free’.

Handing over sensitive personal information to criminals like this, even inadvertently, risks individuals involving themselves in tax fraud, and having to pay back the full value of the fraudulent claim.

Customers should therefore only deal with HMRC directly or through their tax advisor in relation to their Self Assessment tax refunds.

The investigation was carried out over a period of time when reports led to suspicions that fraud and money laundering was taking place. The perpetrators were using taxpayers’ stolen identities to commit Self Assessment and VAT repayment fraud against HMRC. It is understood that taxpayers were contacted online via social media and enticed initially to to take part.

Advice offered by HMRC

HMRC offered warning to taxpayers that they could inadvertently become involved in fraud schemes such as this by responding to temping offers coming up on emails and social media:

Peter Vivian, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, says:

“We urge everyone not to share personal details such as bank account details, Government Gateway login credentials or National Insurance numbers.

“Your details may be used to obtain fraudulent tax repayments from HMRC and this could leave a debt associated to your tax record which you could be required to repay to HMRC.

“If your bank believes your account has been used to facilitate fraud, it could be closed without notice – making it difficult to open new bank accounts or obtain credit.

“Fraudsters routinely share hijacked identities with other criminals to commit further fraud and it may consequently be hard to regain control of your identity details.

“We believe this to be a calculated criminal attack against HMRC using hijacked personal information obtained from innocent members of the public.

“If something looks too good to be true, then it almost certainly is,” HMRC says.

You should never respond if someone approaches you, either online or in person, offering money in return for you lodging your personal details with them. Be very wary about providing personal details unless you are dealing with someone you know and trust or it’s a legitimate organisation you are dealing with.

Details of the arrests: A 24-years old man from Beckenham, a 30-year-old man from Harrogate, 28-year-old man from Torquay and a 25-year-old man from London, all arrested for fraud by false representation and money laundering.

A spokesperson says: HMRC is responsible for making sure that the money is available to fund the UK’s public services and for helping families and individuals with targeted financial support.

HMRC investigations

HMRC conducts a wide range of investigations, some random, some targeted, into taxpayers’ affairs, from simple checks all the way though to a HMRC fraud investigation. The most serious HMRC tax investigations are normally conducted by The HMRC Fraud Investigation Service. These types of investigations can take a very long time to come to conclusion, they can be expensive and cause the taxpayers involved a significant amount of stress.

Coming under investigated by HMRC is therefore a difficult and costly process. Getting the right help during such a tax investigation, most likely from your accountant, can make the process a lot smoother, and also it may reduce the overall financial costs, in the long run.

View Full Article: Arrests made by HMRC in tax repayment frauds