Feeling the heat? How we turned a landlord nightmare into a cool £12k win

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Property118

Feeling the heat? How we turned a landlord nightmare into a cool £12k win

With the British summer sizzling, it isn’t just the weather that has been making landlords sweat.

Between mounting red tape, opportunist tenants and aggressive council enforcement, many property owners are looking for a smooth, dignified exit from the private rented sector (PRS) in search of an easier way to make money with less risk and more profit than the PRS since the Renters’ Rights Act.

One such landlord in London, feeling the heat, wanted a clean, quick exit from the PRS and minimum friction with tenants keen to assert their needs first.

He had already wasted time trying to sell to a cash-buying company that claimed he could sell without having to tell his tenants. But, because they were unable to advertise the property to owner occupiers, the biggest investor offer they could find was so far below vacant value, it was too much of a compromise to accept.

A Fresh Approach: Proudly Transparent and Open

That is when he came to us. While others keep tenants in the dark, we take a completely different, collaborative approach. We engaged with the tenants directly, brought them into the loop, and treated them with respect.

It isn’t always the easiest approach and can be confrontational if handled incorrectly, but we are expert mediators, we understand the anxieties tenants face and know the value of having the option to sell with vacant possession should we need to.

We have 100% success rate at arranging vacant possession, typically without having to resort to bailiffs, and always without tenants choosing not to pay rent as a reaction to their landlord selling.

By getting them on board rather than freezing them out, the tenant drama melts, and it allows us to advertise properties we sell to owner-occupiers and mortgage buyers who are willing to pay vacant property value and push up the prices investors must pay.

Sizzling Competition, Cool Results

In just 22 days, with two cash buyers competing against each other and owner occupiers, the bidding war that ensued pushed the highest offer up by more than £12,500 over our highest expectations, on condition the sale completed with vacant possession!

Best of all? Not only did we turn down the heat for our seller, because of our fair fee structure, almost £12,000 of that unexpected bonus will go directly into the seller’s bank.

And with us managing the conveyancing and solving any problems that might arise as part of our superior service, no other estate agent provides, the seller can sit back and enjoy the sunshine while we do all the hard work, knowing:

• We will take full responsibility for arranging vacant possession
• The sale is secured by a non-refundable deposit
• We deliver on our claims
• The money they receive will not be affected by any expense we incur to arrange vacant possession and they will receive rent right up to completion date.

Refreshingly Reliable, Like A Breath Of Fresh Air

You won’t get a higher price for the service, and any company promising you 100% market value is hiding a huge list of costs that are going to come during or after the sale. That’s not the case with us. It’s what makes us different. We believe in complete transparency and take pride in going above and beyond, rain or shine, to deliver results that outshine expectations.

Our sellers normally walk away with 85 – 90% of vacant value in return for a faster, more reliable sale than high street agents can offer.

We solve every single problem, no matter what it is – no hassle, no stress and the entire sale managed for you including keeping or relocating tenants, EPCs and repairs.

If you are feeling the heat and want to explore a positive, respectful, way out, avoiding tenant drama and long court delays get in touch with our team today.

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Government confirms councils will use PRS database for landlord enforcement

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Property118

Government confirms councils will use PRS database for landlord enforcement

The government has confirmed it is working with councils to support the use of information from the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database in carrying out enforcement action against landlords.

In response to a parliamentary written question, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage said the database will collect a range of information as part of the Renters’ Rights Act.

As previously reported by Property118,  the government says the PRS Database fee will be “fair and proportionate”, and has hinted at combining the registration process for the PRS Database and the Ombudsman, but has not confirmed whether landlords will need to pay separate fees for each.

Carry out enforcement action

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town asked: “To ask the government whether, as the Private Rented Sector Database introduced in the Renters’ Rights Act is rolled out regionally, provision has been made for inspections to take place to verify the information provided by landlords.”

Under the act, all landlords will need to sign up for the database, which will include information about their properties that tenants can access.

In response, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage said: “We are working closely with local councils to support them in using the information that will be provided by the Private Rented Sector Database in their enforcement activities.

“Through guidance, we will encourage local councils to verify the information recorded on the Database and carry out enforcement action as appropriate during the regional rollout.

“The Database will collect a range of information which will be confirmed through secondary legislation. We are continuing to explore which key performance indicators will help us to assess whether the Database is meeting its objectives.”

Landlords could face a fine

According to the government’s Renters’ Rights Act roadmap, the PRS Database will include, at a minimum:

• landlord contact details, including information covering joint landlords
• property details, including full address, property type (flat or house), number of bedrooms, number of households or residents, and whether the property is occupied or furnished
• safety information, including gas, electricity and Energy Performance Certificates, to help ensure tenants are aware of property safety and energy efficiency standards

Councils will also gain the power to take enforcement action against landlords who fail to register on the PRS Database.

If a landlord lets or advertises a property without it first being registered on the database, they can be issued with a civil penalty of up to £7,000 or a £40,000 fine if they provide fraudulent information to the database.

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Campaigners demand urgent reform as leaseholders warned over financial risk

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Property118

Campaigners demand urgent reform as leaseholders warned over financial risk

Leaseholders are being forced to gamble as campaigners urge the government to act now.

The National Leasehold Campaign (NLC) says the latest figures on leasehold dwellings show leaseholders are facing a “cliff edge”.

The NLC is calling on the government to cap ground rent at £250 immediately, rather than waiting two years, and to accelerate the transition to commonhold.

Impossible position to be in

According to government figures, there were 4.8 million individual leases registered against more than four million households in England in 2023–24.

The average length remaining on all leases was 480 years, while the average remaining on the shortest leases was 458 years.

However, more than a quarter of a million households are now at or below the 80-year threshold.

The National Leasehold Campaign (NLC) says this means around 10% of leasehold homes are in the 80-year “danger zone”.

Kaite Kendrick, co-founder of the NLC, said: “The 80-year trap is not theoretical, it is happening right now to hundreds of thousands. Leaseholders are being forced to gamble: act now and pay inflated costs, or wait and risk falling off a financial cliff edge. That is an impossible position to be in.

“The latest figures make clear that the trajectory of leasehold reform is not yet changing, and must do so urgently if they are going to end leasehold. What we are seeing is not a system in decline, but one that is persisting.”

Nothing has fundamentally changed

The figures also show that in London, 39% of homes are leasehold, while in the North West the figure is 30%, with 70% of those properties being houses.

The National Leasehold Campaign (NLC) says this demonstrates that leasehold is not just a flat issue or a “London” issue, but one affecting families across the country.

Cath Williams, co-founder of the NLC, said: “Leasehold continues to have a stranglehold over our housing market. People’s lives are on hold; their homes are effectively controlled by a system they cannot escape from.

“Until these reforms are fully delivered, nothing has fundamentally changed for leaseholders.”

The NLC is urging the government to abolish marriage value and remove the 80-year cliff edge immediately, prioritising protections for existing leaseholders rather than just future buyers.

It is also calling for an accelerated transition to commonhold and for ground rents to be capped at £250 now, rather than in two years’ time.

Jo Darbyshire, co-founder of the NLC, said: “Leaseholders do not have the luxury of time. Every single day of delay more homes become unsellable, and more families are pushed closer to financial crisis.

“This is not just a policy issue, it is a national housing injustice hiding in plain sight. If the government is serious about ending this feudal system, then the pace, priority and direction of reform must change now. Leaseholders have waited long enough.”

Years of uncertainty

The news comes as an industry body has welcomed the government’s leasehold reform plans to phase out leasehold flats, but warned that existing leaseholders must be properly protected during the transition.

According to Propertymark, 94% of leaseholders regret buying a leasehold property, while 76% of property agents say leasehold flats are becoming harder to sell.

Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, said: “Consumers have faced years of uncertainty and frustration with leasehold properties, from escalating charges to difficulties selling their homes.

“A move to commonhold has the potential to create a fairer, more transparent system that gives homeowners greater control and confidence.

“It’s important, however, that existing leaseholders are protected during the transition and that buyers fully understand how commonhold will work in practice.”

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Scottish government drops dedicated housing secretary role in cabinet

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Property118

Scottish government drops dedicated housing secretary role in cabinet

The housing sector has reacted to the Scottish government’s new cabinet after it scrapped the standalone housing secretary post.

Shirley-Anne Somerville was appointed Housing and Social Justice Secretary after John Swinney was re-elected as First Minister.

A housing charity has criticised the SNP’s decision to merge the housing brief into a wider portfolio, arguing that it sends the wrong message while Scotland remains in a housing emergency.

Incredibly deflating

Gordon Llewellyn-MacRae, assistant director at Shelter Scotland, said: “It is incredibly deflating to see housing downgraded from a specific Cabinet post to a shared portfolio and the standalone housing minister effectively downgraded to a junior role.

“Playing ‘hokey cokey’ with a dedicated minister in then out of the cabinet does nothing to build confidence that ending the housing emergency remains a top priority for the new government.

“At Shelter Scotland, we of course look forward to working with Shirley-Anne Somerville on the Scottish government’s housing emergency action plan. We broadly support their plan for more homes, protecting homelessness rights and tackling the racism and bias in our housing system. She is experienced at juggling the competing demands of Scotland’s social security system and worsening housing emergency.

“But without a dedicated seat at the table, housing organisations will need to keep speaking out if we are to see manifesto pledges turned into action.”

Finding ways to tackle Scotland’s housing emergency

Scottish Association of Landlords chief executive John Blackwood said the Scottish government must work with landlords to tackle the housing crisis.

He said: “SAL is pleased to welcome the new Cabinet Secretary to her role, and we extend our thanks to Mairi McAllan for all the work she did with this crucial portfolio.

“In this time of housing crisis, landlords, tenants, and government must view ourselves as partners in getting people into homes and not as adversaries.

“Having previously worked with Ms Somerville, we look forward meeting with her and finding ways to tackle Scotland’s housing emergency.”

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