Put ourselves in the shoes of these kids?

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Hi. I’m sure this is a problem faced by many student let landlords, caused by the current climate. Many universities with on campus accommodation have released students from their contracts 3 months early as Unis are closed, so a lot of the students moved back home to study online.

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Landlords should get same crisis deal as self-employed

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Leading property firm says landlords have fallen between the cracks as the government has moved to protect both employed and self-employed workers.

Small private landlords should get the same 80% salary guarantee as other workers to help make up for lengthy reductions in rental income, according to a leading asset management firm.

The call follows the recent announcements that employees and the self-employed are to access a scheme that pays 80% of their income up to £2,500 a month for three months, but which misses out landlords who do not fall into either camp.

Spicerhaart
Corporate Sales believes mortgage holidays may not go far enough and is calling
on the Government to extend its salary guarantee to landlords’ rental income
following the news that all evictions will be frozen for at least three months.

“While a blanket freeze on all possessions activity will protect tenants in the short term, it’s bound to lead to an accumulation of arrears that will be all the harder to deal with once the freeze is lifted,” says Managing Director Mark Pilling.

“If there seem to be no consequences to non-payment, some struggling tenants will naturally prioritise other bills, and will be more likely to ignore attempts to communicate with them to manage the situation.

“A three-month ban on possessions activity will result in even longer spells without rental income – possibly six months or more of state-enforced void periods.”

Landlords relying on income from
only a small number of properties will find payment holidays on buy-to-let
mortgages of limited help, says Pilling, and if one or more of these isn’t generating
an income for a long time, it could cause families real financial difficulty.

He adds: “Rental income is subject to income tax – to say nothing of the Stamp Duty premium paid by buy-to-let landlords. It seems only fair that it should be subject to the same Government guarantees as other income affected by the restrictions currently in place.”

Read more about the mortgage holiday.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Landlords should get same crisis deal as self-employed | LandlordZONE.

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Most tenants will pay their rent during crisis, govt advises

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The Ministry of Housing has published new guidance to landlords and tenants contradicting lurid claims last week by lobbying groups that ‘millions’ of tenants will struggle during the crisis.

The Ministry of Housing has played down the likelihood of tenants defaulting on their rent ‘in the millions’ within its latest advice to the private rented sector

It says that ‘in many if not most cases’ the Coronavirus crisis will not affect tenants’ ability to pay rent and that if they do get into trouble, they should reach out as soon as possible to have a conversation with their landlord.

“Landlords are not required to [stop charging tenants rent]. Most tenants will be able to pay rent as normal and should continue to do so, as they will remain liable for the rent during this period.”

The guidance also reminds tenants that rent levels agreed in their tenancy agreements remain legally due and that they should discuss with their landlord if they are in difficulty.

“Tenants should continue to pay rent and abide by all other terms of their tenancy agreement to the best of their ability,” the guidance says.

“As part of our national effort to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak it’s important that landlords offer support and understanding to tenants who may start to see their income fluctuate.”

Payment plans

The Ministry of Housing has also once again underlined its belief that landlords and tenants should discuss payment plans that offer temporary agreement for tenants to pay a lower rent or agree to pay off arrears at a later date.

It has also urged landlords not to launch eviction proceedings without a very good reason, and offered guidance on how to approach the management of properties in which tenants are self-isolating or fighting off the virus.

“If you are not able to gain access to the property due to restrictions in place to tackle COVID-19, or are not able to engage a contractor to carry out the necessary work, we recommend you document your attempts to do so and all correspondence with your tenants,” the ministry says.

We strongly advise landlords not to commence or continue eviction proceedings during this challenging time without a very good reason to do so.

Read the guidance in full.

Read the latest LandlordZONE forum thread about this subject.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Most tenants will pay their rent during crisis, govt advises | LandlordZONE.

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Full Government COVID-19 guidance for landlords and tenants published

admin    Uncategorized     agents

The Government has finally released on Saturday its full pieced together non-statutory guidance for landlords and tenants during the Coronavirus emergency. Click here for the full 21 page document from MHCLG.

The Coronavirus Act 2020 is confirmed to remain in force until 30th September.

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Shelter again with latest TV advert!

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I think the latest TV advert for Shelter is disgusting. Once again giving the impression that they provide housing and once again having a pop at landlords.

This time saying a tenant had called and said their landlord had asked them to leave the property in case they got Corona Virus.

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CERTAINTY Amidst Chaos LettingSupermarket.com Covid-19 Update

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Open for new business and with Rent Guarantee Insurance that WILL pay out!

Today I have been speaking with Chris Sheldon, the Managing Director of LettingSupermarket.com, to review the company’s business model during these difficult and worrying times for many.

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Evictions to take months longer after Coronavirus crisis ends

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Legal expert warns landlords that the eviction process faces a perfect storm after the pandemic ends, and to prepaer now rather than wait until restrictions are lifted.

Landlords
who have a pressing need to evict tenants once the government’s Coronavirus
evictions restrictions have been removed should get ready now, a leading legal
expert has warned, and not wait.

Tim Frome, who is Legal Director of Landlord Action, says the evictions ban, the temporary shutting of the court system for landlords and the government’s promised changes to pre-action protocols will all create significant problems once the crisis is over.

Although landlords may be keen to help tenants who have struggled financially during the crisis or lost their jobs, there are many landlords who have problem tenants whose rent payments stopped before the crisis hit.

Once evictions can start again, landlords face extra delays to an already slow process. Those who are not prepared could face waiting for up to a year to get their properties back.

Seven months

“Even if the system worked perfectly and landlords stuck to best practice, it can take up to seven months to go from a tenant defaulting on their rent to the bailiffs arriving, assuming they refused to vacate,” he says.

Frome says all too often landlords do not serve notice as soon as a tenant has defaulted on their second month’s rent payment. Therefore, tenants are often four to five months behind on their rent by the time Landlord Action issues a claim at court.

“It then takes four to eight weeks to get a hearing date, then between one week to 28 days for possession depending on the case and the tenants’ circumstances,” says Frome. “It then can take another two months to get the bailiffs in if they refuse to vacate.”

The government’s promised changes to pre-action protocols will further elongate the process, as it will require tenants and landlords to spend longer trying to agree a payment plan and trying out other solutions before going to court.

“For these reasons, landlords must be ready before the Coronavirus restrictions are relaxed or ended,” says Frome.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Evictions to take months longer after Coronavirus crisis ends | LandlordZONE.

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Short lets industry launches property website for NHS staff

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Short-term
let landlords and property agents are being encouraged to offer NHS staff a
free place to stay during the pandemic.

A new industry initiative – nhshomes.co.uk – is hooking up medical staff with free accommodation so they can stay nearer hospitals during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The UK Short Term Accommodation Association (STAA) is co-ordinating the scheme, working with six partners: short term rental firm UnderTheDoormat, home sharing and villa rental firms onefinestay and Altido, and home swapping platform LoveHomeSwap.

All will all provide free accommodation in partnership
with their property-owners, while Laundryheap is delivering clean linen and
towels, with free toiletries courtesy of Homes & Villa by Marriott
International.

NHS Homes is already hosting staff who are working at
hospitals in London including the Royal London and Guy’s. The scheme is now
extending out of the capital with demand from Birmingham and
Manchester as well as Slough and Staines.

“Demand is outstripping supply,” says STAA CEO Merilee
Karr.

“We’ve had an overwhelming response and we need more
homes to help more people across the country. 

“We’re speaking to companies and property portfolio owners to bring on more rooms and properties and the additional services that will make stays for NHS workers comfortable. We want to get as many companies on board as possible to make this a truly industry-wide initiative.”

No management fee

The STAA has appealed to its members and any property
management company in the UK with a home
or even a block of flats available to get in touch; it can then prepare the
properties for NHS staff, with no management fee. 

Many NHS staff now need accommodation to protect
vulnerable people at home, including family members, or if they’ve relocated to
London, been evicted either by landlords or effectively asked to leave by
flatmates.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Short lets industry launches property website for NHS staff | LandlordZONE.

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Landlord’s charitable offer to NHS staff shared 8,000 times on Facebook

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Airbnb landlord Charlie Harington’s offer to house NHS workers in his empty flat has gone down well with healthcare workers and also prompted other landlords in his area to do the same. Would you?

A generous Belfast landlord has inspired others in Northern Ireland to hand over their Airbnb properties to NHS workers rent-free.

Charlie Harington’s two-bed
mid-terrace property in Donegall Road next to Belfast City Hospital
had been sitting empty since the Coronavirus epidemic took hold.

But his shout-out on his Facebook page earlier this week has received 8,000 shares so far after he posted: “If any NHS worker(s) need to use it as a base whilst they work insane hours to help fight Covid-19 then they can stay here completely free of charge.

“There’s not much we can physically do
so this is our way of helping.”

Harrington realised he was onto something and immediately set up the Facebook group – Connecting NI landlords to NHS workers – as a way to hook up NHS staff and other Airbnb hosts willing to help out.

And landlords quickly responded, with
one commenting: “We’ve been self-isolating so not been down to change beds
after last Airbnb people stayed 9th March.

“If any NHS staff possibly Downpatrick
area would be able to use it pm me.”

Another landlord offered: “I
have a ground floor flat free in Castlewellan if that would help any NHS
workers? Would suit someone working in Downpatrick hospital.”

The
father-of-three was shocked by the response and adds: “We were met with amazing support, interest and demand. I thought
it might be useful to doctors and nurses who wanted to sleep there or catch a
few hours’ sleep or put their feet up away from the hospital for an hour.”

Two intensive care nurses have now moved into his
property and he hopes health trusts will
co-ordinate a plan with landlords to use vacant properties so they can be used
by frontline staff.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Landlord’s charitable offer to NHS staff shared 8,000 times on Facebook | LandlordZONE.

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Coronavirus: landlord survey

admin    Uncategorized     agents

The RLA is surveying members on the impact of coronavirus. The short survey will take just five minutes to complete, with the findings used to inform our discussions with government on the response to the crisis. Since the survey went live on the RLA website today more than 500 of you have already taken part, […]

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