Tax, tax, tax, tax, tax…. Is a landlord tax bill of 66% really a possibility?

Over the past year, the government clampdown on the buy-to-let sector has continued to throw doubt into the minds of investors about the viability of making a decent return on buy-to-let investments. Landlords tax bills are rising and new laws designed to protect tenants – such as the Right to Rent scheme – no doubt […]
Buy-to-let investors, here’s my tips for making a successful investment

It seems spring has finally arrived but the continuously bad weather of the long, dark winter did result in a slight increase in the number of maintenance calls on our rental properties. I like to ensure all of our properties are maintained to a high standard to provide great quality accommodation to our tenants and […]
A development in Hempstead halts but the news is sunny across Medway

News from a controversial housing development in Hempstead is that work has been halted because of a dispute over the ownership of the land. The proposed development of the land on Gibraltar Farm is for 450 homes to be built on farmland in Ham Lane. Initial the planning permission was rejected by the council but […]
A lot of news in a little month – here’s the latest from the property world

So it’s been a little while since my last update. Unfortunately I suffered an injury a few weeks ago that has prevented me from undertaking a lot of my normal day-to-day activities. But the good news is that I’m on the road to recovery. It’s been incredibly hard to sit back and take time out, […]
Is the complexity of licensing going to drive landlords out?

I’ve just written an article on some license changes in Bexley which could considerably change the landscape of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) ownership in that area, which led me to thinking about the wider impact of licensing complexities for buy-to-let landlords. Currently Medway Council follow the prescribed licensing set out by the government; that […]
EPC legislation changes affecting EVERY rental property are imminent

I’ve been really busy closing off January. Last week I spent a lot of time chatting with landlords and potential investors, giving advice on rental rates and property investment. Something that I wanted to bring to your attention once again, is the imminent changes to the minimum energy efficiency standard (MEES). I first mentioned this […]
Medway Property News review of the year

I’m spending Christmas and New Year in Cyprus this year. I spent most of my summer holidays as a teenager growing up there and so know the island well. Property prices have taken a hit badly there due to the recession and people who want to sell are really struggling. It’s a buyer’s market, so […]
Figures for the top buy-to-let rental yields across the UK

I’ve just come back from another meeting with a HMO landlord who wants me to take over management of his 5 bed HMO in Gillingham Road. An estate agent himself, he knows the property market really well but after losing two tenants, he simply doesn’t have the time to find new ones, complete the reference […]
Buying a house in the Medway towns? First timers and buy-to-let investors, here’s some facts you might like to know.

I was at the Medway Business Awards on Friday night and was chatting to one of the leaders of the Medway Regeneration Project. We were discussing the huge salaries required to buy a house in each Kent town. It piqued my interest to say the least. I had a look online at a tool oddly […]
What does the interest rate rise mean for the rental market?

Incase you missed it, The Bank of England raised the base rate from 0.25% to 0.5% this week. The base rate is the Bank of England’s official borrowing rate, which influences what borrowers pay and savers earn. The base rate has remained fairly static over the last decade, with 0.25% being the lowest on record. […]