Finally, some real progress in tackling unfit rental properties
There seems to have been another round of legislative changes that have all come at once and this one tackles some of the unfit rental properties that are a curse on our industry. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 amends the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 to state that landlords must ensure their […]
99.4% of HMO applications are being approved but 72% of Councils are not enforcing license law
As you all know, my lettings company specialises in management of Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) so I always have a vested interest in the HMO market. In October last year, one of the most important legislations for HMOs changed; the mandatory HMO licensing rules removed the three storey rule (previously licensing applied to HMOs […]
Beneath the Brexit terror headlines; Medway house prices show annual growth of 11.5%
A few weeks ago I gave you a round up of the Kent Property Market Report. If you didn’t read it, please do. There were a few points I wanted to dig into more, especially the Brexit effect on the Medway market. With the Brexit deadline of 29th March fast approaching, the PM surviving a […]
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 […]
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 […]
Letting agent fee ban won’t come into force until spring 2019
January is off to flying start for me. We’ve signed up our first franchisee for Home-Share who will be bringing this unique business model and excellent brand to Bexley. Alongside that, we have been helping many landlords looking to invest in the area with advice and guidance. The lettings fee ban Something that has been […]
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 […]
The leasehold ground rent scandal – how many properties in Medway could be affected?
Leasehold agreements have been around for hundreds of years but this year they were bought into the limelight when it was suggested that up to 100,000 leaseholders are trapped in developer contracts with spiralling ground rent costs. And so the government stepped in… Historically, ground rent was kept to a minimum. A mere token of […]
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. […]
