Category: Uncategorized

Flooding causes Landslips and Damage to Houses in Wales

There has recently been yet another increase in rainfall throughout the UK, and due to the fact that some towns have not yet recovered from flooding a few weeks ago, landslips are occurring causing damages to houses and mandatory evacuations of homes.
In Ystalyfera in the Upper Swansea Valley, there have been two landslips which have brought thousands of soil down onto roads and houses, with residents from eleven homes having to spend the night in a leisure centre after being evacuated. Pauline Jones was […]

Majority of private landlords are happy with their tenant

A new survey has found that despite horror stories about tenants from hell, most landlords are actually happy with the people currently living in their property.
The research was carried out by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme and questioned three-hundred landlords who are registered with the initiative that protects deposits. Nine out of ten said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of tenant, with reasons for this including: paying the rent on time, taking care of the property, carrying out simple repairs and […]

Private landlords again being advised by police to look out for drug cultivation

Landlords throughout Sussex are being urged to keep a lookout for tenants cultivating drugs in their homes after a number of similar discoveries have been made. Police in the county have already uncovered 44 commercial growing rackets inside privately rented properties this year, a figure that already surpasses the total of 40 that was found during the whole of 2011.
Almost all involved cannabis, but a couple of others saw criminals produce drugs such as ecstasy and crack cocaine. The increase has seen Sussex Police produce […]

Will big deposits help landlords realise bigger profits

With news emanating from the Royal Institute of Chartered Accountants (RICS) that average tenant rents have risen by over 4% in the last twelve months and are likely to do the same in the coming year, property investors are still being drawn into the private residential letting sector, as providers of landlord insurance can readily confirm.
However, investors who are tempted to try their hand in the letting sector for the first time are being urged to be cautious by at least one expert. Lee […]

Landlords Who Do Not Rent Out Properties Will Face A Hike In Tax

Second homeowners and private landlords who do not rent out their empty properties are to be hit with council tax increases as ministers move to end the madness of the system that encourages leaving properties empty.
The Government are about to announce their plan to abolish discounts on holiday homes that are only used at the weekend and they will also impose an extra premium on any home that is left empty for more than two years. The coalition feels that it is wrong for there […]

Council to put Tenants into Empty Properties

Properties bought by Salford town hall bosses and offered to households whose homes were earmarked to be demolished are to be rented out after being empty for three years. The eighteen properties were purchased by Salford City Council in March 2009 for a cost of £1m.
The homes were offered in a unique home-swap scheme to tenants whose own houses were to be bulldozed as part of the regeneration of the borough. However, not all tenants took up the offer and the council haCs since failed […]

Landlords blast plans to restrict the growth of student lets in York

Landlords in York are up in arms about plans to impose yet more red tape around their businesses. York Council is considering proposals to make all private landlords apply for planning permission if they wish to change a property into a house of multiple occupation (HMO). Landlords in the area say the council are imposing draconian measures to deal with a problem that doesn’t exist.
The plan to introduce the measures stems from complaints by local residents who claim the increase in houses of multiple occupation […]

Landlord association set up helpline

In a move that has been welcomed by tenants and landlords alike the National Landlords Association have announced it is to launch a new help and advice website in conjunction with the Health and Safety Executive.
It is anticipated the advice line will give help to landlords seeking advice mainly on the legal requirements they have to adhere to. Fire regulations and appliance safety checks along with the qualifications of the tradesmen carrying them out are both strictly controlled by law and enquiries about them are […]

Property Ombudsman calls for regulation of letting agents

Property Ombudsman Christopher Hamer has called for the next Government to quickly regulate letting agents for the protection of the tenants and landlords who use them.
Mr Hamer revealed in his most recent annual report that disputes with letting agents had increased from 28% to 49% of his workload during 2009. Problems with sales agents therefore dropped to only 51% of his total. He added that he expected problems with lettings to constitute two thirds of his work load this year. It is thought that regulation […]