Landlords and Mortgages

Posted on May 24, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

Over the past few months there have been numerous news stories regarding the Bank of Ireland and how they have implemented massive interest rate increases for the majority of their tracker and variable mortgages. We have also heard that some landlords are starting to struggle when it comes to interest only mortgages, as many have failed to budget in order to pay back the loan once the interest only term is over. So here we look at the importance of mortgages for landlords and how to protect your business: Continue reading →

Lowering your buy-to-let risk

Posted on May 22, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

When you buy a new rental property, you take a risk. Markets can fall as well as rise, mortgage interest rates change, renters are not always who you think they are. There are risks all along the rental property journey.

But there is much that you can do to reduce the risks of buy-to-let, and increase your chances of making a great investment. Here’s what you need to think about: Continue reading →

Being a landlord: the legal essentials

Posted on May 20, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

There is much more to being a landlord than just buying and letting a property. Landlords have legal obligations to their tenants, just as their tenants do to them. Most of the rules that landlords need to work to are about protecting tenants’ health and safety, or about protecting both landlord and tenant from disputes.
These are the rules that every landlord needs to remember: Continue reading →

Win a £40 Voucher Garden Gift Card!

Posted on May 20, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

Here at PropertyQuoteDirect we know that many landlords will soon be looking for ways to improve the gardens of all their properties, however this often doesn’t leave them time to look after their own! This is why we are giving away a £40 Voucher Garden Gift Card so that you can spoil yourself and get your garden looking great for summer!

If you want to be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize all you have to do is follow us on Twitter @LandlordLoop and Retweet using the hashtag #PQDgarden. You better be quick though as the competition ends Sunday 26th May at midnight!

Good luck everyone!

T&Cs
Entrants must be 18 years or older and based in the UK.
Winner will be chosen at random and announced on Twitter once all the entries have been counted. Prize must be claimed within 7 days or the winner will be redrawn.
If original prize is not available then another of the same or equal value will be provided.

Deposits: Protection for you and your Tenants

Posted on May 17, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

This Wednesday was the deadline for all Scottish private landlords to place their tenants’ deposits in a registered scheme. In England and Wales all landlords have had to register their deposits in a scheme for a number of years now as deposits are extremely important to both tenants and landlords, as for tenants it secures them their property, while for landlords it protects their business. Here we look at the basics of deposits and why protection schemes have been put into place throughout the UK: Continue reading →

More first-time landlords enter the market

Posted on May 15, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

The number of first-time landlords is continuing to grow according to Paragon Mortgages. The mortgage specialist says that 22% of the mortgages it issues now go to new landlords. The figure has been growing since 2009, when the buy-to-let industry began to recover from the 2008 crash. Continue reading →

Lending to landlords rising

Posted on May 13, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

A bigger proportion of the mortgage market than ever is accounted for by loans to landlords. Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that 13.4% of mortgage loans were made to landlords in the first quarter of 2013. In the last quarter of 2012, the proportion was 13%. In the first quarter of 2012, it was 12.9%. Continue reading →

Creating a Checklist for your Properties

Posted on May 10, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

As a landlord you need to be organised so that you can keep on top of maintaining your properties and make sure that your business is running as smoothly as possible. The problem is that if you have a large property portfolio you will find that something is constantly going wrong in at least one of your properties, and if you don’t make a note of it you could soon become confused as to what property needs what maintenance! So here is a way to create a checklist that will keep you up to date and informed: Continue reading →

Landlords told to vet migrant tenants

Posted on May 8, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

The government is to start requiring landlords to check the immigration status of their tenants. If they don’t, they will face fines of several thousand pounds.

The move will be announced in tomorrow’s Queen’s speech, which marks the state opening of parliament. It is part of the Immigration Bill, which seeks to crack down on illegal immigration. It sits alongside measures designed to stop employers from taking on illegal immigrants. While the Bill will be welcomed by many, it is expected to face criticism from landlords. Continue reading →

A guide to summer for Student Landlords

Posted on May 3, 2013 by PropertyQuoteDirect

Summer is usually the slow season for student landlords, as of the end of May most students will have finished their academic year and will be heading home. However, just because there are fewer students about in the summer doesn’t mean you should just leave your properties to sit there! So here is our guide to summer for student landlords: Continue reading →