Category: Property Insurance

Experts believe that merging the two rented sectors would benefit everyone

Posted on 8th August 2012

Housing experts are behind plans to merge the two rented sectors as it would reduce the ‘stigma’ of social housing, give them the ability to move tenants to private landlords as well as driving up rental standards in some hard-to-let areas in the United Kingdom.
Housing leaders, lenders and thinkers have been actively involved in consultation with the Government who are looking at merging the two rented sectors. However, there are still some who believe that the Government should not merge the two sectors saying […]

Buy-to-let landlords still bullish despite tough times ahead

Posted on 3rd August 2012

New research by specialist broker Mortgages for Business has found that almost 10% of residential property investors have been told by their existing lenders to start looking for a mortgage elsewhere.
This is mainly down to RBS who are looking to reduce their exposure to property, while Bradford & Bingley are expected to exit the property market completely. However, despite the mortgage difficulties, six in ten private landlords have plans to expand their portfolios by the end of 2012. The research also found that for the […]

Landlords to pay council tax as soon as one of their properties becomes empty

Posted on 30th July 2012

New plans are in line to give each local authority the power to charge council tax on a property as soon as it becomes empty. The new rules could hit private landlords hard and also result in a huge administrative headache.
At the moment the law states that when a property becomes vacant, the owner is granted a period of six months before any council tax becomes payable. Coalition ministers want to end this mandatory requirement and are now proposing to replace it with a clause […]

Council to work with residents to solve student problems

Posted on 25th July 2012

Residents in Bournemouth are being given four different options to tackle the problems caused by the “studentification” of some parts of the area. Currently around one in fourteen properties are used by students and Bournemouth Council are eager for residents to have their say on a range of possible solutions.
The four options are a result of residents’ complaining that the influx of students has changed the character of the area and led to an increase in unsightly properties, noise and antisocial behaviour in the early […]

Landlords urged to get insurance cover for their gardens

Posted on 24th July 2012

Landlords across the UK are being urged to ensure their property insurance is not just confined to their buildings, as thefts from gardens show a dramatic increase.
Although most landlords, be they single home owners or investors with massive portfolios, routinely take out landlord insurance on the homes they let out to tenants, they may not be covering items that are stored outside or pieces of garden furniture. A report out earlier this month from a leading property insurance provider suggests that landlords need to get […]

Students still providing private landlords with good returns

Posted on 11th July 2012

According to the latest research, the rate of investment from private landlords into student accommodation is showing no sign of slowing down. Student property is a good performer and is constantly giving good returns for investors.
The research comes from property experts CB Richard Ellis and Knight Frank who also highlighted the fact that regional university cities are performing much better than central London in terms of value for money over a sustained period of time. The research also highlighted that the United Kingdom the student […]

Simple Error Could Leave Private Landlords out of Pocket

Posted on 9th July 2012

Private landlords with an interest in landlord insurance are being urged to get their paperwork in order after a recent landmark court case. The court ruled that a landlord seeking to recover service charges from a tenant was not entitled to it because the landlord used the letting agents address instead of their own.
By using the agents address, the landlord was deemed not to have served a valid demand and so nothing was due from the tenant. Section 47 of the Landlord & Tenant Act […]

Property owners told to spruce up their homes

Posted on 6th July 2012

Private landlords in a popular Sussex seaside resort are being ordered to spend cash on renovating the outsides of their properties as the local council go on a summer “spring clean”.
Owners of properties in the most popular retail and shopping areas of Brighton and Hove have been told in no uncertain terms by their local council they must improve the look of their building’s façade or face court proceedings. Dozens of owners, many with an interest in landlord insurance, have been contacted by the council […]

Council want to make Boscombe a better place to live

Posted on 4th July 2012

Bournemouth Council is targeting the 1300 privately rented homes throughout Boscombe in a housing crackdown, and sixty private landlords are already facing possible legal action as a result. The area’s housing was featured on Channel 4 documentary ‘Landlords from Hell’ in December last year and the inspections are just part of a major drive to regenerate Boscombe’s housing.
The council has vowed to work with all of the different kinds of landlord, promising those with ten properties will get the same treatment as somebody with one […]

No let up in property investment opportunities

Posted on 26th June 2012

A report issued by a leading buy to let mortgage provider predicts continued success for the property investor with an interest in landlord insurance.
The report from Paragon Mortgages says that private residential landlords are buying properties in all areas of the UK with the average portfolio now boasting over 14 properties. In just three months the average size of a landlord’s portfolio has gone from 12.9 to 14.1 and even over a sluggish year the increase now stands at 1.6. Entitled the Paragon Private Sector […]