Tag Archives: Landlords Insurance

Electrical safety for landlords

Posted on 12th June 2013

Electrical safety for landlords – Landlords are being urged to pay more attention to electrical safety. A new report by the Electrical Safety Council shows that a fifth of tenants have been put at risk by faulty or damaged electrics.
Landlords are legally required to carry out gas safety checks, and get a gas safety certificate, every year. The rules on electrics are much woollier. Landlords are required to make sure that the electrics are safe, but there is no requirement for an annual check and […]

Squatters: what you need to know

Posted on 5th June 2013

Squatting is now a criminal offence in residential properties following a change in the law last year. But that doesn’t mean that it is necessarily any easier than it was to remove squatters. Landlords need to be aware that there is still a risk that their property will be squatted.

Letting an ex-council home

Posted on 15th April 2013

According to research by the GMB Union, 40% of ex-council properties in the London Borough of Wandsworth are now owned by private landlords. Figures for the rest of the country are likely to be similar, especially in urban areas.

Pests and your Properties

Posted on 12th April 2013

Property Pests – There is nothing worse than finding out that one of your properties has become subject to a pest infestation, especially as it means that not only will you have to organise removing them but potentially also move your tenants out of the property until the pests are gone. Often pests can be dealt with easily, but there are ways to prevent them in the first place. Here we look at what you need to know about pests in your properties:

How to choose a letting agent: our top tips

Posted on 25th March 2013

As a landlord, you’re probably kept pretty busy dealing with repairs, difficult tenants and property purchases so you don’t need to deal with problem letting agents too. If you pay a letting agent to look after your property, then they should be working in your interests.

Can you ensure guaranteed rent every month?

Posted on 18th March 2013

One of the biggest concerns for most landlords is that they will not be able to fill their property with paying tenants every month. Guaranteed rent services can be an attractive option, especially for those who have had difficulty letting their properties in the past, or who have had to deal with non-payers. But can they really be cost-effective, or are they more likely to cost landlords money than to help them?

Knowledge is Power: Why new Property landlords need to do their research

Posted on 11th March 2013

Becoming a landlord can be an enticing prospect in these times of ever-increasing rents. But those who have been in the business a long time know that things can change very quickly in the rental market. New landlords who want long-term success (and presumably, that’s most of them) would do well to use the experience of long-term landlords to help ease them on their way.

Rental Market Hit By Scammers

Posted on 1st March 2013

The UK property rental market is one of the country’s biggest. Many of us will spend most of the wealth accumulated in our life time on either a mortgage, rent or home improvements of some kind. This is however proving to be a lucrative market for scammers and con-men who are using fake identities to coax landlords into providing them with housing.

Five Tips for New Landlords

Posted on 22nd February 2013

New Landlords – Buying your first property is a milestone, and those who have already passed it will remember the combined feelings of excitement and anxiety. The prospect of buying a property is exciting and opens up all sorts of opportunities for the future. It’s the beginning of a portfolio and if managed properly, a profitable empire. There are however a lot of questions to be asked when purchasing a new property. Here are a few tips to help first-time Landlords with their acquisition.

Empty Homes, the True Cost!

Posted on 15th February 2013

When you think of empty homes, you immediately think of problems regarding squatters and others trespassing on your property. Whilst certain landlords insurance policies may cover these eventualities, you may not always be fully protected , especially from the social repercussions which are generated by partially vacant neighbourhoods.