Entries by Joanna Plane

Insurers Set For Storm Payouts

The wild winter storm that rocked most of the UK last week caused widespread damage but the Association of British Insurers (ABI), reassured all policyholders, including those with landlord insurance policies,  that claims would be dealt with swiftly. The torrential rain and gale force winds caused extensive disruption across the UK’s transport network, damaged properties […]

Is It Really A Happy New Year For Benefit Tenants?

Researchers claim that the uk’s welfare reforms will make more than three quarters of a million homes unaffordable for tenants. The Government Welfare Reform payment caps came into force this week (1st January 2012) meaning that more than 810,000 private rented homes unaffordable for tenants claiming the housing allowance under the new “Universal Credit” system. […]

Is It Worth Having Landlord Insurance?

With some landlords feeling the financial pinch, a small minority of ill advised or inexperienced landlords are attempting to reduce costs by cutting vital corners such as on repairs or worse, on their insurance policies. As the owner and landlord of a buy to let property, adequate insurance is required to protect the fabric of […]

Landlords Fear Rent Arrears Increase

Rent Arrears are set to rise in the UK Private Rented Sector, (PRS), during 2012 as more landlords face dealing with tenants who cannot afford the rental payments on their residential property. The UK media reported at the end of last year that the number of court orders to evict tenants had risen by 11% […]

Big Changes In Store For UK Private Rental Sector

There could be big changes in store for the UK private rental sector should there be an exodus of inexperienced or accidental landlords from the market. The rental market in the UK could be significantly impacted in the event of a mass departure of inexperienced and accidental landlords from the sector. This is the suggestion […]

UK Empty Properties Up By 1.8% In 2011

Despite campaigns from all quarters of the media and industry bodies, the number of empty homes in the UK increased significantly in 2011, new research has shown. Data from the Communities and Local Government department, (CLG),the Office for National Statistics, (ONS), and Halifax’s own housing statistics database, the study revealed a 1.8% rise in empty […]

As If Landlords Could Afford A Laugh

Landlords often have to chase tenants for the rent, often payments are missed due to extraordinary circumstances, Here are some of the best Tenant Excuses For Not Paying The Rent • “I can’t pay my rent as my BMW is in the shop, and I cannot afford to pay for both.” • “I can’t pay […]

Eviction Research Makes Gloomy Reading

New research from Shelter highlights the areas of the UK where people are most at risk of losing their homes. 111 households is at risk of eviction by either a landlord or mortgage lender, with those living in London most at risk, followed by the residents of Manchester, Slough and Peterborough. Shelter’s study also reveals […]

Rents Fall Despite Rental Demand

Rents have fallen for the first time in 10 months as landlords look to keep homes occupied over Christmas, but rents in some parts of the UK have bucked the downward month-on-month trend. The typical residential property rent in England and Wales dropped by 0.4% to £717 a month in November, the first month-on-month fall […]

Don’t Skip Tenant Checks

If you are a seasoned landlord or are just starting out in buy-to-let, you need to understand the importance of carrying out background checks on potential tenants. Right now it’s a landlord’s market with more people choosing to rent so UK landlords can afford to be a little more choosy. The National Landlords Association (NLA) […]

Rental Prices And Yields Rise

Private Sector Rental prices and rental yields increased in the three months up to October 2011, according to new research from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The survey found that the number of UK property agents who reported higher rents had risen by 19% in the 3 month period. 15% more also said […]

New Rent Guarantee Product For UK Landlords

If you are a Landlord who lets a property in the UK, then you run the risk of rent default by your tenant. Even the best checks and references cannot predict a tenant falling on hard times and not being able to pay their rent. Could you as a landlord cover your expenditure if this […]

More Calls To License All Letting Agents

A major new report out today is urgently calling on the Government to regulate residential Letting Agents to the same standards as Estate Agents and reckons that UK tenants are being ripped off by cowboy agents in the booming PRS rental market. The Resolution Foundation, an independent think tank which focuses on lower income groups, […]

Bailiff Amnesty December 2011 – January 2012

A seasonal reminder to landlords and letting agents that Bailiff Amnesty’s will begin around 12th December 2011 to the 9th January 2011. Please check your local County Court for more details. The amnesty, which is not widely publicised, is implemented due to local authority offices, solicitors, courts and housing welfare organisations festive holiday closures. Unfortunately […]

Debt Advice Could Save Landlords £50 Million

A new study claims UK Landlords should seek debt advice in order to avoid evictions. The report by the Financial Inclusion Centre, commissioned by the Hyde Group, found that UK landlords could save more than £50 Million in debt-related eviction costs through early intervention. Researchers found that, on average, landlords made a net return of […]

Is Your Rental Property Insurance Valid

All UK Private Rented Sector landlords need to ensure that their rental properties are correctly and adequately insured. Some Buy To Let and Landlord insurance policies may require intricate details regarding the property and its occupants including the tenants employment status or even the disclosure of criminal convictions. This disclosure requirement doesn’t just apply to […]

Recover Rent Arrears

When bad tenants face eviction for excessive rent arrears, they often think they can move out without ever paying the landlord their due rent. This is not the case! Many UK landlords may not be aware but they are still entitled to claim any rent arrears owed to them by evicted tenants for up to […]

Tenants Staying Longer Because They Can’t Afford To Move

Figures released this week by a UK property association, have shown the average length of a tenancy in the UK private rented sector (PRS) has increased to around 19 months. The vast number of people now renting in England has increased by a dramatic 56% since 2004, which now accounts for over 20% of all […]

5x The Competition For Rented Property

Demand for UK Rental Property continues to soar, with lettings agreed within a record low of 12.7 days and up to 5 tenants competing for each private sector (PRS) rental property. Since the beginning of 2011 there has been a significant increase in tenant demand for private rented sector property. UK residents are adopting the […]