Letting Agent Talk
Landlords prepare for brave new world of digitised tax returns
Breathing room for landlords as Making Tax Digital pushed back to 2020 Landlords up and down the country will be steeling themselves for more change from 2020, when Making Tax Digital (MTD) becomes a requirement. Thankfully, the transition to providing HMRC with quarterly updates and digital returns for small businesses and buy-to-let landlords, has been…
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How to ‘talk up the market’ without sounding stupid
Recently I read an article discussing how an interest rate hike may affect the housing sector. Within the feature was the phrase ‘talking up the market’, pertaining to how agents have been verbally combating an ever-changing industry of late. ‘Talking up the market’ is perhaps a phrase that you have heard in meetings or even…
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What will private rented sector regulation look like?
Regulation has suddenly become the talk of the town. In mid-October, shortly after the Conservative Party first announced the UK’s private rented industry would become regulated, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) started an industry consultation about minimum training requirements and compliance with a new code of conduct. The consultation is due to end on 29 November, and…
Neil Cobbold
Push property management for growth
While sales divisions are tying themselves in knots, wondering whether to stick with their ‘traditional High Street agent’ stance or to launch a hybrid/part on-line offering, the lettings industry is clinging on to a small sliver of hope that the Government will back track on its pledge to scrap tenant fees, or may see sense…
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The Leasehold Scandal and PPI
In a recent column, I predicted that what was becoming known as the ‘new-build leasehold scandal’ was not going to go away anytime soon. Sure enough, the story has been hitting headlines again, with its very own Twitter hashtags – #leaseholdscandal and my favourite, #fleecehold. On the face of it, it was welcome news when…
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LANDLORDS URGED TO RE-MORTGAGE AS TOUGHER BTL LENDING CRITERA BEGIN TO BITE
Landlords are being urged to re-mortgage before tougher buy-to-let lending criteria, due to be introduced in September, make it more difficult to obtain finance. The call comes as the proportion of buy-to-let re-mortgage transactions, as a share of the total lending market, has risen over the last few months*, and as a diminishing demand for new…
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Guide to tenancy agreements: top 5 things tenants miss!
Though many tenants take a minute or two to glance over their tenancy agreement before they sign, most don’t read the small print before putting pen to paper. This can cause renters to miss vital details that affect both their tenancy and their finances. To help ensure you have all the information you need before you move in, here’s our guide to tenancy agreements and the top five things tenants miss.
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Guide to tenancy agreements: top 5 things tenants miss!
Though many tenants take a minute or two to glance over their tenancy agreement before they sign, most don’t read the small print before putting pen to paper. This can cause renters to miss vital details that affect both their tenancy and their finances. To help ensure you have all the information you need before…
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What to look for in a buy-to-let property
So you’re looking at investing in a buy-to-let property. Well, if you’re not sure how to go about it or what to look out for in your property, here are a few things to consider: Potential rental or growth When choosing your buy-to-let property, decide what your priorities are. Would you rather buy a property…
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Agents, have your say – Fixflo launches 2017 Rental Repairs Survey
Fixflo’s fourth annual Fixflo Rental Repairs Survey has officially launched and is set to reach even further than the last. The past year has produced some challenges for the residential lettings sector which has highlighted the need for agents to be able to share their feedback. Fixflo’s Rental Repairs Survey aims to give agents a…
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Which of these famous properties would you recommend as a buy-to-let investment?
Have you ever wondered what it might be like to be landlord for one of TV’s most iconic properties? Perhaps you’d like to see the Red Keep from Game of Thrones run as an HMO (House in Multiple Occupancy). Maybe the Teletubbies Home Dome could become a student-let, or there might be a nice little…
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Landlords, Will Your Property be un-rentable next year?
It has been on the cards for a while, yet awareness of the changes to Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) and the private rented sector seems scarily minimal. According to data released by Quick Move Now, 1 in 10 properties could be classed as un-rentable as a result of the change, and you could even be…
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Letting agents must prepare for a rise in renters
The UK’s letting agents need to prepare for a rise in the number of tenants entering the Private Rented Sector (PRS). This is the message from payment management solution PayProp, which says that agents who use technology to streamline and automate their processes can dedicate more time to clients and scale more effectively, among…
Neil Cobbold
You don’t have to beg landlords to stay
It’s the statistic that no one in property expected but research from the National Landlords Association revealed that 61% of landlords are currently use a letting agent – a 7% increase from the final quarter of 2016. The same report also found the proportion of landlords self-managing their property slipped by nearly 10% during the…
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BTL Mortgage Guidelines – New Criteria
The buy to let market has seen many changes over the last couple of years, with new tax rules, and increased stamp duty tax to name just a few. Currently mortgage lenders are coming up with new underwriting guidelines that will come into effect in September 2017 and this will affect how a landlords mortgage…
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