Letting Agent Talk
Future-proof your profits by acting now
Do you believe if you repeatedly ignore bad news, it might go away? Are you utterly convinced that the Government will see sense, backtrack and allow you to continue charging tenant fees? Perhaps you have been far too busy (or hiding under a rock) to notice the avalanche of industry alterations that threaten your profitability….
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Labour is right – tenants should be allowed to keep pets
Responding to the news that the Labour party wants tenants to have the legal right to keep a pet in their properties, the University of Kent housing law expert Professor Helen Carr comments that ‘perhaps it was clumsy to introduce this policy proposal in the way that it has, but it should not be written…
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How should you respond to your tenant falling into rent arrears?
As a landlord, you will never want to hear about the tenant of your property being unable to pay their rent as it falls due. After all, you have your own costs that must be paid, such as your mortgage, so your lettings business very much depends on the correct amount of rent reaching you…
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Can proptech ever replace people?
Proptech. It’s a whole new world reshaping the lettings industry, and the last two years have seen an explosion of supporting technologies and automated systems. It’s all sold to us as time and money saving but at what expense? Let’s get this straight from the start. More automation can definitely streamline operations. We even harness…
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Why You Should Look to Leicester for your Next Buy-to-Let Investment Property
A market where supply is low and demand is high, Leicester is quickly establishing itself as a buy-to-let hotspot In 2016 Leicester was named as the 9th best city in the UK in the Good Growth for Cities index. Now, more and more businesses are setting their sights on this major UK city as their…
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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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