Let’s talk straight – a deposit is not the landlord’s money. Nor is it a way to ease the cash flow in a letting agency. It’s the tenant’s money. End of. Which is why the Government have made it a legal requirement that it’s protected in a tenancy deposit scheme. Yes, at the end of […]
Read MoreWe’d be guilty of gross over-simplification if we said ‘no’. The truth is that tenants in receipt of benefits are as diverse as the rest of the population, and you could find that the most reliable and careful tenant you ever have is someone whose rent is paid from their housing allowance. In addition, benefits […]
Read MoreAny management book will give you the basic guidance about prioritising the important stuff. But when you’re putting your to-do list in order, you need to look at things from different angles or you could end up losing out. As a letting agent, you might think the most important thing is a responsive, attractive website […]
Read MoreWarrington-based LegalforLandlords is following its successful relocation and rebrand with a move to a bold, upfront tone of voice. Its new campaign aims to present facts and figures as a wake-up call to those sleepwalking through the property rental sector. The key messages apply to both letting agents and to landlords of all sizes, but particularly to those more […]
Read MoreWe’ve seen some marvellous sporting achievements at the Rio Olympics. We’ve seen scenes of joy and despair. Yes, we’ve seen the ugly face of cheating and corruption, but we’ve also seen the best of the human condition, and importantly, we’ve seen the power of determination. No one who has stepped onto the podium has had […]
Read MoreThe recipe for successful letting is getting good tenants and keeping them. One of the main ingredients for this retention is a good tenant/landlord relationship. Good tenant/landlord relations can take the stress out of letting and positively impact the arrangement for both parties. A good tenant/landlord relationship can ensure that buy-to-lets have high occupancy rates, […]
Read MoreRenting to students was traditionally seen as a no go area for many landlords. Students were often viewed by many landlords as a high-risk tenant with the potential to cause trouble. However, the steady growth in the student buy-to-let sector over recent years has many landlords reassessing this situation. Student numbers are at an all […]
Read MoreLetting agents often get a bad rap for their customer service. Media reports over the last few months have portrayed letting agents in a negative light. Stories have abounded on letting agent’s poor customer service, lack of compliance with their legal obligations and even criminal activity! These reports, coupled with recent criticism by MPs over […]
Read MoreWarrington-based experts on the property rental sector, LegalforLandlords are delighted to introduce two new members of their team. Gareth Samples, Chairman of Nessa Asset Management, joined in November as a non-executive director. Formerly MD of BriefYourMarket.com, which saw massive growth under his leadership, Gareth has a wealth of property knowledge and was previously with Your […]
Read MoreProperty experts agree that a comprehensive written tenancy agreement is the basis for a successful landlord/tenant relationship. A tenancy agreement is the contract between a landlord and tenant that can either be a written or a verbal agreement. In essence it sets out the terms of the renting arrangement. At present, there is no legal […]
Read MoreRecently, there has much debate on the future of traditional estate and letting agents in the wake of the online property market revolution. The emergence of online portals has caused many to predict the demise of the high street estate and letting agent. Property pundits predict that by 2020 50% of all property transitions will […]
Read MoreVoid periods are inevitable. A void period when your property is unoccupied with no rental income will happen to most landlords during the lifetime of their investment. Yet excessive or lengthy void periods can significantly impact the viability of your investment. Many property experts agree that landlords should never take for granted that their property […]
Read MoreIt’s nearly a week since our seismic decision to leave the EU and the initial aftershock of Brexit has been significant. The Prime Minster has stepped down, the pound has plummeted and millions has been wiped off the London stock exchange. In the wake of this financial volatility what does Brexit hold for landlords and […]
Read MoreSo has the market spoken? The recent buy-to-let market’s dramatic rise and fall with the introduction of new stamp duty rates for landlords certainly indicates it has. Whilst we are just getting our heads around the impending new tax arrangements, aspiring landlords or those seeking to increase their portfolio will now have to contend with […]
Read MoreIf it wasn’t such a serious issue, we’d shake our heads in disbelief at Chancellor George Osborne’s planned changes to Mortgage Interest Relief. From 2020, tax will be calculated based on rental income, not on profit. Buy-to-let landlords who have been able to use the interest on their mortgage to offset their tax bill will, […]
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