Terence McBride, a landlord from Wigan, has been prosecuted for falsifying a gas safety certificate. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) took legal action against the landlord after discovering that the dates on his gas safety certificate had been altered to make it appear that it was still valid. The tenant of his property had…

According to the latest index from Mortgages for Business, the rental yields for complex buy to lets reached their highest level in the first quarter of 2012, at 10.7% per annum. Complex buy to let’s include investments such as Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO).  The index has shown that the complex BTL market place continues…

According to mortgage brokers, the buy-to-let boom is set to continue, with landlords predicted to buy more properties in 2012. Interestingly the number of first-time investors in this sector is also growing, with newbie landlords making up around 23% of the buy-to-let market. While life is still tough for first-time buyers and home owners, with…

Concerned by the cost of living in London, Ken Livingstone is making some big pledges in his 2012 Manifesto for the London Mayoral elections on May 3rd. Amongst other things, he promises to “establish an all-London non-profit making lettings agency which, by cutting out Estate Agents’ profit, will help reduce rents and provide secure tenancies” and to campaign for a London Living…

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has now given clearance for the proposed merger of Zoopla with Digital Property Group to go ahead. Digital Property Group is the umbrella for some of the biggest property websites, including Prime Location, Find a Property and Globrix. The transaction is expected to complete within the next few weeks…

Savills and rightmove have teamed up to produce a special “Rental Britain” report.  Here we provide a summary of the findings. The total value of private rented stock in the UK reached £840 billion at the end of 2011, a rise of 42% in only 5 years.  That equates to in the region of 4.8…

A woman who owns a number of properties in Basildon which she rents to vulnerable families has been given community service for failing to keep their gas appliances well maintained and safe. Investigations by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Onyemauche ‘Fidelia’ Peel, 49, of Thamesmead in London, had not been ensuring Landlords’…

Few changes were made to property taxes in Chancellor George Osborne’s 2012 budget, and the majority of buy to let landlords will not be affected. However some significant changes have been made to the stamp duty rules for homes worth more than £2 million, marking an effort by the Government to stop Stamp Duty avoidance…

As of 6th April, the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) will be making changes to the regulations around Tenancy Deposit Protection in England and Wales. The changes to protection requirements and potential recriminations for non-compliance will come into force on 6 April 2012. In summary, from 6th April 2012, the Localism Act makes…

Research from the Electrical Safety Council has found that misunderstandings between landlords and tenants over responsibilities for safety are exposing many people to life-threatening electrical dangers. There are serious consequences for landlords who are found to be negligent over electrical safety, including fines or even imprisonment. Our guidance for landlords outlines the simple steps you…