During the abnormally cold winter of 2010, between 24 November and 31 December alone insurers paid out £1 billion to customers who had suffered burst pipe damage.  Protect your properties from the cold weather this winter. Burst and frozen pipes Losses resulting from burst / leaking pipes or faults in a property’s plumbing system have…

Following the storms last week, many landlords are now looking to make claims on their insurance. Are you insured for damage to your property? Insurance is designed to cover unexpected circumstances. If a tree has fallen and hit your house, your residential landlord property insurance should cover the damage. Check your policy to see how comprehensive your…

September was a good month for the private rental sector (PRS) according to figures from LSL Property Services. LSL have revealed that rents hit a record high during September. An all-time high LSL’s Buy-to-let Index for September found the typical rent across England and Wales stood at £757 per month, which is the highest figure…

We were recently asked by LandlordZONE to write an article about the benefits of being a DIY landlord: Being a DIY landlord doesn’t have to be difficult and can save you a fortune in fees. With the advent of online letting agents, thousands of landlords are seizing the opportunity to take a more hands-on approach…

Tenant referencing is becoming increasingly important for private rental sector landlords in the UK with a reported rise in tenants in severe arrears. In the first quarter of 2013 severe rent arrears rose by 4,000 to 94,000 and is the fourth highest figure on record, according to Paul Shamplina, founder of Landlord Action. “The highest…

One of our founders, Simon Fice, has had a baby boy! Luca James Richard Fice was born at 6.48 this morning, weighing in at 8lbs, 2 oz. Congratulations to Simon and his wife, Fiona, from all of the team at The Online Letting Agents

Housing benefit to be withdrawn for unemployed under-25s Young unemployed people will lose their housing benefit and jobseekers allowance entitlements, David Cameron announced. The party floated a similar idea in June 2012 but a Liberal Democrat veto stopped it in its tracks. The previous proposal was aimed at reducing public spending and would apply to all under-25s,…

Mark Prisk has been asked to leave, following a year in the position.  He announced on his Twitter account yesterday than he has been asked to ‘step aside’ Mr Prisk wrote: “Been asked to step aside from housing for a younger generation. Disappointing but it’s been a great eleven years on frontbencher.” Prior to taking over from…

The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC) has warned that property owners are failing to protect themselves by not accurately recording the condition of a home at the start of a tenancy and not making it clear to tenants what constitutes a neutral colour. AIIC chair Pat Barber commented: “Lots of disputes are presented where…

As a landlord looking to rent out your property, chances are that you are looking to charge a realistic price mindful of what others in the area are asking for. If you are looking to get a bit more, you need to make your property more attractive to a larger group of prospects. One mean…