The
specialist insurance company HomeLet for Landlord and Tenant insurance has won
the Innovation category at this year’s 2011 Landlord and Lettings Awards. In addition
to this, HomeLet Insurance was a finalist in the Insurance Services, Supplier
and Website categories. More
on this HereDecember
2011Back
to top
Seasonal
trends see rents dip across UK as the latest HomeLet Rental Index shows that average
UK rental amounts have decreased in eight of the 11 regions, including London,
as part of a seasonal dip. According to HomeLet Landlord and Tenant Insurance
More
on this Here
December 2011Back
to top
HomeLet
the specialist landlord and tenant rental insurance company has raised money for
a charity based close to their Lincon offices. The insurance company staff have
raised £4,000 in just five months at various events organised by members of staff,
including a cake sale, quizzes and a Halloween fun-day that included a fancy dress
competition and trick or treat game. More
on this Here December
2011Back
to top
Endsleigh
insurance were shortlisted for Landlord and Letting award
Endsleigh
Insurance Services Ltd were shortlisted as a finalist for 2011/12 in the Insurance
Services category of the prestigious Landlord & Letting Awards.More
on this Here November 2011Back
to top
Irish
agents Sherry Fitzgerald to sell it's share of Marsh and Parsons in the UK
The
Irish Times reported yesterday (5-11-11) that Sherry Fitzgerald, Ireland's largest
estate agency group is to sell it's 72 per cent stake in London agents Marsh and
Parsons to LSL Property Services for £53.1 million. LSL Property Services
run a number of agents including Your Move, Reed Rains, Intercounty and the JNP
Partnership. According to the Irish Times report Sherry Fitzgerald invested about
11 millillion between 2005 and 2007 and this deal should net it more than
44 million.
The
company currently employs 200 people in the Republic and a further 250 indirectly
in franchise and affiliate operations. LSL has told shareholders that Marsh and
Parsons that has 13 offices in London is profitable including high value property
areas of Chelsea and Kensington. Marsh and Parsons reported sales of £23.3
million and a profit of £6.8 million as at 31st Decemeber 2010. Peter Rollings
is the current CEO of Marsh and Parsons. November
2011Back
to top
The
Buy-to-let in the UK has just celebrated it's 15th birthday. According to "Landlord
buy-too-let magazine's September edition. Buy-to-let was launched by the Association
of Residential Letting Agents at the RAC Club, Pall Mall London ( a venue that
ARLA used to hold many meetings at) on the 24th September 1996. Paragon Mortgages
was one of the founder lenders. October
2011Back
to top
JNP
Lettings 10 year celebration is getting under way
The
JNP Parnership's residential lettings office celebrates it's 10th birthday in
November this year. JNP are based in High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire and the office
has grown considerably since it was established by Philip Suter ten years ago.
This was the second firm that Philip had established a letting department for.
The first was at Frank Farr back in 1984 when he set up the lettings office in
Iver in south Bucks with a second office in Beaconsfield. More
on this Here September 2011Back
to top
The
health and safety Excecutive continue to prosecute landlords for nreaching the
requirements of the Gas safety Regulations. In the latest case a Glasgow landlord,
Mohammed Aslam was convicted fined £800 after an investigation found that
a gas fire in a house that he owned failed a smoke spillage test and was not properly
sealed to the vall - nor had it been maintained within the proceeding 12 months.
Anyone who carries out work on gas appliances must be on the Gas safety Register.
Source NLA UK Landlord July/August 2011 Back
to top
Jet to Letters stay
closer to home. The £ pound may have dropped to record lows against the
euro and the economy may be going nowhere, but many Britons in the market
for a secure, long term investment are starting to look closely at the jet to
let seqgment once again. This a bery interesting article in the July?August 2011
NLA magazine "UK Landlord" running to four pages. To read this you either
have to be a member (which is great value for Landlords) or buy a copy of the
magazine by clicking on the image above.July
2011Back
to top
It 's 25 years since
Suzy Lamplug disappeared and her parents founded the Suzy Lamplugh Trust - On
the 28th July 1986, young estate agent Suzy Lampluugh disappeared while showing
an inknown client around a property. She has never been since and although her
body has never been found, she has subsequently been declared dead.July
2011Back
to topSee
"The "Estate Agent" article
A
landlord in north Wales has been fined £5,015 for failing to bring
a block of flats he owned up to a suitable safety standard. North Wales Fire and
Rescue brought the case against Mr D C Lloyd who owned a medium sized block of
flats in Saltney Ferry. Mold Magistrates heard that Mr Lloyd had not complied
with an enforcement notice to carry out work that would ensure the property achieved
a suitable fire safety standard. He was found guilty of failure to carry out a
suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, failure to adequately maintain the
fire alarm system and failure to adequately maintain the emergency lighting system.
Source NLA UK Landlord July/August 2011Back
to top
Channel
4’s Dispatches programme Landlords from Hell has exposed the treatment of tenants
at the hands of Britain’s ‘worst landlords’. The programme, which was shown on
Monday, investigated a range of underhand tactics adopted by landlords including
renting out dangerous and squalid properties and illegally renting out sheds.
See
article and report at the YouGov WebsiteJuly
2011Back
to top
A landlord has been fined £30,000 and given a six month suspended
sentence for letting a dangerous and sub-standard house in Coventry. A statutory
notice was served by Coventry City Council officials following an inspection of
the property which revealed numerous hazards including severe damp, mould, electrical
problems and inadequate cooking facilities. The landlord Steven Boote, was also
reported for failing to provide a gas safety certificate.More
on this HereJuly 2011Back
to top
Landlords
continue to enjoy record high rents according to Paragon buy to let mortgage specialists
Almost
a third of landlords (29%) said that their rental income increased during Q2 2011,
research carried out by buy-to-let mortgage specialist Paragon has revealed. Paragon's
quarterly research showed 13% of landlords surveyed had increased rental rates
across their portfolios by between 2% and 4% - with 4% saying they had increased
rental income by up to 6%.
Of
those surveyed, 8% said their rental income had risen by 2%, with 4% saying it
had increased by more than 6%. There is a clear difference between the results
from smaller-scale and professional landlords. Nearly one in five smaller-scale
landlords (19%) reported rising rental income during the quarter, but the overwhelming
majority (75%) said rents remained unchanged.
For
professional landlords, however, it is a different picture with almost one-third
(32%) saying their rental income had increased in the first quarter and only 2%
saying that it had decreased in Q2.
Nigel
Terrington, Paragon Group Chief Executive, said: "Results from our latest research
shows that rental income has increased steadily during the second quarter. Landlords
are continuing to experience high levels of demand for their properties so have
been able to make small increases to rent levels, without making accommodation
unaffordable. "Demand for privately-rented property shows no sign of slowing down
with four out of ten landlords (40%) believing that tenant demand is either growing
or 'booming', and will continue to do so for the next 12 months. "However, it
is increasingly important that finance for landlords becomes more readily available,
so landlords can respond to the growing demand for rental properties." July
2011Back
to top
Leading
safety charity, The Electrical Safety Council, launches new guide for landlords
– FREE copies available now
The
Electrical Safety Council (ESC), in collaboration with the Association of Residential
Managing Agents (ARMA) and a number of leading UK housing associations, has produced
a guide to electrical safety in the communal areas of residential properties in
England & Wales.
Building
on the success of the Landlords’ Guide to Electrical Safety, this Guide is intended
to address electrical safety in communal areas (areas accessible by staff, residents,
and others visiting the property). T
he
Guide aims to raise awareness among residential landlords - including housing
associations, local authorities, private landlords and property management companies
- of their legal obligations relating to electrical safety and provides guidance
and advice on areas such as stairwells, corridors and boiler rooms. Find
out more HereJuly 2011Back
to top
French
Government plans to tax holiday home owners - then cancels them.
Apparently
this tax, due to take effect in January 2012, will apply to second homes owned
by non-residents, whether they are French or foreign! Up to 360,000 homes could
be affected, about half of which are thought to be owned by British nationals.
Under the new law, the taxman would charge 20 per cent of the theoretical annual
"rental value" of a second home, whether it is rented out or not. Homes rented
out full-time will be exempt, since their owners are already assumed to pay sufficient
French tax. Holiday home owners currently pay domestic property taxes - Taxe d'habitation
(if applicable TV Licence include - L'audiovisuel public) and Taxes foncieres.
More
on this HereJune 2011Back
to top
my|deposits
has unveiled a new, easier-to-use website with a tailor made section just for
landlords. It has all the latest news on deposit protection, guidance on legislation,
a resource section with practical tips and a jargon buster to explain any complicated
terms.
Of
course you can also protect deposits online instantly and manage disputes through
our unique dispute resolution section of the website. The site has been built
on suggestions from our landlord members. We held focus groups to ensure the new
site is easy to navigate and provides you with everything you need to make your
membership as straightforward as possible. Visit the site now at: http://www.mydeposits.co.ukJune
2011Back
to top
HomeLet
launches Remy|deposits has unveiled a new, easier-to-use website with a tailor
made section just for landlords. It has all the latest news on deposit protection,
guidance on legislation, a resource section with practical tips and a jargon buster
to explain any complicated terms. ntal Price Index
HomeLet,
the UK’s leading provider of tenant referencing and specialist insurance to the
lettings industry, has launched its own Rental Price Index.It is the most detailed
report on the sector to date and reveals information never seen before, including
tenant age, demographics and actual rental prices in each UK region. Rents keep
rising in the West Midlands, but rents drop in the North West More
on this HereJune 2011Back
to top
Yorkshire
Landlord Blocks access to rental property to stop tenants leaving
A
landlord has blocked off his plush £1m home with ten skips to stop his tenants
from leaving without paying the £15,000 he claims they owe him. Businessman Simon
Everingham says he has been in a constant battle for £3,000-a-month rent since
the occupants of his four-bedroom 18th century farmhouse in Markington, near Harrogate,
North Yorkshire, fell behind with the payments last November. He barricaded the
American tenants Dan and Christina Herring in by blocking the drive on Monday
and the fight to stop them leaving continued today. More
on this HereMay 2011Back
to top
HomeLet
Insurance Warns Landlords of their Obligations
If a window cleaner, gardener or tenant injures themselves on your property, are
you covered if they sue you? • Do you have expensive garden furniture and BBQ’s
in your garden? • Do you have emergency assistance cover if a disaster at your
property was to happen this summer? No one wants to dwell on the worst, but as
a conscientious landlord you must prepare for these possible eventualities. Often
putting something right after a disaster is much more costly and difficult than
being prepared.More
on this HereMay 2011Back
to top
HomeLet
win Silver Award for the Supplier of the Year category at the Estate and Letting
Agent Awards - ESTAS
HomeLet
the Landlord and Tenant rental property insurance company have won the Silver
Award for the Supplier of the Year category at the Estate and Letting Agent Awards
- ESTAS. More
on this Here April 2011
Back to top
Irish
house prices could fall 13.4% in 2011 so it is a good time to invest in Ireland
The
St Patrick's day (17th March 2011) edition of the Irish Times had a headline "House
prices call fall 13.4% in 2011 on bank test senario". House prices are on track
to fall by a further 13.4 per cent in 2011 and 14.4 per cent in 2012 before recovering
in 2013 under a scenario considered by the Central Bank to stress test the banks.
The lenders are being tested to see how much of the €5 billion set aside in the
EU-IMF bailout fund for the banks will be needed. The tests are being applied
to certain Irish banks and building societies. More
on this Here March 2011
Back to top
Promenade
des Irlandais becomes the Promenade des Anglais in Nice once again
The
Irish Times property section on Thursday 10th February had a headline
"Sun sets for holiday homeowners" - Thousands of Irish people who bought
homes abroad, for their holidays or as a pension, are selling up – if they can.
The report featured Nice Estate Agent Kirkor Ajderhanyan a director of Agence
107 Promenade, an agency which specialises in selling properties with sea views
on Nice’s seafront. He said "There were so many of them that we used to call it
the Promenade des Irlandais at the time. But most will make an average gain of
25 to 30 per cent". More
on this Here February 2011Back
to top
HomeLet,
the market leading suppliers of referencing and specialist insurance solutions
to the lettings industry are delighted to announce the launch of their latest
set of innovative changes to their product range. Not only have some of their
existing products and services had an upgrade for the New Year, they’ve also launched
a brand new take on the lettings process. With unemployment set to increase to
a 17-year high of 2.7 million in 2011 it’s already proving to be a difficult year
for today’s professional landlord. More
on this Here February 2011
Back to top
Prices
in the three months to December were 0.9% lower than in the preceding three months.
This rate of decline remains significantly lower than the quarterly falls of 5-6%
during the second half of 2008. House price data on this basis provides the clearest
indication of overall market trends, smoothing out the monthly volatility caused
by the reduced number of monthly transactions used to calculate all house price
indices.
On an annual basis, prices in December were 1.6% lower as measured by the average
for the latest three months against the same period a year earlier. Prices in
December alone were 3.4% lower than in December 2009.
Nationally, we expect limited movement in house prices during 2011 but with the
risks on the downside. Some modest variations in house price performance across
the country, however, are likely. The regional picture is likely to be affected
by the impact of public spending reductions.
Commenting, Martin Ellis, housing economist, said: "Prices in the final three
months of 2010 were 0.9% lower than in the previous quarter. This rate of decline
is significantly less than the quarterly falls of 5-6% during the second half
of 2008. House prices fell by 1.3% between November and December. "Looking forward,
we expect limited movement in house prices during 2011 but with the risks on the
downside. Interest rates are likely to remain very low for some time. This will
continue to support a favourable affordability position for those entering the
market and limit financial pressure on existing homeowners to sell. Current signs
that homeowners are becoming more reluctant to sell would, if continued, help
reverse the imbalance between buyers and sellers. Nonetheless, uncertainty about
the economy, weak earnings growth and higher taxes could put some downward pressure
on demand." Source Lloyds Banking Group January 2011
Back to top
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jml on facebook 
A landlord has been fined £30,000 and given a six month suspended
sentence for letting a dangerous and sub-standard house in Coventry. A statutory
notice was served by Coventry City Council officials following an inspection of
the property which revealed numerous hazards including severe damp, mould, electrical
problems and inadequate cooking facilities. The landlord Steven Boote, was also
reported for failing to provide a gas safety certificate.
The
Irish Times property section on Thursday 10th February had a headline
"Sun sets for holiday homeowners" - Thousands of Irish people who bought
homes abroad, for their holidays or as a pension, are selling up – if they can.
The report featured Nice Estate Agent Kirkor Ajderhanyan a director of Agence
107 Promenade, an agency which specialises in selling properties with sea views
on Nice’s seafront. He said "There were so many of them that we used to call it
the Promenade des Irlandais at the time. But most will make an average gain of
25 to 30 per cent". 
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