Abbey Independent Inventories

ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE GAURDIAN ON LINE 24 aPRIL 2019 MPs have demanded landlords and letting agents end the practice of screening out people on benefits after hearing claims that “no DSS” clauses have become the 2019 equivalent of “no blacks, no Irish, no dogs” notices. During a hearing into the widespread refusal of landlords to rent properties to those on benefits, the Commons work and pensions select committee on Wednesday confronted the di...

May 24, 2017 by Richard Abbots on RLA website july 2017   Property inventory reports are no longer just about preventing disputes about condition and cleanliness. As the in-vogue term ‘Generation Rent’ suggests, house purchases are edging further and further from reality for much of the population. The result? A wiser, more assertive market place of renters that know their rights. In turn, rental legislation and taxation is becoming more one...

Shelter website 2017 A landlord or letting agent will want to check you will be a reliable tenant and able to afford the rent. Proof of identity Your landlord or letting agent will want to see photo ID, such as a driving licence or passport. If you don't have photo ID, a signed bank card or a utility bill from your current home may be enough. Right to rent You will need to show your passport or immigration documents as proof that you have the rig...

Mistakes in Section 21 notices are among the most common reasons for delays and increased costs when a landlord tries to recover possession from a tenant who has an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST). Judges are well aware of the complicated statutory provisions that govern such notices. And the slightest mistake, such as an incorrect expiry date, is harshly dealt with, usually resulting in an order dismissing the landlord’s possession claim. Howeve...

Article Posted -06 Dec 2018 on NAL website The Government has proposed amendments to the Tenant Fees Bill, which is currently being debated in the House of Lords. The amendments are due to be debated in the Lords on Tuesday 11 December. The main amendments which affect landlords are: The maximum security deposit being limited to five weeks’ – rather than six weeks’ – rent, for tenancies less than £50,000 per year (and remain six weeks for tenanci...

TUESDAY 04 DECEMBER 2018 ARLA ON LINE ARTICLE The Minister for Families, Supported Housing and Child Maintenance, Justin Tomlinson has issued some valuable advice for landlords (or managing agents) to help their tenants better understand Universal Credit and minimise problems with unpaid or late rent. Justin Tomlinson, MP said: "I understand that Universal Credit has felt like a huge cultural change for many private landlords, their staff and ten...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said that constraints on affordability have also affected buyers, following significant rises in the cost of properties in recent years. Up to the end of July, the most recent month for which data is available, 5,413 properties had been sold in Oxfordshire. It is a seven per cent drop compared to the same seven months in 2017.  It is a picture reflected across the South East, where sales we...

Guardian on-line article 21st November 2018 Government revenue from stamp duty on property sales fell by a tenth in the third quarter of 2018 compared with the same period last year, with the Treasury’s coffers now likely to fall more than £1bn short of earlier forecasts. Behind the fall lies a big reduction in stamp duty for first-time buyers, introduced in November 2017, and a moribund Brexit-hit London market, where estate agents say high taxe...

Guardian On line Article 29th November 2018 Almost 90% of local authorities failed to use new powers to fine rogue landlords last year, in the latest finding to suggest tenants are being failed by a lax enforcement regime. It follows a Guardian and ITV News investigation in October, which revealed a string of weaknesses in the legislation governing the private rented market and which also raised questions about the rigour with which certain counc...

Article guardian on- line 30th November 2018

London and the south-east are dragging down house price growth.
House prices inched ahead in November but Brexit uncertainty has left the property market “relatively subdued” according to Nationwide building society.

The average UK home rose in price by 0.3% month-on-month, pushing the annual rate of inflation up to 1.9%, up from 1.6% the previous month. The average home now costs £214,044.

However in cash terms the average price of a home in the UK actually fell by nearly £500 on the month, but because of seasonal adjustments used by Nationwide, its index recorded a rise.

The direction of house prices will be heavily dependent on the outcome of the Brexit vote on 11 December and what emerges after that. Nationwide said that if the uncertainty lifted, then prices were likely to spring back.

Its chief economist, Robert Gardner, said: “If the uncertainty lifts in the months ahead and employment continues to rise, there is scope for activity to pick up through next year.

“The squeeze on household incomes is already moderating and policymakers have signalled that, if the economy performs as they expect, interest rates are only expected to rise at a modest pace and to a limited extent in the years ahead.”

But the Bank of England’s warning this week that house prices could tumble by 30% following a no-deal Brexit is already having an impact on the market, according to property experts.

Jonathan Hopper, managing director of Garrington Property Finders, said: “While the ‘armageddon’ scenarios run by Mr Carney will be brushed off by many as unlikely, they will further sober the thinking of over-optimistic sellers and cautious buyers.

“For now, his comments have served only to dial up the uncertainty - and the pattern of subdued business-as-usual continues.

“Despite the shortage of homes for sale, a steady stream of strategic buyers are pouncing on buying opportunities that may not be around if the market normalises in 2019.”

Nationwide highlighted how the supply of housing was improving after a decade in which Britain had not built sufficient housing for a growing population.

It said: “After falling by almost 60% in the wake of the financial crisis, there has been a significant pick-up in construction in recent years. New-build completions in England in 2017/18 reached 195,300, around 3% below 2007/08 levels.”

It added that once additional dwellings were counted – particularly from the wave of office-to-residential conversions, then housebuilding has virtually returned to peak 2007 levels. In total, 1.9m dwellings have been built in England since 2007, representing an 8.5% increase in the total stock of homes.

ARTICLE PUBLISHED ON ARLA WEBSITE FRIDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2018    In England on 1 October, the criteria for what kind of House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) needs a mandatory licence is being extended and agents will need to ensure they’re keeping landlords up to date with the incoming change in legislation and making sure that applicable properties are licensed.   The UK Government announced in May 2015 that it would be changing the cr...

ARTICLE PUBLISHED ON ARLA WEBSITE MONDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2018      The Deregulation Act 2015 made changes to prevent ‘retaliatory evictions’ and all new tenancies starting on or after 1 October 2015 had to adhere to new guidelines as to when and how a landlord can serve a Section 21 notice. This October all remaining Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) will be subject to these rules, regardless of their start date.   With the new ...

Article published on ARLA website MONDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2018      The controversial Bill that will ban most charges set by landlords and letting agents to tenants in England has started its journey through the upper chamber.   The Tenant Fees Bill was introduced into Parliament in May of this year, and it has since completed its stages in the House of Commons and moved swiftly into the Lords for further scrutiny. The First Readi...

Article written by Robert Booth, appeared in Gaurdian 10th September 2018   One in three homes in England at lowest rents are classed as non-decent, analysis shows   A quarter of a million families bringing up babies and infants in England are living in privately rented accommodation that fails to meet the decent homes standard, it has emerged.   The number of households bringing up children aged under four in squalid conditions, w...

Upad, have written a guest blog on their top 10 essential tips for landlords to help create successful tenancy. Whilst we can’t put our hands on our hearts and guarantee you a totally stress-free tenancy, these 10 tips should make your life a lot easier. 1. Vet your tenants Run credit checks and get references from their current employer (permanent or temporary contract) and, more importantly, from their previous landlord. Ask how well they treat...

Article by Julia Kollewe - Thu 9 Aug 2018 06.01 BST Gaurdian        Rental signs Experts say reduced supply of rentals will mean higher rents unless more social housing is provided. Photograph: Alamy UK rents are expected to climb by 15% over the next five years, as the supply of rental accommodation dwindles while demand from tenants continues to go up, according to a survey. Rents are expected to increase by nearly 2% across...

ARTICLE PUBLISHED BY RESIDENTIAL LANDLORDS ASSOCIATION REPRODUCED BY AII JULY 2018 What documents do I need to give to my tenant? I have protected my tenant's deposit, what documents do I need to give my tenant? Each deposit scheme requires you to give your tenant and anyone who has contributed to the deposit, the following documents: Copy of the deposit protection certificate/receipt Prescribed Information The deposit protection scheme leaflet f...

Published by James Tapper-Gaurdian Sat 14th July 2018   Boom in unregulated short-term rentals is fuelled in part by unscrupulous businesses posing as private owners   Lettings offered online through firms such as Airbnb have boomed. Unlike conventional hotels and b&bs, none are safety regulated or vetted. Lettings offered online through firms such as Airbnb have boomed. Unlike conventional hotels and b&bs, none are safety regul...

ARTICLE PUBLISHED BY GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER JULY 2018   About 1.75 million people who rent their homes do not believe they will ever be able to buy, an increase of 50% since 2010.   Analysis of the official English Housing Survey by Labour shows the number of households renting privately that don’t expect to be able to buy in the future has increased by 585,000 since the Conservatives came to power.   Renters’ pessimism has grown despi...

Article published by Landlord Zone 14th march 2018   Assured Shorthold Tenancy:   Under new rules introduced over the last couple of years, setting up a “bullet-proof” AST in 2018 is a bigger challenge that in the past, but it need not be all that difficult if you know exactly what’s required.   Get it wrong though, and you could be permanently lumbered with a bad tenant if you have problems, and in the unfortunate event that you n...