It’s tempting, but not particularly helpful, to suggest that sooner or later a big problem with Right to Rent checks was bound to arise. If we wanted a better example of why the scheme is flawed than the recent Windrush debacle, we would be hard-pressed to find one. That might sound flippant in the face […]
Read MoreGet on with it The key message from last week’s ARLA Propertymark Conference was that the ban on charging fees to tenants is inevitable and that the industry should accept that and get on with preparing for the change. Our message is slightly different. Yes, accept and prepare but don’t struggle to do that on […]
Read MoreFacebook has dropped an almighty clanger and Mark Zuckerberg has appeared before Congress explaining and apologising for data breaches. The fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal has seen people leaving the social media platform in droves, and as individuals, we’re all busy trying to fathom which permissions we’ve given which apps, who knows what about […]
Read MoreCheck your diary. Is April 17th blocked off for a day at the ARLA 2018 Conference? Excellent, we’ll see you there. We’re excited about this year’s conference because we’ve got a lot to say. We’ve been working on initiatives designed to support lettings agencies and help them grow. We’re confident that we can make your […]
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Is it a policy or is it discrimination? Sim Sekhon looks at the dividing line. An estimated 50 percent of landlords have a policy of not letting to tenants in receipt of Housing Benefit. We’ve seen the ads in the paper – the listings that say, blatantly, no DSS – and it’s generally accepted. In […]
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If like me, you’ve ever sat through a course with a lousy tutor and wondered quite what you were doing there, you might think my suggestion that you should grab every training opportunity is a bit over the top. You might be right, but if you add the word ‘relevant’ into the statement, you’ll have […]
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Generally speaking, it used to be relatively easy to make a profit as a landlord, but we all know it’s getting harder. A combination of Government policies and inflation have eaten into returns, whilst wage stagnation has limited the potential for growth in rental values. If there is less room for managing the costs and […]
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It would be very satisfying to state, categorically, the situation for all landlords with regards to licensing. It would, however, be very tricky to do and probably out of date within a few weeks. At the start of April, the rules change again. What’s more, councils using selective licensing can change their requirements at will. […]
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How’s your first quarter stacking up? As March ends, many of my contacts in the lettings industry are taking stock, comparing Q1 2018 performance with 2017. Number crunchers are finalising KPIs for their reviews. Directors—and everyone else—are pushing to account for every last penny, while teams closely monitor move-ins on the 29th and 30th to […]
Read MoreIn what was obviously a heartfelt speech, delivered at a national planning conference earlier this week, the Prime Minister set out plans to increase the supply of housing in the UK. There can be few who do not recognise the issue as critical, and the speech included a number of measures which would give councils […]
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There’s a famous quote from the former Liverpool Manager Bill Shankly. He said: “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.” Even if you don’t support football, we’re sure you’ll appreciate the passion […]
Read MoreA lot of businesses are currently panicking about the imminent changes to data protection legislation. It seems that they have only just realised that GDPR will apply to their operation and that it’s not simply some nonsense from Brussels that they can ignore. We understand this situation in some ways. We’re living through a rapidly […]
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Some confusing statistics have been reported in recent weeks. They suggest that while the number of rentals handled by agencies is around 60 percent and rising, 70 percent of tenants would prefer to rent directly from the landlord. What’s more, around 50 percent of landlords say that agency fees are too high and that service […]
Read MoreYou could learn everything there is to know about being a landlord the hard way, but we don’t recommend it. Doing so will cause unnecessary stress and it’ll definitely cost you money. In our next , we’ll be looking at a range of issues and the right way to tackle them. We’ll look at taking action […]
Read MoreIs it reasonable to keep a pet crocodile in an apartment block? I suspect most people would think not but try convincing the licenced owner who’s seen that crocodile emerge from an egg. A tenant has an adorable spaniel, but it barks in distress if it’s left home alone, disturbing the neighbours. What is a […]
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