Grampa

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7417191/John-McDonnell-declare-war-buy-let-landlords-giving-tenants-chance-buy-property.html

You can get a cheap service or a good service. Very rarely can you get both at the same time. You get what you pay for.

Why use an online agent?

They are members of The Property Ombudsman so you can make a complaint there as well and they can make an award as well or in worse case they can kick them out of the scheme which means they cant trade as a business as its a legal requirement to be a member of a redress scheme. You have to go through the company complaints procedure first though. https://www.tpos.co.uk/consumers/how-to-make-a-complaint

If its a genuine emergency most people with a bit of common sense know what to do. fire=fire brigade Water leak=turn water off Break in= Police Power cut= candles Locked out= locksmith and expensive lesson to learn about leaving a key with a friend and being more careful. Followed by a call to the letting agent in the morning. Though I did have a very stroppy emergency call at 7pm xmas eve one year because of drafty windows. Mrs Grampa took great pleasure in dealing with that call.

Fitting numerous isolation valves on the plumbing is worthwhile doing as well as most tenants can use a screwdriver to switch one on or off if needed. Also a short guide on emergencies defining what one is and what to do/call can help.

I think its a judgement call. If you had evicted a problem tenant, common sense dictates it would be good practise to change the locks. However if you had perfect/good tenants most landlords would think it not necessary. So that would be your black and white scenario. Then you have your shades of grey in the middle such: 1.High turnover of tenants 2. Partners moving in with permission. 3. Tenants abandoning property. 4. Same lock been in for many years 5. Big households that have a number of sets of keys. 6. Households with teenagers (we all know they lose their keys). 7. Not getting the same keys returned at the end of the tenancy. We photocopy the bunch of keys that are given out at the start of the tenancy to check we get the same back.

Shop around or negotiate a lower fee but dont choose a agent alone on fees.

What it appears you are being told is half truths and half the information. Fact: An Assured Shorthold hold tenancy can be as short as you like. Though their are other implications on serving a section 21 notice (2 month notice). This tenancy has to have an individual named as a tenant. Fact: An Assured Tenancy which is normally used for corporate /company lets can also be as short as you like. But you cant use a s21 to evict you have to use a s8 which means only if there is a breach in the tenancy obligations. A corporate/company let is a potential can of worms if not done correctly. Such as: 1. Some companies demand their tenancy agreement is used which is likely to be loaded in their favour. 2. The named tenant is likely to be the company which means they will want to chop and change the residents which means more wear and tear. 3. If the company goes bust it becomes more problematic to get the tenant out as they are not named on the tenancy. 4. If I do one I always try to get one of the company directors to sign up as a personal guarantor. If they wont that always rings alarm bells. 5. You have to check the person signing on behalf of the company has authorization to sign. However some company lets can work very well. I would check with your insurance and mortgage company that you are allowed company lets and if you go ahead take out a suitable landlord insurance product and you may be able to negotiate the tenant /company to pay for it but may sure its one you approve of. The agent cannot insist you have a fully managed service but the company/corporate may make it a requirement. If you are not happy with this type of tenancy tell the agent you want an individual as a tenant. As a new landlord it is not advisable to self manage unless you are very knowledgeable on landlord tenant law. There are so many documents and requirement that have to be done now it is a big risk for a novice. Have you watched "Nightmare Tenants" or "Cant Pay? We'll take it away" ? Most of those shown are self managed landlords.

As a agent if the property doesnt have a suitable loft ladder fitted the loft will not get checked. I do not expect members of staff to clamber on chairs or hump ladders around with them. Landlords are informed of this at the outset.

If you haven't looked into it in detail already I do think its worthwhile looking into RTM. This is one company I spoke to who were very helpful https://www.rtmf.org.uk/

how many units in the block. Is it an option to go down the Right to Manage route?

A claim can still be genuine and still be refused if the exact lettering of the policy hasn't been followed which is then used as an excuse not to pay out. Some companies are a lot stricter than others. in using this as a get out. Many years ago I had a lady friend who was worked for a firm of solicitors who specialized with insurance claims she said Sun Life were one of the worse company for this . I am sure there are others as well. It comes up in the news every now and again where it appears an individual has been treated excessively harshly over a minor over sight within the policy.

If you are looking for a guaranteed rent and eviction (if necessary) type of insurance these need normally to be taken out before the tenancy starts and the tenants referenced with either the same company or approved company. I have only ever once use one of these insurance type companies which was Rent4sure. There is some bad press about them on forums web etc but my experience was ok and they did what it says on the tin. The rent arrears were paid and they did the eviction. However there were deadlines to report late payment of rent and submit paperwork which I suspect would be used as a get out if not complied with. Rent4Sure also allow a policy to start after the tenancy has started but there is a grace period of 2-3 Months of making a claim. They also accept HB tenants subject to their referencing. But a good pro-active agent can reduce the need for these policies but they do give peace of mind.

How do you define "best"? Cheapest or problem free when putting in a claim. Just because a broker/underwriter is very efficient at taking payment, reminding you the renewal is due and simplifying the paperwork doesn't make them a good broker/underwriter. In my view until something goes wrong and you have to make a claim you wont know how good they are or if they try to wriggle out of paying on the slightest excuse. The same principle goes for choosing a letting agent. Just because you have had no tenancy issues/problems to date only indicates the agent probably referenced the tenant and you have been lucky. It doesn't matter how much referencing and checks you do as someone could have been previously the perfect tenant.. However tenants split up and lose jobs or just can get into financial difficulties it is how the agent deals with these problems and how far they go to rectify the issue to a satisfactory conclusion and not wash their hands of the issue at a certain point is a bench mark of a good agent.

Possibly, but any tenant who applies still has to fill in a application form and any questionable tenant who answers honestly wont get any further and a credit check wont be needed. If they lie they will them have to put down a holding deposit and if the following checks highlight the lies on the application form they then potentially lose their holding deposit.

Well I have nearly completed all my fee increases to my landlords (about 4% left to do) and only 2 kicked off who were only one property owners. One I had to reduce the increase by a bit and the other grudgingly accepted it. When the last few are done I will be a few quid up. The landlords who I thought would moan didnt, I guess it amounts to how you present it to them. A handful of tenants are questioning the fee charge which carries on for a further 12 months on renewals so we will get the overlap of the fee increase and tenant fees for a year on renewals. The admin for setting up new tenancies is a bit easier without fees to take and chase up. Also a few tenants have given notice which I suspect is because they were waiting for the fee ban to kick in first. Rents have definitely gone up and will be trickling through as and when contracts come to a end. In summery I think in general tenants will pay more in rent but maybe a little bit better off as the landlord will swallow a bit of the cost.

I know the question has been answered but my two-penneth for what its worth is, I would think keys dont snap with normal use unless the lock is faulty and getting stiffer and stiffer which would be a landlord maintenance issue but maybe should have been reported before it got so bad. However the tenant and the tenants history and behavior could lead you to think they may be at fault.

Shelter want the views from landlords. Oh dear do they know what a can of worms they are opening. https://www.property118.com/shelter-ask-for-landlords-views/?fbclid=IwAR2H_bjIUiIvF_hO_5wGYmDQYRcpy7_Kwfn7EZirVy-GFOKqSZb079EOCig

Labour is planning a massive tax onslaught for landlords and property investors should the party win the next General Election. A new study commissioned by the Labour Party proposes to end a ‘buy to let frenzy’ that has gripped the housing market by raising property taxes and changing tenancy laws in favour of private renters. The aim is to democratise property Top of Labour’s property wish list is scrapping grounds for landlords to evict tenants to sell or refurbish a home when the tenants has not broken the terms of a minimum three-year rent agreement. After the first 36 months, landlords must prove grounds for eviction. Capital gains tax also comes under fire. The Land For The Many report demands CGT for second homes and investment properties should rise in line with income tax rates (20%/40%) from the current 18%/28% thresholds to encourage people to ‘seek more productive and socially beneficial ways to invest their money’. Other recommendations include: Capping rent rises to inflation-linked annual increases Abolishing council tax in favour of a progressive property tax paid by owners not tenants Tougher buy to let mortgage regulation To campaign to stop investors treating land and homes as financial assets Labour spokesman said: “For too long, people across the country have had little or no say over the decisions that affect their communities and the places in which they live. So much of this can be traced back to the broken system of land ownership. Concentration of land in the hands of a few has led to unwanted developments, unaffordable house prices, financial crises and environmental degradation. “Labour is committed to tackling these head on and delivering a fundamental shift in wealth and power from the few to the many.”

The Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992 Vacant dwellings requiring or undergoing major repairs or alterations A dwelling may be exempt for a maximum of 12 months if it: 1.is vacant (ie, unoccupied and substantially unfurnished) and requires, or is undergoing, major repair works to make it habitable; or 2..is undergoing structural alteration which has not been substantially completed; or 3.has undergone major repair work to render it habitable, but has remained continuously vacant since completion for less than six months; or 4.has undergone structural alteration, but has remained continuously vacant for less than six months since the alteration was completed. The vacant dwelling remains exempt for as long as it requires the major repair work or for as long as the works or alteration takes, subject to the 12 month limit. Major repair works are not defined in the legislation apart from the fact that they include structural repair works; nor is the phrase ‘substantially completed’ defined.

You could make the property uninhabitable by taking out the kitchen or put up a few random acrow props. I dont think you have to pay council tax if the property cant be lived in.

Well, there is a mechanism for a tenant to question/fight a rent increase if they think it is too high. I have never known a tenant to use it but never the less the option is still there and with all the info out there on the web and "Shelters" web site it could become more common if a rent increase is used as a weapon to push tenants out once the s21 ban comes in. If you read the prescribed info on a s13 notice (rent increase notice) you will note it states: 3. If you do not accept the proposed new rent, and do not wish to discuss it with your landlord, you can refer this notice to your local rent assessment committee. You must do this before the starting date of the proposed new rent in paragraph 4 of the notice. You should notify your landlord that you are doing so, otherwise he or she may assume that you have agreed to pay the proposed new rent. 4. To refer this notice to the local rent assessment committee, you must use the form Application referring a notice proposing a new rent under an Assured Periodic Tenancy or Agricultural Occupancy to a Rent Assessment Committee. You can obtain this from a rent assessment panel, housing advice centre or legal stationer (details can be found in the telephone directory). 5. The rent assessment committee will consider your application and decide what the maximum rent for your home should be. In setting a rent, the committee must decide what rent the landlord could reasonably expect for the property if it were let on the open market under a new tenancy on the same terms. The committee may therefore set a rent that is higher, lower or the same as the proposed new rent. I would guess this mechanism can be used for any rent increase such as a renewal of a tenancy with a large increase and the tenant can refer it to the First-Tier tribunal. I dont believe it can be questioned if the increase/new tenancy has already started. The rent assessment committee can change any planned increase to what they consider the market rent but it is not unknown for the committee to increase the rent further if they think its too low. But there can be a quite a difference between the lower and higher end rent for say a 2 bedroom flat. So If I had a tenant paying £725 pcm and wanted to increase the rent to £900 pcm though it may raise eyebrows it would still be (just) within the area of 2 bed flats prices in my area. That may encourage a tenant to leave or trigger enough arrears for a S8. I am not suggesting anyone or myself does this I can just see it being used by some landlords in the near future to gain possession.

Link?

At present with the ability to serve a s21 a landlord can take certain balanced risks with questionable potential tenants. Without that, all that means is it will be harder for tenants with a questionable history to be housed. I see us as a agency raising the bar at the referencing stage and also having to document every little incident during a tenancy in case it is needed to bolster a potential s8 hearing in the future. I also see rents being raised to push undesirable tenants out or to encourage rent arrears as a ground to evict at a s8 hearing.