LANDLORD NEWS AND ADVICE FROM UK'S LARGEST ONLINE LETTING AGENT
The latest from the world of lettings and written for landlords. Top stories, advice, commentary and analysis...
Keep the discussion lively, if you read an article and have some thoughts, please comment. We’re always looking for new landlord tips and stories so if you have something you’d like to share please let me know, simon@upad.co.uk (editor).
Archive for the ‘Property Market’ Category

London homeowners go for gold as new Olympic lettings service launches
Its official, the race is now on as London homeowners seek to cash in on the estimated 500,000 visitors flooding into London this summer to witness the 2012 Olympic Games. A prime case is the former Spurs and Arsenal defender Sol Campbell's, who will be renting out his Chelsea townhouse for £75,000 a week, around four times its value throughout the Olympic Games. Like Sol, londoners have... Read more

60 Seconds with James Davis
What is your role? Founder & CEO of www.upad.co.uk What is Upad in a nutshell? Upad is the UK's largest online lettings agency. We help landlords let and manage their properties nationally, and because we've grown so large, we can pass on massive savings to landlords. How is it different to other lettings agencies? Our landlords are generally experienced buy-to-let professionals who... Read more

Rents set to stabilise in 2012
Rents in the UK are set to stabilise in 2012, according to the Belvoir rental index. The index suggests that rents will rise in line with inflation and salary increases in 2012. This marks a change from the previous couple of years which have seen rents persistently rise. However, as always with these national surveys there are regional fluctuations, with London and the Home Counties set to... Read more

Millions may never be able to own their own home
The increasingly depressing state of the housing market has been brought to the fore, with the news that millions may never be able to own their own home. The Council of Mortgage Lenders Director General Paul Smee said, that many will rent for longer than they first envisaged. Deputy Governor of the Bank of England Charlie Bean explains that as mortgage deals require higher deposits, they... Read more

Are rents too high?
There is plenty of good news in the rental sector right now. Tenant demand is strong and shows little sign of waning. With demand strong and supply less fluid, rents have continued to increase in most of Britain. In London the average monthly rent is £1000, elsewhere it weighs in at £700. Good news you might think. But there is a downside. Pundits are reporting that rising rents are at risk... Read more

Family homes attract Buy to Let landlords
Buy to Let landlords are increasingly looking to family homes as a solid investment. The latest numbers from BTL mortgage people Paragon shows a significant increase in landlords looking to families as tenants This shouldn't be a surprise. With the changes to Housing Benefit and Local Housing Allowance (LHA) already starting to filter through the private residential sector (PRS), we expect... Read more

5% VAT on renovating unoccupied properties
If you're in the market for another Buy to Let flat or house, there are lots of reasons to steer well clear of unoccupied properties. It's especially true if they have been empty for a while or are in very bad shape. The time and expense of renovating a property will often take a good chunk out of your short term profits. That's why it pays to take a more long term view and consider the value you... Read more

Interest rate rises “unlikely” in 2011
The July meeting of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 7-2 to maintain base interest rates at 0.5%. The MPC noted that the general weakness of the British economy and turbulence in the Eurozone made it unlikely that the rate would be increased in 2011. The committee noted: “Recent developments had reduced the likelihood that a tightening in policy would be... Read more

Buy to Let key to mortgage lending rise
In June, there was a significant rise in mortgage lending according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). Gross mortgage lending rose by 16% on May 2011 but was still 3% lower than June 2010. It’s expected that mortgage lending will grow modestly year on year in 2011. Pundits have noted that among the reasons for the increase are existing borrowers fixing deals in anticipation of... Read more

Chiswick: the new Kensington?
The family suburb which is gradually becoming the “in” place. Located on the edge of zone 2, Chiswick already has its merits. It is almost equidistant between Central London and Heathrow Airport, meaning a comfortable commute for the city workers and a hop skip and a jump to a faraway destination. The Times reports that Chiswick is seeing an influx of affluent people who have decided to... Read more










