Businesswoman signing the contract.

Why let to tenants on benefits?

When Upad's CEO James Davis started renting to social tenants, it began as a purely financial decision – but he soon found that there are more advantages to this sector than simply higher rents. James admits that originally it was simply the higher rental rates offered by housing benefit that attracted him. “I knew that HB has a bad reputation with some landlords,” he says, “but the... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on June 9th, 2010 in Property Market, Property Rental, Tips for New Landlords

Are you watching the Death of the Amateur Landlord?

It's not a hobby any more, and it shouldn't be accidental. If it ever was a get-rich-quick scheme, those days are gone. The days when landlords could hope to make money by sticking a card in a newsagents window and crossing their fingers that a decent tenant would turn up are gone. Property portfolios need to be managed like businesses, because they are businesses. If you're fighting... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on April 26th, 2010 in Events, Upad

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Landlords grown in confidence for the new year

64% of the UK’s landlords feel more confident about the buy-to-let market as we enter into the New Year, according to the latest findings from Upad's monthly Rental Confidence Index. The figure represents a 6% increase from the same survey that was conducted in December 2009. Comments made by 2010 survey respondents feeling more confident included: • “More repossessions, uncertainty... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on January 12th, 2010 in Property Market, Upad

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Landlords feeling more confident about BTL market

Over half (58%) of the UK’s landlords are feeling more confident about the buy-to-let market in December 2009, than they did last month, according to the latest poll of Upad's landlords. 233 landlords responded to our question ‘Are you more confident or less confident about the buy-to-let market than you were last month?’ One landlord who said they felt more confident told us "The market... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on December 15th, 2009 in Property Market

How to write a great rental advert

I was talking to one of our newest landlords last week; he'd just got his first buy-to-let property and he was excited to get it listed with us - but there was one problem. "Well," he told me, "I don't know how to write in estate agent lingo." I'm sure he's not the only landlord who's had that thought, but actually, he didn't need to worry. If you want to get your property let quickly,... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on December 7th, 2009 in Finding Tenants, Property Advertising, Rental Advertising

Help is on the way for SE London landlords

If you are a landlord either living or renting in South East London, then you should consider attending a special landlord’s day in Catford on the 23rd June. The event is being hosted by Greenwich Council and will be held at the Lewisham Civic Suite in Catford on Tuesday, 23 June, between 13.30 - 18.30. Experts will be available all day to provide advice on many topics, from surviving... Read more

Posted by James @ Upad on June 17th, 2009 in Property Rental

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Buy-to-let register is ‘unworkable’

  The National Landlords Association is reported to have announced that it believes the Government’s proposed buy-to-let register will not succeed in rooting out bad landlords.   It said the plan, which would require anyone renting property to register each address, was “well-meaning, but flawed”. It also compared the scheme to a similar one in Scotland, which was branded “a complete... Read more

Posted by James @ Upad on June 5th, 2009 in National Landlords Association NLA, Property Rental

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People want house prices to keep falling, poll shows

  A poll has found that most people in Britain do not want house prices to rise.   The ICM poll for BBC2’s Propertywatch, a new four-part series about the housing market. found that 64% of people would prefer house prices to either remain at their current level, or fall further.   However, what was interesting, but not altogether unsurprising, about the figures was the disparity in the... Read more

Posted by James @ Upad on June 4th, 2009 in Property Market

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Is being a landlord just about business?

  Okay, things aren’t great at the moment. Unemployment is on the rise and our politicians have shown themselves to be even more desperate to get their hands on our money that we ever thought possible.   However, if you are a landlord, you can be eternally thankful that you are not Christopher Browne, as this shocking story shows. He got a call from his letting agent with some dreadful... Read more

Posted by James @ Upad on May 28th, 2009 in Property Rental

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First-time buyers have “given up hope” of ever owning a home

With tumbling house prices and record-low interest rates, you would think that there was never a better time to get onto the property ladder.   However, according to figures published by PropertyLive.co.uk, 65% of people who do not own a home now, believe they will never own one.   And a leading property analyst has no doubt where the blame should lie.   Peter Bolton-King, chief... Read more

Posted by James @ Upad on May 27th, 2009 in Property Rental

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Thinking of letting your property? Talk to the experts

I’ve just read a very interesting article from the Guardian. According to figures from the Property Ombudsman, there has been a huge rise in the number of disputes involving letting agents in 2008.   The problem seems to have emanated from the increasing number of inexperienced estate agents who are attempting to cash in on the burgeoning rental market.   Many of the complaints were... Read more

Posted by James @ Upad on May 26th, 2009 in Property Rental, Tips for New Landlords

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Is this just another tax for landlords?

  And as if things weren’t bad enough for buy-to-let investors, new proposals put forward by the government to try and weed out undesirables would cost honest landlords even more money.   Under the scheme, a national register of landlords would be set up, requiring anyone renting out a property to sign up, paying a £50 fee for the privilege - ostensibly to cover administrative... Read more

Posted by James @ Upad on May 21st, 2009 in Landlord Tax, Property Rental

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Has the buy-to-let bubble finally burst?

  At the turn of the millennia, one in four mortgages in London was buy-to-let. Low house prices and large disposable incomes meant that investment in property was a no-brainer for many people. As house prices rose, more and more people became unable to venture onto the property ladder, leading to greater demand for rental opportunities. The landlords were happy and there was plenty of choice... Read more

Posted by James @ Upad on May 19th, 2009 in Property Rental

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