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Landlord discovers meth lab left by tenant in property

Landlord discovers meth lab left by tenant in property A buy-to-let landlord has been left in a state of shock after discovering what appears to be a ‘deconstructed meth lab’ in his house in Bulwell, Nottinghamshire, left behind by a former tenant.

The house, located less than five miles from Nottingham city centre, has now been cordoned off by police.

A spokesman for the force said a landlord reported that a previous tenant had left behind a number of bottled chemicals, including an unknown liquid, as part of the meth lab, which is used to make methamphetamine, an addictive drug that can be sold as crystals, pills or powder.

Police have launched an investigation, but no arrests have yet been made.

Chief Constable for Nottinghamshire Police, Craig Guildford, said it is “not very often” his officers come across meth labs.

He told Nottinghamshire Live: “I think this is the first one we have found this year. We come across a lot of cannabis grows but in terms of meth labs that is something relatively rare as a force.

“At the moment, I have not had it confirmed it is that.

“I do not think there is a massive market for it, but if you look at evidence in America we do not want to be in that situation.

“It is good that we have come across it and that we are investigating it, if it does turn out to be a meth lab.

“If something comes to the UK it usually starts in London and then spreads.”

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General election 2019: Key housing policies, at a glance

General election 2019: Key housing policies, at a glance With just one day until voting day, each of the main political parties has outlined its plans for the country, including for the housing market, with various measures aimed at correcting the imbalance between property supply and demand.

From rental reforms to big numbers around housebuilding, they have each set out rival plans to address the existing housing crisis.

So what are the main political parties proposing when it comes to housing?

Conservatives

The Tories have pledged to build 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s, review new ways to support home ownership following Help to Buy’s completion in 2023, scrap Section 21 notices for landlords, introduce a ‘lifetime’ deposit that moves with a tenant, ban the sale of new leasehold homes and restricting ground rents to a peppercorn rent.

Labour

The Labour Party has set a target of delivering 300,000 new homes a year, including an extra 150,000 council and social homes annually, introduce a new range of tenants’ rights, including open-ended tenancies, government-funded renters’ unions, and the scrapping Right to Rent checks, give councils powers and funding to buy back homes from private landlords, and mooted the idea of introducing rent controls.

Lib Dems

The Lib Dems also want to deliver 300,000 new homes annually, a third of which will be homes social rent, devolve Right to Buy powers to local councils, introduce a new Rent to Own scheme for social housing where rent payments give tenants an increasing stake in the property, owning it outright after 30 years, and increase council tax by up to 500% on second homes.

Green Party

The Green Party wants to ensure s focused every home in the country is well insulated, as well as deliver at least 100,000 new council homes a year.

SNP

The SNP wants to incentives councils and individuals to bring empty properties into use, making them available to rent or buy, as well as restore housing support for 18 to 21 year olds across Britain.

Brexit Party

The party aims to increase the number of homes built through market mechanisms, such as easier planning for brownfield sites, and allowing flexibility on other planning areas and the number of affordable homes. But the policy also states it should be made easier for councils to borrow to build social housing.

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Many landlords ‘have not recognised the need to educate themselves’

Many landlords ‘have not recognised the need to educate themselves’ How do you potentially balance property buying and management with a full-time job? What strategies have you developed to build wealth and generate passive income?

When it comes to investing in property there is a lot to learn.

Generic education has become one of the most important tools for landlords, according to Paul Shamplina, a director at Hamilton Fraser Group and founder of Landlord Action.

“One of the most common excuses I hear from landlords is ‘I didn’t know’,” he said.

Whether you are new to property or a long-term investor, it is important to keep on top of tax and regulatory changes, along with a wide range of other commitments.

Shamplina continued: “We enter education from a young age and then later, may take the path of further education which best suits our skillset or interests.

“No matter what we do, we are always learning. For example, when we start a new job, more often than not, we’re given training and guidance.”

Shamplina feels that part of the problem with the PRS is that for many, becoming a landlord started off as a “lucrative hobby, not a job”.

As the sector has grown, it has become entirely necessary to put some policies in place to protect the consumer and raise standards, just as a business would have in place for its employees and customer.

However, legislation has come so thick and fast that many landlords have struggled to keep up and have not recognised the need to educate themselves as a landlord.

He added: “If you are a landlord that likes managing your rental property yourself, building a relationship with your tenant so that they are encouraged to stay longer and treat your property as a home, that is fantastic.

“However, the latest count I read, was there are now 176 rules and regulations relating to letting a property, so my advice is to simply learn, learn, learn.

“I tell all the landlords and letting agents I train to go online at the beginning of the day before they get stuck into work mode, emails and calls, and just read what is going on in our industry.

Shamplina advises BTL landlords to visit various websites dedicated to the PRS, including Landlord Today.

He also advises landlords to join a landlord association such as NLA or RLA, as, in his view, they “provide the latest news, campaigns, lobbying, market trends and sign posting of recommended suppliers, as well as an advice line”.

He continued: “Being part of this community of professional landlords means collectively we have a stronger voice. This I have seen first-hand while sitting on the Fair Possessions Coalition in response to the government’s intentions to abolish Section 21.

“Along with many other organisations and associations in the industry, we’ve come together. We need more of this going forward.

“Landlord Redress will be mandatory in the not too distant future. Personally, I think this will be a positive move which will force landlords to be accountable, responsive and more compliant when renting out a property. And yes, this will require more learning because it means the consumer, your customer, will be able to make a complaint about your service.

“It’s tough enough working full time, being a parent, running your own house, etc. So, if you simply do not have the time to be a professional landlord, find a tenant, deal with all the compliance paperwork, arrange an inventory and handle regular communication with your tenants, I strongly advise you to use a managing agent.”

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Are you entitled to compensation due to onerous ground rent charges?

Are you entitled to compensation due to onerous ground rent charges? Thousands of landlords trapped in developer contracts with spiraling costs could be entitled to compensation, according to legal experts.

Around 100,000 homeowners across the UK, including many buy-to-let landlords, are estimated to be affected by onerous ground rents.

Britain has long had leasehold homes, but only in recent months has the ground rent scandal exploded.

A complete ban on new houses sold as leasehold is now being proposed by the government, while it also wants to reduce ground rents to zero.

In addition, the competition watchdog has now formally launched an investigation into the housing market over the mis-selling of leasehold properties.

Daniel Brumpton, partner and head of Nelsons’ professional negligence team, said: “The Competition and Markets Authority [CMA] has formally launched an investigation into the housing market over the misselling of leasehold properties, which will investigate permission fees, ground rents and other terms associated with leasehold properties.

“The competition watchdog will be consulting with developers, lenders and freeholders requesting information in relation to how leasehold agreements are drawn up, agree and subsequently maintained by the parties. The report will also consider the effects that ‘unfair’ terms have on leaseholders and have asked for people to share how they have affected their lives.

“Developers and freeholders could face legal action if the watchdog finds evidence of leasehold mis-selling.”

The East Midlands-based law firm Nelsons is prepped to take on compensation claims from property owners in the East Anglia, East Midlands, Yorkshire, North East and far North West regions.

Brumpton says that there is a lot landlords can do if they are caught in the ground rent trap.

He added: “There are currently four million leasehold properties in the UK, with around 100,000 of these being affected by onerous ground rents.

“We’re ready to help landlords who have found themselves unwillingly involved in the leasehold mis-selling scandal to bring a professional negligence claim against the conveyancing solicitor they instructed to help with the purchase of the property.

“If the solicitor failed to give you advice about the existence and implications of the onerous ground rent clause, we can assist you in suing for damages.

“Historically, ground rents have been low – no more than around £50 per year. However, in the last few years, housebuilders have started to increase ground rents to an initial charge of between £250 to £500 a year.”

Brumpton points out that some developers have also added clauses in the lease that allow them to review the ground rent periodically, for example, every five, 10 or 25 years. Typically, the review clause allows the freeholder to increase the ground rent at each review.

He continued: “In theory, a ground rent that doubles every 10 years doesn’t sound too bad. However, most leases are set for the long-term such as 999 years. If a ground rent of £250 per year doubles every 10 years, you can expect to pay £16,000 per year after 60 years. For many people, that’s simply unmanageable. This is also not something a landlord of a buy-to-let property could expect to pass on to tenants either.

“If you are a leasehold owner who purchased a new build property in the last 10 years, you should check your lease to see what it says about ground rent and what you can expect to pay.”

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Best cities for buy-to-let investments revealed

Best cities for buy-to-let investments revealed Despite the recent tax and regulatory changes, buy-to-let continues to look an attractive income investment at a time of low-interest rates and volatile stock markets, but which city ranks best for buy-to-let investment?

Aldermore’s new Buy-to-Let City Tracker, which analyses 25 cities across the UK to understand the best places for landlords to invest in, has found that Oxford narrowly ranks number one, ahead of Manchester.

The Buy-to-Let City Tracker comprises of five core indicators: average rent per room per month, short-term yield for a new buy-to-let purchase, average property price rise over the last 10 years, the proportion of vacant properties in the city and size of the private rental market.

The index uses a series of secondary data sources including the ONS, Census and other official housing statistics.

Oxford, which scored well on four out of five metrics, has one of the largest private sector markets of all 25 cities, with 28% of all residents in the city renting privately.

Oxford also offers above average rental ability, at an average of £596 per room per month, a low level of vacant properties, and security in investment with property prices having increased yearly by on average 4.8% the past decade.

The only sore spot is that short-term return through yield is one of the lowest on the list.

Seven of the top ten cities for landlords are in southern England. Both Bristol and Oxford fare particularly well for long term returns, with an average 4.8% increase in property prices. Brighton scores well for rent, yielding an average of £507 per room. The city also has one of the largest market sizes across the UK, with a staggering 28% of inhabitants privately renting.

Damian Thompson, director of mortgages at Aldermore, said: “Aldermore’s Buy to Let City Tracker shows there are still great short and long-term investment opportunities for landlords.

“The number of people renting in the UK has been rapidly growing, up 1.7 million in ten years, so private landlords are an increasingly central part of the housing market as supporting a robust and strong Private Rented Sector becomes more essential.

“The UK housing market has never been a singular thing, instead made up of multiple smaller markets with their own unique conditions and challenges. There have been numerous regulatory changes recently and persistent economic uncertainty but this affects every region differently.

“Going forward, landlords will need continual backing and advice from lenders and the wider industry so they can provide choice, diversity of tenure and quality properties for renters.”

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The UK’s next prime minister needs to take housing seriously

The UK’s next prime minister needs to take housing seriously Thursday’s general election presents the main political parties with an opportunity to address voters’ concerns about housing, and not just focus on attempts to leave the EU.

With UK house prices and rents continuing to rise, owed largely to the imbalance between property supply and demand, housing needs to be top of the agenda for the incoming prime minister, according to Apropos by DJ Alexander.

Whichever party wins office, the property management firm believes that they need to immediately respond to the UK’s growing housing problem and develop a coordinated response which involves building more social housing, maintaining and developing a better private rented sector (PRS), and encouraging affordable home ownership.

David Alexander, managing director of Apropos by DJ Alexander Ltd, said: “Housing has become one of the key issues in the UK as the population increases, the number of smaller households rises, and the number of older people increases all of which has ensured that demand far outstrips supply.

“There needs to be a coordinated and unified approach to resolving this issue which involves the three main pillars of the housing market: home-owners; the private rented sector; and social housing.

“With the UK population set to increase by over 300,000 people a year for the next 25 years demand will continue to be strong and rather than set one group against the other the market needs to respond as a whole.”

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Average rental deposit hits almost £1,300

Average rental deposit hits almost £1,300The cost of the average deposit paid by renters has dropped to £1,299, new figures show.

The latest research from Hamilton Fraser’s deposit replacement scheme, Ome, reveals that in 2019 to date, existing tenants have collectively paid deposits worth £1.9bn.

But the amount paid for the average deposit is due to drop for the first time in five years, already down 3% from last year’s average of £1,336, although it is still 7% higher than in 2015.

So far in 2019, the number of new deposits being taken has dropped by 17% when compared to last year, while the total value of these deposits is also down 19% from some £611m to £496m.

Looking over the last five years, the number of new deposits being taken has fallen by 22%, while the total value is down 17% when compared to last year.

Matthew Hooker, co-founder of Ome, said: “We’ve seen a decline in the number and value of new deposits being taken over the last few years and a driving factor behind this is a change in our lifestyle choices to rent for longer, which reduces the number of deposits being taken and the total value as tenants opt to stay put in the same property.

“Although the average cost for the individual tenant has continued to climb due to increasing rents which form the basis of the deposit calculation, this year looks to be the first in a long time that we might actually see this cost drop.

“This has largely been driven by new legislation that has reduced the number of weeks rent an agent or landlord can charge for both a holding and tenancy deposit.”

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Top tips for landlords on how to manage a Section 21 notice

Top tips for landlords on how to manage a Section 21 notice Proposals by the main political parties, including the Tory government, to scrap Section 21 notices to evict tenants could potentially pave the way for the mass exodus of landlords from the private rented sector in the coming years.

According to the National Landlords Association (NLA), abolishing Section 21 evictions could lead to the private renting section shrinking by as much as 20%, with up to 960,000 fewer homes available to renters if landlords pull out of the market.

But while the legislation still exists, landlords still need to be aware of how to manage the section 21 process and ensure rules are being followed.

To help landlords, Paula Haverkemp, a paralegal at East Midlands-based law firm Nelsons’ property disputes team, shares her advice and tips for landlords on how to manage a section 21 process.

What is a section 21?

“A section 21 notice/form 6A is a no-fault notice that enables landlords to evict tenants who have entered into an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) agreement without a reason. Before issuing a section 21 notice, a landlord must ensure they have complied with the requirements as defined in the Deregulation Act 2015.”

When would a section 21 notice be used?

“If a tenant does not vacate the property at the end of the fixed-term, the only way a landlord can evict a tenant lawfully is to serve a section 21 notice upon them.

“This also applies if the tenant remains in occupation at the end of the fixed-term and the AST becomes a statutory periodic tenancy (SPT). This means the tenancy runs on exactly the same terms as defined in the expired AST on a month by month basis.

“The section 21 notice can be served during the fixed-term but only once the tenant has been in occupation of the property for four months. However, as section 21 notices now have a shelf life of six months from the date the notice is signed, a landlord will need to pay particular attention to the date they serve the notice – especially if the AST is for a fixed-term of 12 months.

“If a tenant is not in breach of their AST or SPT, the only way a landlord can evict them lawfully is to serve a section 21 notice upon them.”

How long will the process take?

“The section 21 notice is a two-month notice. If the tenant does not vacate in accordance with the notice, the only way a landlord can obtain vacant possession of their property lawfully is to obtain an order for possession through the court. This process usually takes approximately two to three months to obtain, depending on how busy the court is.”

What changes are the government planning to make?

“The government is proposing to remove the AST from the Housing Act 1988 meaning that these types of tenancies would only be available to private landlords. We may also see the government introduce fixed-term assured tenancies, which would commit the tenant and landlord to a specific time period. This would mean a fixed-term tenancy could be renewed or become an assured periodic tenancy if not ended by tenant or landlord.”

What happens if the law changes?

“The proposed changes to legislation are currently being consulted on and will then need to be progressed through parliament before they come into play. However, it is unlikely any changes will take place before late 2020.

“Regarding ASTs, the government has also confirmed the changes will not affect any pre-existing tenancy agreements. The landlord will still need to go through a section 21 process when the tenancy ends.”

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The estate agent trick you must avoid

Property for sale? The estate agent trick you must avoid to sell your home fast

Publisihed by The Daily Express 18th November 2019

WHEN selling a property, homeowners will often get the help of an estate agent. However, they must be careful when doing this and avoid certain estate agent tricks to get the best deal, an expert explained.

Selling a property is not an easy task so getting an experts opinion can make the process easier. Most Britons will do this by looking to estate agents for advice on how to get the best deal. However, they may not always act in the interest of the seller and homeowners should look out for one trick, an expert warned.

Estate agents are on hand to help those who are trying to sell or buy a property. They can offer advice on how much the property is worth and give tips and tricks on how to sell quickly. However, some experts will not always work in the best interest of the seller, an expert warned.

While many estate agents will try hard to help sellers shift their home, others may not give the best advice. When choosing which estate agents to go use, it can be tempting to pick the one which gives homeowners the highest valuation for their property.

However, if a price seems too good to be true, it probably is, Jamie Salisbury, property expert at digital estate agency, Nested, explained. He told Express.co.uk: “Be careful of choosing the estate agent who gave you the highest valuation.

Some agents may overvalue a property in the hopes of enticing sellers when it is not actually possible to get that price. Instead of accepting a high valuation, homeowners can do their own research to see how much they could actually get.

“Ask the agent to provide you with similar properties to yours that have sold for that price,” he added. What’s more, putting a property on the market for a high asking price can actually make it more difficult to sell.

“If you go on the market with an unrealistic asking price it may leave you on the market for longer, which will delay your move.”

If the property is listed for more than similar homes, it could be left on the market and slow down the process. When picking an estate agent, it is also important to be careful before signing up for a contract. Some estate agents will try to sign up sellers up for contracts for as long as 26 weeks, an expert explained.

This can further slow down the selling process and leave sellers out of pocket as a result.

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Two in five renters fear they will never afford to own a home

A significant number of people renting in the UK say they will never be able to afford a home, according to new research by Halifax and YouGov.

The study found that two in five renters cannot see how they will ever be in a position to buy a property, despite a desire to own a place of their own.

It was also revealed that around three in ten private renters in the UK think it is now normal for people to rent for life. However, just 14% of those aged between 18 and 24 share this view, with more than half of this group believing they will one day own their own property.

Renters aged between 35 and 44 are less optimistic about  being able to ever acquire a property, with a third considering it normal to rent for life and 28% believing that they will never buy somewhere.

Russell Galley, managing director at Halifax, commented: “Taking that first step onto the property ladder remains a rite of passage for many,” said Russell Galley, managing director at Halifax.

“Last year, first-time buyers accounted for the majority of the mortgage market for the first time in well over 20 years. This shows that with the right support and a few sacrifices, home ownership can remain an attainable goal.

“The financial hurdle of saving enough for a deposit might feel like a daunting or at times near-impossible task, but there are a number of options out there, including government schemes and family support mortgages, to help put first-time buyers on the right track.”