Nicholas Stott, Author at Homesure

New minimum energy performance ratings – 1st April 2018

Posted on 28 March 2018 (23 February 2022)

The full legislation To view the full legislation, click here. The changes in brief Government is introducing a minimum standard of energy efficiency rating (otherwise known as an ‘EPC rating’) Minimum rating is an E (including E!) Comes into force on 1st April 2018 Only applies to currently empty properties, i.e. does not affect those properties that already have a tenant in-situ However, if […]

Landlord Border Control: Are you ready for Right to Rent?

Posted on 18 February 2016 (23 February 2022)

Political views aside, this is yet another major change in legislation that puts landlords and agents at risk of falling foul of the law. The Law in Summary Check your occupants are allowed to be in the country Retain proof If they’re not allowed to be in the country, you must report this as an […]

Legislation changes 2015 – updates

Posted on 4 December 2015 (24 February 2022)

All of these issues are important and will affect you directly. Please ensure you read this post. Believe it or not, these changes are positive for serious property investors and landlords. All of these changes mean that professional/serious investors will benefit, and amateurs/speculators will be forced out of the market. Mortgage interest tax relief In […]

Smoke alarms changes – 1st October 2015

Posted on 28 October 2015 (8 March 2022)

Here’s the full explanatory document regarding the legislation. In a paragraph, however, the law is… “Private sector landlords are required from 1 October 2015 to have at least one smoke alarm installed on every storey of their properties and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance (e.g. a coal […]

Square peg, round hole: make sure your property is the perfect fit for you

Posted on 23 December 2014 (25 February 2022)

What is the wrong property to buy? There are countless types of property investments to get involved in, ranging from straightforward, ‘vanilla’ terraced houses in the suburbs, to part-ownership of hotels & cruise ships. Just because an investment makes a certain return, doesn’t mean that it’s the right investment for you. What is the right deal for […]

Letting Go: Don’t let them grind you down!

Posted on 14 July 2014 (24 February 2022)

They’ve confirmed that morning; read the confirmation email with the full time, date, & address on; and even quizzed you extensively on the particulars of the property. They are a dead cert to, not only show up, but to make an offer. You get to the property early. You open the windows to get some […]

Tenancy deposits – don’t get burned

Posted on 8 April 2014 (8 March 2022)

A lot of landlords are accidental and have inherited their properties. It is therefore even more distressing if a tenant leaves the property in a poor condition. The information below aims to outline exactly what you need to do to be compliant and to maximise your chances of winning a dispute. Who takes deposits, where […]

Hats on or off for the benefit cap?

Posted on 8 April 2014 (8 March 2022)

General housing policies Last year, we saw the introduction of the widely discussed bedroom tax. What seems to have been widely ignored by the press, is that this tax only affects social landlords and NOT private landlords. Therefore, whether you agree or disagree with the policy, the impact is likely to be less widespread than […]

Feedback needed on new property research tool

Posted on 13 January 2014 (8 March 2022)

Check out the tool here Mark is a champion of investors and puts a hell of a lot of effort into improving knowledge and teaching amateur & professional Landlords alike how to minimise risk and maximise returns. He’d be very grateful of your feedback on the new feature – send him an email to mark@property118.com […]

Council Tax changes – What does this mean for landlords in Liverpool?

Posted on 12 January 2014 (8 March 2022)

Updated 1st April 2016 Since this post was originally written on 12th January 2014, Liverpool City Council has now completely withdrawn the exemptions for empty properties. Click here for more information. The most important change is as follows: Empty property discount From 1st April 2016 discounts for empty homes that are either furnished or unfurnished have been […]

Author: Nicholas Stott

Posts by Nicholas Stott