Blog: Landlords

England's landlord and tenant rules have been earmarked for reform by the government for a number of years. They presented specific recommendations for accomplishing this recently in the form of the Renters (Reform) Bill. Here is...

Exploring ways to pay for EPC upgrades According to the government's announced legislation amendments, all new tenancies starting in 2025 will need to have an EPC rating of "C" or higher, with existing leases subject to the same...

We’ve complied the following notes based on the most Frequently Asked Questions from new Landlords regarding our Full Management services How many keys do you need? We like to supply tenants with two full sets of keys and will...

When it comes to tenant selection, there's an old adage that all landlords should remember: choose the right tenant rather than the first. Landlords are sometimes so eager to receive rent payments that they treat the reference...

We look at a new report that details how Medway landlords can develop a long and lucrative partnership with their tenants in this three-minute read. What is the key to a successful landlord-tenant relationship? The University of...

Although there are fewer Covid-related deadlines in 2022, there is still a lot going on in lettings legislation. Right-to-rent checks will resume, and landlords and agents alike will need to begin digitising their systems in...

The government has confirmed an extension to the regulations for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, including requiring landlords to install a smoke alarm in social rented homes and private and social landlords to install carbon...

Can you believe that we are now in September, how quick is 2021 going. Next thing we will be talking about is the Christmas. But we thought it would be an idea to have a quick review on how the property market is performing in...

Are you looking to invest in the Medway area? But need a little help finding the right property for you. We search the market and we put forward a property that we think is a good investment. This month our search brings us to...

Our property investment of the month is this one bedroom apartment in The Boathouse, Ocean Drive. This property was one of the first apartment buildings built by Berkeley Homes. Figures It is currently on the market at offers in...

We have had a couple of mentions from perspective tenants about smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms. So I thought we would good to write a post on what the regulations are for landlords. As a landlord, you have many legal...

The latest update was issued in December 2020, this important document was updated without informing anyone. If you don’t know it is intended to help tenants understand their rights and responsibilities when finding a home in...

To make your buy to let a success, you need to have a realistic idea about the costs you’ll encounter when renting out your property. Many people have an idea that being a landlord is easy. The assumption is that once a tenant...

Following on from the government’s latest announcements, we want to provide you with a summary on how COVID is affecting our landlords and tenants. This handy guide has been put together by Ralph and Keeran and is based on...

We know that the word “insurance” causes you to want to fall asleep or you feel that you are being sold to, but sometimes it is worth its weight in gold. We live in a world where we insure everything. So you should ask...

We look at in a bit of detail who should pay for council tax – the tenant or the landlord? This question isn’t as straight forward as you may think but finding out who and when are responsible is an important question. Council...

You might be wondering ‘why buy a rental property in Medway’? After all, we’re in the midst of a global pandemic, and a trip to the shops is stressful enough! However, all the findings suggest that now is a great time to...

Whether you’ve just bought your very first property in Medway or your fifth, being a landlord is a role where you can continually keep learning new things and facing new challenges. Other than keeping abreast of what’s...

Moved into a rental property in Medway and not quite sure how to approach the decor and design of it? The good news is that there’s plenty you can do to spruce up your rental home without needing to invest too much. Just because...

If you’re considering becoming a landlord, there are many elements to consider and understand before you purchase a property. The process of buying a buy-to-let property differs compared to buying a residential property that you...

The new electrical safety standards for private rental properties are expected to come into force on July 1st, which is by no surprise as this has been in the pipeline for a while now! The guidance has now been issued in...

If you are thinking of selling a UK residential property after April this year (after 6th April 2020) beware of a substantially shorter time frame within which you need to notify HM Revenue & Customs and to pay the tax due! Unless...

2019 was a year of recovering rental values following the drop observed in 2018. The DPS (Deposit Protection Service) reports a 1.4% increase in rents in 2019 (Q42018 to Q42019). The average monthly rent in the UK is now £773, or

Here is part 4 in our series of property legislation in 2020, this article focuses on the tax changes coming into effect this year and how they will impact landlords. Landlord Income Tax Relief Former Chancellor George Osborne’s...

Domestic Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) Regulations Grace Period Ends The MEES regulations set a minimum energy efficiency level for private rented properties in England and Wales. The regulations came into effect in...

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 This piece of legislation has now been published in draft form and must now be approved by each House of Parliament. If approved in the...

As we enter a new decade, the one thing we can be certain about in the private rental sector is that uncertainty seems to be the only certainty. For us and yourselves as landlords to succeed this decade, we must all stay on top of...

On 12 December, the public will head for polling stations across the country in a snap general election aimed at breaking the Brexit deadlock. But while resolving the Brexit issue may be the focus of most headlines, we ask what...

I was talking to somebody last week from the Gillingham area, who was considering becoming a landlord for the first time. He visited us to ask us whether buying a property on Franklin Road or Balmoral Road would make a better Buy...

Being a self-managing landlord isn’t as easy as people might think. Over the past few years, it has become even more of a challenge – Legislation is constantly evolving and being changed and updated and new legislation is...

As a Landlord you will already be aware of the need to complete and submit to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) an annual self-assessment tax return. Making Tax Digital (MTD) is the biggest change in the tax system for 20 years, the...

Our latest property investment brings us into Albany Road in Chatham. The property is a Victorian 2/3 bedroom home with the third bedroom off of the second bedroom, downstairs there are two receptions rooms, kitchen and bathroom....

Legislation alert! The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 has come into force today, 20 March 2019. This Act applies to all new tenancies granted on or after 20 March 2019, including ‘renewal’ tenancies. The Act...

Security & Protection for landlords With the deposit cap coming into effect on the 1st June 2019 which means agents and landlords cannot collect more the 5 weeks deposit to lodge with one of the deposit proctection schemes. A Zero...

Our property investment of this month brings us back into Gillingham. The property we have picked is a 2 bedroom victorian terraced house in central Gillingham. We have picked this property for a number of reasons. For its...

First-Time Landlord Lettings Checklist: Everything a First-Time Landlord Needs to Think About Before Letting Their Property Renting a property for the first time can seem like an overwhelming prospect. There is a huge range of...

You as a Landlord your initial aim is to have a paying tenant occupying their property as quickly as possible. Some properties only take a little time, however other properties could take a longer period to let out. The main...

Our latest property investment property is a 2 bedroom apartment based in the new Horsted Park development, Chatham. We have picked this property due to it’s location as it has good transport links with easy access to the M2 and...

The government have just finished a consultation on a controversial proposal to make residential tenancies in England subject to a three-year minimum term. Although the proposal does include a six-month break clause it hasn’t...

We are already in the new tax year but with tax constantly changing it can rather confusing for landlords. Unfortunately 2018 is no exception, with there being no let up in headlines announcing tax changes for landlords. In recent...

After a little while searching Rightmove, we have found our latest property investment. The property is a 3 bedroom terraced house in Rainham. This house is an ideal investment for a number of reasons: the property being located...

Want to learn more about the returns you can potenitally make from a buy to let investment? We have put together a short guide on yields and capital growth. Rental Yields Rental yield is the term used to describe the return on a...

Want to earn some extra cash? If you refer a landlord to us and we gain their business, we will give you £200 PER PROPERTY! There are a few conditions that apply. • You must get the landlords permission for us to contact them....

Our property investment of the month is a 1 bedroom apartment in the new Victory Pier development based in Gillingham. One of the reasons we picked this apartment is due to it being a desirable place to live and the rental demand...