News from our blog

Whether you are an experienced landlord or just starting out on your property journey, one key decision to be made along the way is which letting agent to use when marketing and managing your property.

With so many to choose from, it can pay to compile a checklist of questions to ask letting agents so you can make an informed decision on the best option for you.

There are a whole host of questions landlords should ask letting agents, but at Carrick Johnson Lettings & property management, we have broken that list down to nine crucial areas of enquiry you should embark on prior to signing on any dotted lines.
Click image to read more..

The government has updated its guidance for landlords and tenants to explain the possession action process in the county courts in England and Wales has been updated.

This brings the guidance into line with broader government lockdown relaxation policies following the move to ‘Step 4’ of the roadmap.
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Landlords directly affected by the cladding scandal – because they own units in low and medium-rise blocks – have some good news at last.
Since the Grenfell Tower tragedy there has been widespread confusion over the need for the now-infamous EWS1 cladding forms which indicate “no systemic risk of fire in these blocks of flats”.

As a result, thousands of landlords have been unable to sell or remortgage their properties – and in some cases have had difficulties even letting them – because of growing concern about the safety of many blocks.

But now Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced that leaseholders in blocks of flats with cladding should be supported to buy, sell or re-mortgage their homes after a deal with major lenders to pave the way to ending the need for EWS1 forms.
It comes following expert advice that the forms should no longer be needed on buildings below 18 metres. Click image to read more

What is the Fitness for Human Habitation act?

Introduced on 20 March 2019, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/34/section/1/enacted ) requires all landlords in England (including letting agencies) to maintain their properties so they meet the minimum standard for human habitation at the beginning and for the duration of the tenancy.

The issues are those that deem the property to be unfit for habitation, to include damp, condensation mould, leaks and “a lift that doesn’t work etc. A minor defect will not in itself make a property unfit, but if it causes a risk to health or safety, or undue inconvenience, then a property may be considered ‘unfit for human habitations ’ click image to read more..

There are an estimated 2.7 million letting landlords in the private rented sector (PRS) providing rental accommodation to multiple generations of tenant, a highly vital role in the property market.

However, recent years have arguably not been too kind on landlords, with landlord confidence hitting record lows under the barrage of regulatory and tax adjustments, as well as the common sentiment that the government simply does not hold their interests at value compared to tenants.

But could this be changing? Recent reports suggest that landlord confidence is on the rise, and it may be that the recent consumer-driven shifts to the property market are reasons to be optimistic for the Buy-to-Let (BTL) market. Click image to ready more.

If you’re thinking about renting out one document you’ll hear mentioned frequently is the EPC.

Here, we’ll explain everything you need to know about EPCs and outline some of the things you can do to improve your property’s energy efficiency…

What does EPC stand for?

EPC stands for Energy Performance Certificate and is a document you’ll need to produce if you want to sell or rent out a property.

What is an EPC? – An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) shows a buyer or renter how energy efficient your property is and offers a projection of how much the property could cost to run.

EPCs were introduced in 2007 as a legal requirement for any home being let out or sold and are part of a drive to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions. Operating buildings is said to be responsible for 28% of all CO2 emissions globally.

An EPC is split into several different sections.. to read more click image.

A private landlord is someone who decides to manage the letting of a property themselves, without the support of a letting agent or property management company.
Letting agents are responsible for managing properties on behalf of private landlords. Private landlords pay letting agents to help ensure that their legal responsibilities to tenants are met. Letting agents are therefore contractually obliged to put landlords’ best interests front and centre.

Good letting agents can help make the lives of private landlords easier by freeing up their time by carrying out tasks such as rent collection and property inspection to make sure everything is in order.
Before making a decision as to which suits you, it’s a good idea to have the facts.. The responsibilities of being a landlord are many and it’s worth checking them out before you embark on your rental business. Click image to read more on landlord responsibilities..

The government is to ban the sale of halogen light bulbs from this September, to tackle climate change. Legislation will include the removal of fluorescent lights from shelves from September 2023.The plans also include a ban from September on the sale of lighting fixtures with fixed bulbs that can’t be replaced – meaning the fixtures have to be thrown away.  Click image to read more..

The UK has officially entered its first recession in 11 years, which has caused a lot of people to hesitate over whether or not to take the leap. However, there are several signs that appear to indicate this is, indeed, a good time to become a landlord