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Being an expat landlord can be a money-spinner or a headache - Top Tips
Written bylettings: 25 April, 2014In addition, when tenants move out, inventories must be carried out, repairs done and the return of the deposit negotiated. Alastair Mullen, the UK lettings manager for Hamptons International, pointed out: “Having to manage contractors from a distance is tricky, and your visits to the property itself to check…
Read moreGuest Post - Accidental Landlords – not by design, but thriving nonetheless
Written bylettings: 10 December, 2013The return of the ‘accidental landlords’ is something that’s gained plenty of column inches within property publications over the past 18 months. But while many of us can relate to those whose hands have been forced into the rental market as a result of current market conditions, making sense of…
Read moreThe fall and rise of buy-to-let
Written bylettings: 22 February, 2013Buy-to-let is starting to look like the technology sector. In investment style they are polar opposites, of course – the one physical, unchanging and easy to understand, the other ethereal, fast-moving and based on arcane mathematical languages. Yet both have had near-death experiences that in the long run may serve…
Read moreLandlords need to access properties more frequently
Written bylettings: 22 February, 2013As a growing number of renters seek greater security through longer-term tenancies, the Landlord Syndicate warns that many landlords are not carrying out mid-tenancy checks on their properties and tenants frequently enough, leaving them at greater risk of a dispute later down the line. A number of incidents have recently…
Read moreTenant Information Packs to be introduced in Scotland on 1st May 2013
Written bylettings: 20 February, 2013The Scottish Government has made an Order (The Tenant Information Packs (Assured Tenancies) (Scotland) Order 2013) confirming the introduction of Tenant Information Packs from 1 May 2013. This pack is in a standardised form as approved by the Scottish Government. Whilst this may seem an extra burden to landlords and…
Read moreCleaning costs most friction between landlords and tenants
Written bylettings: 14 February, 2013Cleaning continues to be the most common cause of a dispute between UK private landlords and tenants, according to new statistics from the Tenant Deposit Scheme (TDS). It accounted for 52% if disputes in 2011/2012 compared with 49% in 2010/2011. Damage to property is the next most common cause at…
Read moreGuest Post - Tips for choosing flooring in rental property
Written bylettings: 11 February, 2013If you are having difficulties renting out your property, you might want to take a long hard look at your interior. Assuming the property is priced competitively, there are a number of renovation works that can completely transform your interior and make the property more attractive to more…
Read moreScottish Government offers landlords up to £500 towards energy efficiency measures
Written bylettings: 24 January, 2013The Scottish Government is offering owner occupiers, private and social tenants and private sector landlords up to £500 towards energy efficiency measures that are recommended in either the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) or Green Deal assessment. In addition to this £500, you will also be entitled to claim up to £100…
Read moreRural Scottish property with wood burning stoves are in demand, it is claimed
Written bylettings: 13 January, 2013Private property sector tenants in Scotland are increasingly interested in renting properties that come with a wood burning stove, according to agents. With cold winter days now upon us, the prospect of a welcoming cosy log fire to return to at night is one that most of us would relish,…
Read moreFinancially savvy landlords “cutting out the middleman” to make buy to let more profitable
Written bylettings: 12 January, 2013THE economic downturn has led to a new breed of financial savvy landlord who prefers to manage their own property portfolio rather than pay hefty fees to letting agents, a survey reveals. THE economic downturn has led to a new breed of financial savvy landlord who prefers to manage their…
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