You may have seen HMO investments increasing in popularity, even with recent legislation changes and COVID restrictions reducing rental demand in some areas. Before you decide if it is best to invest in an HMO instead of a standard buy-to-let property, we want to bring you the pros and cons of HMO investments, so that you can decide. Firstly, what is an HMO? An HMO is a ‘multi-let’ rental property with three or more tenants, not from one household/family, that share amenities. This can include: A house which is split into bedsits or units A house, or flat share, where each of your tenants has their own tenancy agreement Students who live in shared accommodation The pros: One of the most significant advantages of investing in an HMO is that it will generate a rental income increase of three to five times a standard buy-to-let home. The property will help provide more people with affordable accommodation. Cash flow […]
property investment
Pros and Cons for the Rent2Rent Strategy
There has been media speculation recently about whether Rent2Rent is a feasible investment option. We’ve collated information to bring you the pro’s and con’s of Rent2Rent so you can decide. What is Rent2Rent? Rent-2-Rent is when a property is let on a single let basis to one person (say the head-tenant) who has been given the right to sub-let some or all of the rooms, by the landlord. Rent2rent companies or head tenant will probably live somewhere else and will have the responsibility to sub-let the rooms to separate tenants, usually four or less. They will be responsible for paying the property’s single let rent and the bills. They will make profit by pocketing the difference. The Rent2rent or head-tenant provides the landlord with a guaranteed rent, meaning that even if the property is vacant, they will be responsible to pay the agreed letting amount to the landlord. Why would […]
What to Expect From the Rental Market in 2021?
Now that we’ve put 2020 behind us… an unpredictable year in property due to the pandemic and the uncertainty of Brexit’s impact… we can look forward to seeing what this year holds. To find out if there will be growth in the rental market in 2021, we’ve researched the property predictions. Here is our summary. 1. Renting will remain a popular choice The rental market performed quite strong in the last half of 2020. Interestingly, in some locations, demand in the rental market was nearly 20% higher than in 2019. Our research shows that renting will continue to increase in 2021. This is due to ongoing job uncertainty pushing people to rent instead of buy. Once COVID restrictions ease, international students will likely return, and workers will be able to return to their offices, in some capacity. This is expected to see an increase in demand for rental accommodation. 2. […]
Five Tips to Convert Your Property to an HMO
If your current property is in a good location, for example, a busy student area or close to good transport connections, then you may want to consider converting it into an HMO. The good news, HMO’s provide more people with affordable accommodation, while generating a rental income increase of four to five times your current return – compared to a single tenanted property. If you are considering converting your property into an HMO, here are five tips to do it easily. Tip 1: HMO Licensing A critical legal aspect of letting an HMO is getting the right licence. To check if your property needs to be licenced, you can contact your local council. Or speak to us… we provide our clients with an HMO Licensing service, which includes applying for the local Council’s property licensing scheme on their behalf. The HMO licence will need to ensure that the property: is […]
Brexit: What landlords must do to check the status of their existing EU tenants
Now that Brexit is official, as a landlord you may be wondering what it means for your existing EU tenants and what is your additional responsibility. This blog summarises the details of the UK Government EU Settlement Scheme. For full details, refer to https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families. What is the EU Settlement Scheme? The EU Settlement Scheme allows EU, EEA or Swiss citizens to continue living and working in the UK after 30th of June 2021. The scheme allows them to: work in the UK rent in the UK use the NHS for free (if they can now) enrol in education or study in the UK access benefits and pensions (if they’re eligible) travel in and out of the UK When must tenants apply for the EU Settlement Scheme and how much is the application? Your EU, EEA or Swiss citizen tenants can apply from now until the 30th of June 2021. However, they must have […]
What Landlords Need to Know to Find the Right Letting Agent
Question 1: How much do you want your letting agent to do? Finding tenants only service: These agents will help you find tenants for your property. They will market the property, show prospective tenants through, check references and write tenancy agreements. They may collect the first month’s rent and deposit. Finding tenants and rent collection service: These agents offer the same tenant-finding services as the above, and they will also collect the ongoing rental payments and deposit it into your nominated bank. Full management service: Full management offers a full range of services, which may include finding tenants, preparing the tenancy agreement, collecting rent, managing the day-to-day running of the property, chasing missing rental payments, undertaking repairs and maintenance, solving disputes with tenants, undertaking inventories, doing gas safety checks and even doing emergency repairs. If you are looking for a full management letting agent, make sure you find out exactly what their service […]
7 Tips to Being a Profitable Long-term Landlord
The private rental sector has had several recent challenges and although the rental market is regaining momentum, landlords may be left wondering if property is a good investment. This article gives new (and existing) landlords tips to becoming a profitable long-term landlord. But first, we explore why being a landlord is more challenging now, than before. Buy-to-let landlords have a greater regulatory burden, and more recently, are dealing with the temporary slowdown on the property market. It is harder to evict problem tenants with the abolishment of the ‘no fault’ evictions by removing Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. Letting fees are not allowed to be charged to tenants. This led to some concerns for landlords as they needed to pay for reference checks instead of their letting agent doing this. And finally, landlords have had to accept the loss of the buy-to-let tax relief on mortgage interest payments. […]
Things You Should Know Before Managing an HMO Property
But you may not know exactly what is involved in managing an HMO on your own. This article gives you tips on what you need to know about managing an HMO. Tip 1: HMO Licensing A critical legal aspect of letting an HMO is getting the relevant licence. If you’re letting an HMO, it’s highly likely you’ll need some sort of licence to ensure that the property: is safe for tenants to live in is in good condition has an adequate number of smoke detectors has appropriate fire exits has enough sinks, cookers, baths and toilets for the number of tenants is well managed To check if your property needs to be licenced, you can contact your local Council. Or speak to us about our HMO Licensing service, which includes applying for the local Council’s property licensing scheme on your behalf. Tip 2: Safety Compliance There are various compliance measures you’ll […]
How to Attract Tenants… Even During Quiet Times
The good news is that the fall in demand has rebounded, and the increase in demand is consistent across the market. What’s more, the annual rental growth is expected to grow more than last year. With a potential second wave of coronavirus, it is important that you focus on attracting your ideal prospective renters, in case there is a decline in rental demand. This article looks at some ways you can attract tenants to rent your home, and hopefully, keep them long-term. Step 1: Get your property “rent-ready” Before you start to list your property, make sure it is ready for potential renters. This means making sure it is safe, well-maintained, and clean. Now is the time to tidy up, declutter and fix the handyman items. Also consider if you want to rent your property furnished, unfurnished or partially furnished. Step 2: Choose the right letting agent The next critical […]
Benefits of Giving Your Property to Help with Social Housing
If you have a property, then you probably know that long-term renting is a reality for many Londoners due to the high cost of home ownership. But if you’ve struggled to find quality tenants or reduce your rental vacancies, then maybe letting your property to help social housing is a solution. As landlords ourselves, we want to help ease the housing crisis in London. It’s our vision to provide ingenious, innovative housing solutions, while helping our clients. That’s why we’re an authorised supplier of properties to local authorities in London, as well as members of the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme and members of the Property Redress Scheme. Our goal is to provide homes to local authorities within the London boroughs to help families in need. Introducing the Reka Property Home Finder Scheme The REKA Property Home Finder Scheme is a program that helps landlords to immediately let out their properties […]
