Frost's blog

Choosing the right property to invest in is crucial to successful buy-to-let management.

An inventory/schedule of condition is one of the best ways you can protect yourself as a responsible landlord.  By recording the conditions of the property from the outset of the tenancy, you can show tenants in what condition the property should be returned to you, show any deterioration at the end of the tenancy, and evidence damage to the deposit scheme if there is a dispute. 

Last week was Gas Safety week, and served as a timely reminder that as a landlord letting a residential property, you have a legal duty to ensure it is safe for your tenants.  According to figures by Gas Safe Register, one in four homes in the UK has a potentially dangerous gas appliance.

With a 120% rise in demand for pet friendly rental properties compared to last summer, according to new data from Rightmove, should landlords welcome pet owners and potentially a greater pool of tenants to choose from?

The UK rental sector has become more and more competitive in the past decade, with people’s tastes, needs and preferences changing over time. By setting your rental property up to cater towards a specific target audience, you could be able to attract tenants who are willing to pay a little more rent to enjoy the lifestyle they desire.

Over the last month, we have spent time training our staff on the new Right to Rent checks that we need to carry out on behalf of our landlords, following the UK’s departure from the EU.

The English Housing Survey is a national survey of housing conditions and energy efficiency in England.   New data, just released, provides the findings from the 2019-20 survey which shows a dramatic rise in the energy efficiency of private rental property.   Some 38 per cent of homes in the private rented sector and 36 per cent of owner occupied homes were in EPC bands A to C in 2019 - that’s up from 13 per cent and eight per cent respectively in 2009.  

Whilst there is no legal requirement for landlords to take out a dedicated insurance policy, (although most buy-to-let mortgages come with the condition that you have to have it) a conventional home insurance policy will not cover you for rental activities.   Furthermore, if you have a mortgage on your property, it is more than likely your mortgage lender will require you to take out insurance before you take on tenants.

The Landlords safety pack will include 3 risk assessments covering the key issues of:   Legionella Risk Assesment  HHSRS (Housing Health & Safety Rating System) and  Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm Testing.   Detailed reports on each risk assessment will be provided upon completion, together with any identified works required.

From September 2021, the Government banned the sale of halogen light bulbs and from September 2023, legislation will also include the removal of fluorescent lights from shelves in a bid to tackle climate change.    

The Grenfell Tower disaster in June 2017 claimed 72 lives, and exposed the dangers of inflammable cladding on residential tower blocks, and has become known as 'The Cladding Scandal'.  This triggered calls for changes to UK building regulations and the strengthening of fire safety measures.  

Covid-19 may have left some tenants struggling to pay their rent, and this new law will ensure they have some "breathing space", giving them time to find a way to pay off their debts.  The Debt Respite Scheme came into effect from 4 May 2021.