Welcome to “Landlords’ Barometer #30” where this time I am focusing on issues that landlords need to be aware of in order to plan ahead:

1. Time is of the essence for landlords who want to minimise the amount of money they put into a deal

Stamp duty changes and increasing regulation of BTL mortgages, including stricter lending criteria being introduced, means that landlords have a window of
opportunity to purchase property when looking to minimise their financial input.

2. New climate change deal means the eradication of gas hobs, ovens and boilers?

The Government has agreed new targets to reduce the UK’s emissions from gas appliances. This means all new builds need to be “carbon neutral” by 2016, and gas appliances will be phased out over a long period. Landlords should be gradually looking to replace gas appliances and boilers with alternatives.

3. VIDEO – Buying property in a limited company vs. in your own name

This is a huge trending topic for landlords across the social web. Mark Alefounder of Property Tribes Financial Services joins me for this short video to discuss the pros and cons of how to purchase property bearing in mind the Summer Budget 2015 and Autumn Statement announcements.

4. Investing in towns not favoured by owner occupiers

The highest yields for BTL are often to be found in towns where owner occupiers do not tend to buy. While the yields might seem to be attractive on the surface, there are many other issues, particularly for novice landlords, to take into consideration before acquiring properties in these areas.

5. STOP! Landlords should not pay for expensive education or mentoring before watching this video

There are many companies out there – totally unregulated – who offer portfolio building services, education, and mentoring, all with a hefty price tag attached.
We’ve heard of upfront fees of £15K for some of these courses. However, it is not advisable to pay for this education until a prospective landlord has taken advice from a mortgage broker as to which financial products they have access to.

6. Timeline: Gaining possession of a rental property going the Section 21 route

Rob Mullarkey of Anthony Gold Solicitors explains the process and time-line of gaining possession of a property via Section 21 and gives some tips for ensuring that it all goes smoothly.

This is my last Landlords’ Barometer before the Christmas festivities, so I would like to thank everyone for reading this column and also to wish you all Seasons Greetings!