The Property Cast

Following on from the Queen’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament yesterday, 21st of June, Paul Shamplina and Eddie Hooker sit down to discuss their opinions on direction the new government with regards to the property industry and how they think this will influence the industry.

As CEO of the Hamilton Fraser Group, Eddie wears both his Property Redress Scheme and mydeposits hat to discuss the tenant fee ban and capping of tenancy deposits, discussing whether there will be any immediate impact on the market.

Last Thursday, 15th June saw the Landlord Investment Show in Olympia. We attended the event exhibiting three of our brands; Total Landlord Insurance, mydeposits and the Property Redress Scheme.

The show was packed full of delegates and there were over 100 exhibition stands in attendance. Landlords were able to sit in on a number of various seminars, presentations and talks throughout the day; one even from our very own Paul Shamplina. Amongst those attending were a number of new technology start-ups such as Purple Bricks, Pad and No Agent, who aim to really disrupt the market in the way tenants rent properties.

NLA Chairwoman Carolyn Uphill, who was on the panel of industry experts that included former Conservative leader, Iain Duncan Smith, gave her views on the current market. Other contributors to this podcast were letting agent and founder of Rolfe East Estates, Rolfe East and charismatic landlord Kofi on the industry with questions such as ‘Do you have any concerns for the marketing in the short to medium term?’ to get the discussion rolling.

In our latest podcast episode, Paul Shamplina, Brand Ambassador for Hamilton Fraser discusses with industry expert Eddie Hooker, CEO of Hamilton Fraser about tax. Together they give their top tips for landlords when dealing with this challenging topic.

Covered in this podcast:

• Recent changes to tax and the implications on tax planning for the future
• How mortgage interest relief is changing in 2017
• The rise in company landlords and corporation tax
• The increase in stamp duty on second homes
• Changes to capital gains tax
• The reduction in the fair wear and tear allowance

Relevant links:

• Hamilton Fraser Total Landlord Insurance
• mydeposits
• Property Redress Scheme
• Client Money Protect

For this episode, Paul Shamplina, Brand Ambassador for Hamilton Fraser and Eddie Hooker, CEO of Hamilton Fraser and industry expert with over 20 years of experience, reflect on the year that has past. They provide a review of the industry for 2016 and discuss predictions of what to expect for 2017.

This podcast covers:

• Right to Rent checks 1st February 2016
• Enforcement changes within the industry and what could be implemented to help raise standards
• New laws that came into play on the 1st December, which allows landlords to obtain an eviction notice via the home office
• Mandatory Client Money Protection in 2017, whether this will be enforced and how this will help to raise standards

Relevant links:

• Hamilton Fraser Total Landlord Insurance
• mydeposits
• Property Redress Scheme
• Client Money Protect

Paul Shamplina, Brand Ambassador for Hamilton Fraser advises about Right to Rent and your legal requirements as a landlord or letting agent. This podcast covers:

• What Right to Rent is and why it was introduced
• The penalties available for landlords who fail to comply
• The types of tenancies and tenants that need to be checked
• What you need to do in order to comply with the law
• What to do if you cannot perform the appropriate Right to Rent checks

Additional resources:

Landlord checking services number: 0300 069 9799

Relevant links:

• Hamilton Fraser Total Landlord Insurance
• mydeposits
• Property Redress Scheme
• Client Money Protect

Paul Shamplina, Brand Ambassador for Hamilton Fraser and Sean Hooker, Head of Redress for the Property Redress Scheme give advice for landlords on how to choose a good letting agent, including:

• An explanation of what a redress scheme is and why it is a legal requirement for letting agents to join, including what happens if they are not part of a membership scheme
• The legal requirements for a letting agent
• Advice on what questions landlords should ask when deciding on a letting agent
• The difference between a ‘let only’ or a ‘fully managed service’ letting agent offering
• The reasons why it is important for a letting agent to have client money protection
• The procedure if a tenant/ landlord has a complaint/ dispute with their letting agent

Relevant links:

• Hamilton Fraser Total Landlord Insurance
• mydeposits
• Property Redress Scheme
• Client Money Protect

Paul Shamplina, Brand Ambassador for Hamilton Fraser and Sean Hooker, Head of Redress for the Property Redress Scheme talk about what landlords and letting agents need to know about dealing with bad tenants, including:

• The actions a landlord can take in order to prevent a bad tenant
• The issues that can arise from a bad tenant and the reasons why it is important to take steps before choosing your tenant
• The importance of thoroughly referencing and carrying out a risk assessment
• The reasons why right-to-rent checks are important in preventing a bad tenant
• Why landlords may decide to evict a tenant and the importance of protecting deposits
• The difference between a section 8 and a section 21 and how to seek legal advice depending on the circumstances
• The steps a landlord can take if they are owed rent arrears

Relevant links:

• Hamilton Fraser Total Landlord Insurance
• mydeposits
• Property Redress Scheme
• Client Money Protection

Paul Shamplina, Brand Ambassador for Hamilton Fraser and Suzy Hershman, Head of Dispute Resolution at mydeposits talk about what landlords and letting agents need to know about letting to students, including:

• The different types of students lets and the main benefits of letting to students
• The lifecycle of a student tenancy and what’s important to know about protecting their deposits
• The different lengths of a student tenancy and how to get some extra income during potential void periods
• What happens if a student vacates early and any checks you need to make ahead of the tenancy
• What does a good inventory look like and why it is especially important for student lets
• The importance of mid-term checks
• Disadvantages of renting to students: what to be aware of and how to manage them
• Where to go for further resources.

Relevant links:

• Hamilton Fraser Total Landlord Insurance
• mydeposits
• Property Redress Scheme
• Client Money Protect