Inside Property With Richard Blanco

In April 2017, the long awaited tax changes affecting landlords and investors come into force. Is it time to sell, hold or expand, particularly as many are facing a double whammy with the new regulation of buy to let mortgages by the Prudential Regulation Authority? Richard Blanco gets to grips with this conundrum with the help of private landlord Jamie Fraser, who is thinking of selling, Founder of Developer, East Eight, Nicole Bremner who is expanding her business, Ben Sheils Accounting Director from Micro Business team and John Cox, Principal of finance broker Mortgage-Desk. Inside Property is produced in collaboration with the National Landlords Association. Picture Credit = East Eight.

How balanced is the portrayal of landlords and tenants in the media? Is the press guilty of prurience: revelling in landlord and tenant conflict and preferring to focus on bad behaviour and the worst conditions, rather than report mainstream good practice? Do politicians pander to stereotypes with short termist, populist housing policies, that encourage narrow lines of enquiry by journalists, ultimately failing landlords, tenants and the housing crisis? Richard Blanco is joined by Patrick Collinson from The Guardian, Sarah Davidson from the Mail Online and Simon Greenwood, Series Editor of Channel 5’s Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords. Inside Property is produced in collaboration with the National Landlords Association. Picture from Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords which is currently airing on Channel 5. Contact the producers if you would like to take part in the show: http://www.channel5.com/take-part/

Paul Shamplina from Landlord Action, Stephen Gabriel of Sandwell Borough Council & Katrina Robinson from the Tenancy Fraud Forum join Richard Blanco to explain the nature of crime in the private and social housings sectors, how it affects landlords and tenants and what can be done to prevent and report it. We delve into the phenomena of subletting, modern day slavery, fake landlord scams, drug factories, serial bad tenants and prostitution, offer tips to avoid being caught out by the criminals and hear about some of the enforcement action that aims to thwart their endeavours. Inside Property is produced in collaboration with the National Landlords Association. Picture credit = The Daily Record

On average landlords spend 26% of their income on repairs and maintenance, with around 57% using agents to manage some or all of their properties. Richard Blanco speaks to Claire Empson, Managing Director of Daisylets & Sales, Jacky Peacock, Director of Advice4Renters and Independent Builder & Project Manager, Stelios Gabriel to discuss how best to manage maintenance and repairs for tenant and landlord. Topics include old chestnuts like damp and the professional clean, fixed or flexible pricing, tips on boilers and appliances and how to source and manage tradespeople. We also discuss where responsibility lies between landlord and tenant, why tenants can seem reluctant to report repairs and tips for proactive management that minimise the likelihood of future problems occurring. Inside Property is produced in collaboration with the National Landlords Association.

Changes are afoot in the private rented sector in Scotland and Wales and there may be implications for other parts of the UK. The deadline for landlords and agents to register as part of Rent Smart Wales was 23 November 2016. Scotland has had a national landlord register since 2006, now no fault possession is being abolished and consultation on a new standard tenancy limiting rent increases with new forms and notices continues until 25 December 2016. How are landlords and tenants responding to these changes? Scotland banned letting agent fees in 2012, but is the ban working? Now Westminster is following suit, will politicians south of the border borrow more policy initiatives? Richard Blanco is joined by Bethan Jones from Rent Smart Wales, David Kendall who runs Hamilton based agency Lets Makes Homes, James Battye from Shelter Scotland and Richard Lambert from the National Landlords Association to explain, untangle and evaluate this shifting landscape. Inside Property is produced in collaboration with

What makes for a successful landlord and tenant relationship? Richard is joined by Mary Latham, West Midlands Regional Representative for the National Landlords Association, Robert Nichols, Managing Director of London based sales and lettings agent Portico, Ben Reeve-Lewis from Safer Renting and Private Sector Tenant, Peter Cannell to address the sometimes thorny issues of access, repairs, subletting, cleaning and arrears. How can landlord and tenant make sure the tenancy gets off to a good start? We look at the role of letting agents in supporting and mediating relations. What happens when relations turn sour and how can you ensure an amicable end to your tenancy without resorting to the legal process? Inside Property is produced in collaboration with the National Landlords Association

Richard Blanco is joined by Richard Bowser, Editor of Property Investor News, Chris Norris, Head of Policy at the National Landlords Association and Richard Donnell, Research Director at Hometrack to discuss Brexit and its impact on landlords, property owners and investors. After initial jitters, will house prices and rents resume their upward trend? 35% of landlords think that Brexit will impact negatively on their lettings business, but will Theresa May’s government row back on George Osborne’s tax changes? Is now a good time to buy and, if so, what strategy should you adopt? Inside Property is produced in collaboration with the National Landlords Association