Saturday July 6, 2019

Anyone following the property letting sector will be well aware that the first half of this year was pretty dreadful. Well-meaning but flawed legislation and a raft of new red tape means one in four landlords plans to sell up this year and letting agencies are also faring badly. Many large agencies are closing branches […]

Saturday June 1, 2019

Half way through 2019 and it seems every month I rail against tenant protection legislation that turns out badly when put into practice. Cynics in the lettings sector suggest this is a cunning plot to free up rental properties for the hard-pressed first-time buyer. But a three-storey mid terrace in Heaton is beyond the means […]

Tuesday May 7, 2019

In 1959, American academic William Foster-Harris postulated that there are three plots for a novel or movie. ‘Happy Ending’, ‘Unhappy Ending’ and ‘Tragedy’. In 1977 Meatloaf reached number 32 in the UK charts with ‘Two out of three ain’t bad’. Which, in the private rental sector is what Governments have achieved so far. I look […]

Monday April 1, 2019

Now that it is officially Spring I would love to write a column full of fluffy bunnies and dancing daffodils but sadly, the outlook for the private rental sector currently looks like the bleak mid winter for both landlords and tenants. This is largely the result of well-meaning legislation plotting a torturous and ill advised […]

Friday March 1, 2019

As a residential block management specialist, I am often put in mind of my famous great grand uncle Rea il Magnifico. My uncle was a tightrope walker in northern Italy during the 1920’s. He wowed audiences with his amazing dexterity. As a block manager I feel I am preserving a family tradition. Walking a tightrope. […]