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Martin Lewis Blog: 'House offer accepted, now they want £20,000 more! What should I do?'
A passer-by stopped Martin in the street recently to ask his opinion on her house buying dilemma. You can check out his view in a video he posted: Martin Lewis: 'House offer accepted, now they want £20,000 more! What should I do?' What would you do? Stand your ground? Walk away? Pay the extra? Negotiate? Tell us your…
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New to the House Buying, Selling & Renting board? Start here
✅ This board is for... * Questions about buying or selling a home * Questions about renting a home * Questions about being a landlord 🚫 This board is not for.. * Debating the state of the economy * Debating house prices in general * Political debates Note: In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place…
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Tenancies in Eng/Wales: Guides for landlords and tenants
post 1 This thread is intended to provide information to both landlords and tenants relating to Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) in England and Wales. Updated April 2020 to include the Coronavirus Act 2020 and July 2020 to include the Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020. Topics covered: Post 2: Repairing…
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Renting a house to family while overseas
We are moving to Switzerland this summer and our daughter and son in law are selling their property and moving in to ours. We are not charging them rent (savings their mortgage is a gift to the newlyweds) but wondered about the best arrangements for bills etc. We are in our mid/late 50's, mortgage free and owned the place…
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Can my student daughter now give 2 months notice and end her tenancy?
Looking at the new rules it looks like from May 1st she may be allowed to give notice and end her tenancy early. There are 6 in the house and they all finish uni by 1st July but their contract makes them pay until 31st August. I appreciate that it means the landlord wouldn’t have the income for 2 months but they each pay…
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Negligent surveyor
I'd love to hear from anyone that has had success in suing a surveyor for damages. How long was the process, what were your costs and what was the outcome? Following a pre aquisition survey, I bought a property last February. On the day of completion, I noticed two issues which the surveyor had overlooked. Unfortunately, 4…
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Inspection certificates
I’m currently selling my flat to first-time buyers. It’s a two-bedroom Edwardian maisonette with a share of freehold. We’re mid-transaction (survey completed), and the buyers’ solicitors have raised a couple of additional requests: EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) I understand this isn’t a legal requirement…
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Shared Ownership Staircasing to 100% - SDLT due?
Hoping someone like @SDLT_Geek will be able to help here - have read great advice to others. As a first time buyer, I purchased 50% of a brand new shared ownership leasehold flat in June 2019 based on a value of £420000, paying £210000 for the 50%. I did not opt to pay SDLT based on the full value, as even though it would…
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Short Term Lets after May 1st?
I have been told by an established rental agency that after may 1st it will be illegal for landlords to advertise their property as a short term let even if thats what they wish to do. So this raises the question. If one has a property they wish to let just for a limited period. Say, for example, you are not sure what you…
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Eviction problems with form N5B
Brief version, I became an involuntary landlord after the original landlord died and named me as executor of the will. I have served a section 21 on the tennents, that notice period has passed and they are still refusing to leave. I am now applying for an accelerated possession order using form N5B and having the following…
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New "Have a Look at This" thread
The other one has disappeared and any posts I have made are not listed in either my posts or thanks. This thread is for things like: . Spotting pets in properties . Anything awful - decor, extensions etc . Quirky properties . Timewarp properties . Properties in serious repair and anything which is different and of interest…
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renting furnished or unfurnished for 6 months or so
Hi looking for a nice flat for around 6 months possibly a slightly longer makes sense to me to go furnished, due to time frame. however, does anyone think i'm limiting the market unnecesarily? i mean could i just buy a roll up mattress on the floor and a cheap chair table/desk which i wouldnt even take with me at the end?…
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Whose responsibility is to find a replacement tenant and do viewings on a joint contract?
Hi, I am a student with 2 other tenants on a joint contract, One tenant moved their stuff to a another house in the town (for reasons unknown, we have assumed it is to move in with her partner who apparently lives a walking distance away from us) in March and has since then stopped paying her contribution to fixed utility…
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Communal problem -v- access
I know the devil is in the detail therefore I should read my lease but in general is there any overarching principles or general ways things work where there is a problem with a communal part of the freehold building but access to fix and repair it can only be done via one flat? Have a leak, may be communal soil pipe,…
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EPC misrepresented as A, actually a B
We are in the process of purchasing a new build which was advertised and represented to us during viewings as being A rated. We agreed a purchase price, which was partly driven by this rating. During the conveyancing process, we saw the EPC actually certifies the property as a B, albeit a high B. We gave the developer the…
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Stamp duty on 2nd property, or is it?
I sold a house last year and I’m currently renting. Other half (not married) has a flat with a mortgage that he wants to rent out. Value c£100k He’s unofficially living with me on a trial basis but hasn’t changed his address etc, although he will soon. We are looking to buy a house together. Value £350k We are both putting…
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unreasonable landlord
my daughter and her partner rent and their landlord has sent a letter setting out what I think are unreasonable demands, they are scared to say anything as think he may chuck them out if they do so am asking for thoughts on following he says garage is only for car and not to keep gardening tools or lawnmower in, he says…
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Redrow won’t submit a Section 38 to the council, so they can continue charging maintenance fees
I live on a Redrow development. For the past five years we’ve been paying ever‑rising maintenance fees to a company called FirstPort, who in turn hire Community Property Care to carry out the general maintenance. Overall it’s little more than a shoddy grass‑cutting service, but that’s a story for another day. We pay just…
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Solicitor Fees - Please help. I am a tenant that voluntarily left after section LBA & Section 21
Hi all, I’m trying to get some guidance on a tenancy/legal cost dispute with a letting agent’s solicitors and would really appreciate any advice. Background: I rented a property for around 3 years and had no major issues during the tenancy. In 2025 I began experiencing financial difficulties and was in contact with the…
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S21/ Govt deposit scheme
Hi, Son wants to sell his rental/BTL property NOW (many reasons). Tenants have been in since 2019. Have tenancy agreement. He tooka months deposit but never registered it. with Govt deposit scheme (twit - why not). He understands that as he didn't register having received the deposit within 14 days of tenancy commencement…
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Restrictive covenant on garage
Hi All. Any advice greatly welcomed. I have a 4 bed house with a garage. We are a lessee of the garage as it is under a coach house (the lessor). After years of using the garage for household items (as the garage will only fit a tiny car), the lessor has told all 3 lessees to clear out their garages due as we are breaching…
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CGT - property
Hi all, I’m looking for some advice on Capital Gains Tax (CGT) as I’m getting conflicting information online and want to make sure I get this right. I bought my house in 2019 for £84,000 on a shared ownership (50/50) basis and sold it in 2024 for £145,000. During ownership I spent around £18,000 on improvements: new…
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Inheriting right to buy property brought last year
My dad died recently and we are waiting for probate. I have 2 siblings who each rent property from the council one works the other on benefits. I own my house and work. Theres no will so we will inherit the estate a third each. The entire state is worth under 325k. Theres about 50k cash and a house worth 160k. However dad…
