Buy to let Landlords need to Act Fast to get in on the Action

Jun 20
2010

Recent figures are showing the need for more and more rental properties due to the rising volumes of tenants requiring accommodation within the UK. With the recent recession making waves throughout the economy and many families unfortunately losing their homes as a result of repossessions brought on by the financial hardship felt across Europe, America and other areas of the world. As the buyer’s market begins to level out and stabilise, it is the perfect time for buy to let landlords and second home owners to get in on the action and take advantage of the wide number of available tenants available.

Whether you are considering becoming a first time buy to let landlord or are already a seasoned professional, the time to take action is now before the economy shifts and you lose out. Any property investment should be a profitable one and if you remain dedicated and are lucky to have good tenants, you can not only provide yourself with an income but also pay off any loans or buy to let mortgages used to purchase the property. Experts are saying that in order for seasoned and first time landlords to secure the best rates on their buy to let mortgages, they really do need to act swiftly now, seeking out small lenders who are genuinely attracting customers with fantastic low cost, short term fixed rate payments.

Although offers have come and gone in the past, no-one can be sure how the following months are to pan out and show themselves. With the majority of experts feeling that the number of special rates brought in that are favoured by landlords across the UK are going to dwindle away, their advice is if you are in a position to take on a rental buy to let property, to do so and never look back. It seems that the attractive rates from smaller lenders with limited funds are often the ones that are most keen amongst borrowers and property investors. Acting fast is the only way to take advantage of the situation as it arises.

The current shortage of housing for tenants has really led to an increased demand in rental accommodation and as such more urgency has been placed upon the need for more landlords taking steps to provide further properties. Taking the initiative and choosing to become a buy to let landlord is an opportune idea for many and as such, can be a sure fire way to begin a lucrative income that will pay for itself in many ways with a plus of even offering some extra income for you. If you decide to become a landlord and choose your steps carefully then you can make a profitable investment that can pay the right dividends.

One important factor to remember though is to arrange the correct level of insurance for your property. Simply choosing to insure your property using just standard home insurance will sadly not be sufficient enough. You need to take out a reputable buy to let insurance policy to ensure that you are fully protected against insurable events and problematic tenants.

As the new Tory/Liberal Democrat coalition government make steps to tackle the economy.

Jun 16
2010

News of an increase in Capital Gains Tax has placed an unexpected amount of concern on the faces investors across the UK. There in, recent reports from the financial sector are displaying signs of a potential rise in the rate of tax that second house owners and large higher income tax paying investors could face, causing an issue for potential landlords around the UK. Experts in the field has issued advice to investors to avoid a weighty tax burden by restructuring their property portfolios and selling off assets before the April 2011 deadline where the supposed increase will take place.

The professional advice issued to many investors is to invest in other asset classes to ensure a lower impact on the amount of tax and duties they will have to pay. In worrying times like these, any extreme changes could cause further rifts within the already fragile state of local markets. There are talks of tax increases making property investment an unfavourable and potentially less tradable route of investment. There could be a knock on effect of this lowering the number of second home purchases after the start of the new tax year in 2011 which may or may not affect residential landlords at this moment in time.

The general consensus is not to start panicking as the majority of residential landlords and those with buy to let mortgages shouldn’t be affected as much as larger, more profitable investors. The last thing the new government wants to do is to worsen the current state of the housing market, where letting agents are currently crying out for small homes, flats and apartments. The news is though that ancillary buildings and property located within the grounds of a house, such as staff accommodation and flats, lodge cottages and possible development plots located on premises in garden areas are all going to be kept under a watchful eye and quite possibly scrutinised if it is shown that they are not in keeping with the requirements of the main house or residential property.

So bearing in mind that the smaller landlords and buy to let investors take adequate steps to carefully manage their approach to maintaining their investment, the news is that you shouldn’t worry. Obviously any tax hike will mean less revenue in the short term, if you let to DHSS tenants, there is a chance that your fees will be increased or you can request an increase to combat inflation. Raising residential private rental rates can also reduce the impact of the rise in capital gains tax but there is a fine line to keep good tenants from leaving you in search of more affordable accommodation.

With many new proposals from the government on how they plan to proceed, we can expect some fluctuations within the economy. One thing is for sure is that many minds are very interested to see what methods are to replace the past indexation or taper relief systems that have previously been in place, to prevent landlords, buy to let landlords and second home investors succumbing to having to pay a tax on inflation.

The End of the Home Information Pack

Jun 06
2010

As many of you may have heard, the recent suspension of the necessity to provide lengthy and often costly Home Information Packs or HIPs when choosing to sell a property, has enabled home owners wishing to sell their homes across the UK to once again make it a reality. So how does this fair for the UK housing Market, homeowners, landlords and tenants? Well in a way all are affected directly and indirectly but for the best. By removing an awkward and costly part of selling a property, many homeowners are finding the means to sell their homes, meaning more properties will be made available to first time buy to let landlords and other seasoned landlords and investors.

What this means in the long run is that with the suspension of Home Information Packs which were originally devised only around 3 years ago to provide new home buyers with information on the property they were to purchase, more landlords can invest in properties to provide accommodation for the large number of waiting tenants who are seeking rental properties. Good news all round, as more properties become available for rent, the more opportunities for first time buy to let landlords appear. All this inevitably goes to easing the housing shortage for renting tenants across the UK. Creating a domino effect for other industries such as the insurance sector, with more landlords purchasing landlords home insurance, savings can be made, special deals can be offered and premiums can be kept affordable, competitive and highly beneficial.

Some say HIPs have been attributed to the slump in the housing market over the last few years although the blame cannot be placed solely on them. Recent financial fluctuations across the world, the times of recession, pulling all the banks of the sticky mess they got themselves into and many more factors were also to blame for the many celebrating the end of the HIPs say that original purpose for Home Information Packs and the information they gave was simply what a homebuyer’s solicitor would have checked for when carrying out their duties. However the real reason for HIPs back in the late 90’s in the first place was to speed up the process of buying a house and home.

But for what reason? Cash buyers may have benefitted but mortgage holders and first time buyers still had to wait for surveys and mortgage offers to complete before moving further with their purchase. Therefore there has been much speculation on the original validity of the home information packs and their importance within the housing industry. The choice to begin removing unnecessary red tape cutting out the unwanted gibber gabber that has suffocated the UK over the last 20 years or so is a bold and brave move for the new government and one that possibly marks the start of reformation across the board and better, brighter times ahead.

Looking towards the future with a more positive outlook, the landlords and investors of Great Britain prepare to make the most of these beneficial changes.

Residential emergency assistance

May 24
2010

Residential emergency assistance offers you and your tenants the peace of mind that in the event of an emergency such as a burst water pipe, unexpected damage to windows and doors, loss of a resident’s keys and sanitary issues such as blocked drains, you can receive immediate professional assistance and help. At letprotector.co.uk we give you the instant cover you need, when you need it. Protection covered by our residential emergency assistance provides day and night call outs of registered tradesmen, whether it may be a plumber, electrician, joiner or locksmith and offers you up to £500 to easily cover any emergency repair.

Underwritten by Fortis Insurance Ltd, one of the leading insurance brokers, we guarantee that both residents and landlords can rest assured that in event, your policy has you covered. Unlike other insurance policies letprotector.co.uk offer a ‘no limit’ feature on the number of claims you can make, providing you with the safe knowledge that regardless of any previous claims, you will still receive the high level of quality help when required. Aside from an unlimited claims feature, our residential emergency assistance doesn’t require residents to pay any excess towards the cost of the claim and in the majority of incidents, the value of the policy should adequately cover all costs including call out charges, cost of any materials and the standard VAT charges.

One key point to mention here is that there are exclusions to consider such as if the property is unoccupied and there is no tenants residing within the premises, claims cannot be made. We attempt to give you the best protection possible when choosing letprotector.co.uk and so offer you a competitive price for our emergency assistance cover. However such things as cosmetic and decorative replacements, the replacement or repair of central heating equipment, radiators, over head water cylinders and internal door locks are not covered by this plan. These should be covered by the buildings insurance taken out by the landlord or the investor.

Arranging a quote for our residential emergency assistance cover couldn’t be easier. Either applying online or over the telephone, you get a swift decision in minutes and can receive immediate cover as soon as your application is approved. Whatever happens, you want to know that if a domestic emergency was to take place or happen, you would know that you have the urgent assistance you require to hand to avert a crisis. With letprotector.co.uk being one of the most resourceful and expert insurers dedicate to landlords, it is no wonder why so many investors and buy to let mortgage holders use our services.

We take a great deal of time to formulate specific insurance policies designed to offer the best possible policies for you and your tenants, utilising our professional ability resources and experience to bring you first class emergency cover against an array of unexpected happenings. Here at letprotector.co.uk we try to offer the most flexible plan available and do our very best to tailor each of our insurance services to meet your requirements.

Landlords legal expenses insurance

May 18
2010

Do you worry about which landlords legal expenses insurance policy to choose or have you even considered the importance of taking out this often vital piece of insurance protection? Well you needn’t worry any further. Here at Letprotector.co.uk we are one of the UK’s leading specialist providers of a diverse selection of landlord insurance policies. So what exactly is landlords legal expenses insurance then? Quite simply, it is an insurance policy that will protect you in the event of an occurrence where you have a claim made against you by a tenant or whereby you need to take legal action against a specific tenant who breaches their tenancy agreement in any way, outlined in the contract or rental agreement that they sign at the very start.

Especially useful when you need to act swiftly to evict bad tenants, you receive the professional assistance and advice necessary with landlords legal expense insurance from letprotector.co.uk. Not only this but with the right legal protection offered by our team of professional underwriters and advisors means that your legal fees can be heavily subsidised in the event of requiring court action to take place. For example if you have a tenant that has repeatedly missed their rent payments or has stopped paying you their weekly or monthly payments, then having the expanded coverage from letprotector.co.uk means that you can fund the legal pursuit of rental arrears. Letprotector understand the circumstances that renting property can bring and cover such awkward situations such as financing the eviction of a person inhabiting you property without official permission.

In a different light, especially being in a position as a landlord or property investor, landlords legal expenses insurance entitles you to legal defence, which will allow you to defend yourself in the event where you face court proceedings. Whether resulting from an omission or act such as neglecting tenants basic needs and requirements which could be anything from providing inadequate heating, failure to repair damage to the property that was not caused by the tenant to various other issues, letprotector.co.uk aim to protect your investment and you. If you are experiencing problems with tax, VAT, National Insurance Contributions or PAYE disputes, discover that you are covered for legal advice and against investigations and enquiries into the financial tax affairs. We work to provide a suitable and highly detailed insurance package to assist you when receiving a court summons or when taking a case to court.

With any additional extra cover that we provide, letprotector.co.uk offer professional and expert advice to ensure that you receive the right care and attention when using our services. Providing access to a legal helpline is a dedicated service that is offered as part of the landlords legal expenses insurance that we underwrite. We always strive to give you first class customer care and remain confident that our expertise and vast resources will help towards reaching a pleasant outcome for you. With free access to legal advice and professional assistance, the legal helpline however can only assist you as far as general advice and is not able to assist with more complex legal matters.

Improved landlords insurance cover

May 10
2010

We all want a little something extra when searching for the best online deals available and here at letprotector.co.uk we now offer improved landlords insurance cover with optional malicious damage and vandalism cover to ensure terrific protection for landlords who have unoccupied homes and properties, either to lease out to long term tenants or perhaps at certain intervals throughout the year. Letprotector.co.uk is a leading insurance provider forming part of the professional and expert Insurance Protector Group (IPG). Operating an excellent range of policies for landlords and investors alike, at letprotector.co.uk we are the professionals who pull out all of the stops to give you truly affordable and comprehensive insurance protection.

What this means is that whatever condition your investment is in, whether tenanted or unoccupied, furnished or unfurnished and whether you require rental protection insurance and much more, letprotector.co.uk can achieve the perfect insurance solution to meet your demands, criteria and budgets. With improved landlord’s insurance cover now available, customers receive added bonus cover for a small price, enabling complete comprehensive protection against natural disasters, theft, fire, accidental damage and now malicious damage. All this goes to strengthen the already strong reputation of letprotector.co.uk as a name you can trust.

With the gross rise in the number of landlords purchasing properties on buy to let mortgages as secondary incomes, more and more are searching the internet for viable, cost effective and affordable insurances services. Wishing to choose a trusted provider for their niche needs and requirements, many landlords decide upon choosing a specialist insurer over a high street insurer covering anything from travel insurance to life insurance. At Letprotector.co.uk we only focus our efforts towards landlords, buy to let mortgage holders and investors purchasing rental accommodation and properties. Because of this, when you go to receive a quote or discuss your requirements, you can be sure that our professional experience surrounding landlords insurance will mean that you receive a tailored service that will benefit you the most.

No claims are made that we are the cheapest insurance provider of all but when you need to ensure that your investment is properly protected but when you need the right cover there are few companies that offer the same level of care and attention to detail than letprotector.co.uk. Often choosing the cheapest option can become a false economy, leading to you receiving a ‘bare-bones’, limited amount of protection that may include higher excess charges. So what do you get with improved landlords insurance cover? Well, in addition to providing an excellent existing level of cover for a wide selection of landlord’s properties across the UK including property owner’s liability cover of up to £2m, damage to the property due to insurable events such as fire, flooding, subsidence and much more, you can adopt extra cover at any time to include malicious damage or vandalism to your property.

So for that little extra protection for your investment, whether your property is being renovated or refurbished, seek the advice of one of the leading landlord insurers whose improved policies cover unoccupied and tenanted buildings here at letprotector.co.uk today.

Landlords house insurance – Online landlords insurance cover

May 04
2010

Here at letprotector.co.uk we are one of the UK’s most favoured providers of landlords house insurance. A quality service guaranteed, we offer excellent, professional house insurance policies for landlords, arranging the perfect solution to suit any request. Letprotector.co.uk understands the insurance market and has been successfully providing first class insurance services for years. As a part of the Insurance Protector Group (IPG) you can rest assured that your insurance requirements are arranged and dealt with in a professional and swift manner. We can offer you an instant quote over the internet, giving you the instant cover when you need it the most. When applying online for first class landlords house insurance today, letprotector.co.uk provide you with all the cover you will ever need, arranging for instant documents for you to download and print off at your leisure. Call or go online today for further details.

Choosing the right online landlords insurance cover couldn’t be easier and cheaper right now at letprotector.co.uk. We are one of the most proficient and reliable insurance specialists for landlords within the UK and offer professional and expert insurance advice and services. Taking only a few minutes we offer you an instant quote when applying for necessary cover. Receiving instant cover, you can easily download all the relevant documents to print off when you need to make a claim. Providing a tailored solution to ensure that you continue to remain fully protected in the event of an unforeseen calamity or problem, letprotector.co.uk remain dedicated in supplying the best cover possible.

Here at letprotector.co.uk we cover all tenancy types. You don’t even require your properties to be in use nor have tenants to benefit from the safe knowledge that you can swiftly arrange full cover at the click of a button. Depending on certain tenancy types we offer free accidental damage cover in addition to a wide range of extra benefits such as a 24hr claims helpline and available liability cover to protect any domestic staff in the event of an accident.

We cover all the essentials at highly competitive rates and have the valued experience and resources to enable quick action and results when you need to rely on your insurance specialists. Our fully trained competent advisors are on hand to assist you with your online landlords insurance cover, should you require help and offer friendly, professional assistance when you need to make a claim.

Protect yourself against any eventuality with the help of letprotector.co.uk today and gain peace of mind that when choosing us, you can remain safe in the knowledge that your tailored insurance solution will continue to protect you, whatever the circumstances. As part of the Insurance Protector Group (IPG) letprotector.co.uk is the name you can trust for all your online landlords building and contents insurance cover and we look forward to assisting you now and well into the future. On hand to discuss your requirements, apply in total security online now or call our professional team today.

Discount landlord insurance from Letprotector

Apr 22
2010

When you need the help of one of the leading landlord insurance providers discover a range of tailored solutions and discount landlord insurance from letprotector. As a specialist insurance company providing bespoke landlord insurance services, letprotector.co.uk understands the importance of providing the correct level of cover for your investment without it costing the earth. Our discount landlord insurance offers are some of the most beneficial amongst insurance providers because as a company serving a niche corner of the market, we apply our efforts to bring low cost yet comprehensive cover to landlords across the UK.

Discount landlord insurance from letprotector enables you to place a surprising level of protection on your let property at rates that are so competitive. If you are asking why and how are we able to do this it is purely because of our dedication to providing the most affordable cover for landlords. Using our vast resources and professional expertise, letprotector continually works to keep premiums low and by arranging ideal, tailored insurance solutions for landlords efficiently, we have the power to offer quality insurance policies at discounted rates. In today’s economic struggle, it makes sense to do whatever possible to keep running costs as low as possible. New reports out from a leading debt resolution firm have seen a significant rise of over a 50% increase in landlords struggling to pay their debts including mortgages, insurance, rates etc. With letprotector.co.uk we can take some of the heat away from you by sourcing cheaper insurance quotes that still offer comprehensive cover.

Whether you have a single terraced property or wish to rent an apartment block, you may find that discount landlord insurance from letprotector.co.uk can suitably issue you with more than adequate cover. As we are specialist landlord insurance provider and are part of the Insurance Protector Group (IPG), we have a valuable and highly beneficial bank of resources at our fingertips. Offering excellent attention to detail, we make sure that our prices are equal to or better than our competition wherever possible. There are few insurance providers that offer such flexibility and bespoke insurance tailoring than here at letprotector.co.uk and in proving so, our well established and versatile reputation for quality policies and swift assistance continues to flourish.

Whilst many discount insurance policies may not offer an adequate protection and perhaps might not offer the same flexibility, applying for cost effective discount landlord insurance from letprotector will ensure that you take the right steps to protecting your valuable and expensive investment. We offer our clients a substantial amount of cover whilst being able to keep premiums down and offer genuine help and assistance when you need it the most. You can receive expert cover against damage to your property from fire, flooding, accidental damage, structural issues, subsidence, damaged plumbing and drainage issues and an additional array of insurable events.

Whatever your needs as a landlord, including arranging additional rental protection and contents cover for furnished properties, we can assist you and here at letprotector you can be certain that we do our utmost to provide a stress free service from start to finish when looking after your discount landlord insurance needs. For an instant quote and for further details contact the professional experts here at letprotector.co.uk or take a few moments to apply online for a quick decisive result today.

Do we need landlords household insurance?

Apr 19
2010

Any landlord or investor foolish enough to see no need for landlords household insurance will no doubt see the error of their ways when faced with an insurable event that leaves their investment severely threatened. As a landlord it is your responsibility to take active measures to secure your asset. After all, it is your investment that you need to protect and without the right insurance or no insurance at all, you may risk losing your investment in the event of a normally covered instance. When starting out as a landlord you need to understand that standard home insurance will not cover you and your property sufficiently.

Because you are renting your property to tenants who most probably will be strangers that you do not know, protecting your property in a proper manner is possibly the most important step to take. Making sure that you are fully covered will undoubtedly make the difference between losing your investment and ensuring that you don’t. Landlords household insurance is specifically designed to offer added protection against damage caused by tenants. This is one of the main causes for claims regarding landlord insurance policies from a statistical point of view. As a home owner you are less likely to cause deliberate damage to their own homes so a standard policy would be no good for landlords.

The majority of insurance providers will not cover a property with standard building insurance if they are aware that it is to be used for letting purposes and the landlord will not be living at the property. If an insurance company is misinformed about tenants renting the property, claims can be denied and made void. Landlords household insurance or let property insurance as it is also known provides much more cover than traditional home owners insurance and is designed to offer benefits that you normally wouldn’t see as part of a normal insurance policy. Coverage for uncertainties such as legal expenses when dealing with problematic tenants, rental protection to insure you against loss of earnings and liability cover are important factors that are not available under standard home insurance policies. These and more are all the reasons why you should treat landlords household insurance as your top concern when renting tenanted properties.

It is fair to say that choosing the right landlords insurance policy is important and must be given your full attention. If you were to choose an insufficient policy to cover your investment, you could face invalidating your protection should an event occur, threatening all you have worked hard to accomplish, but why? With letprotector.co.uk we make choosing the right insurance policy so easy, defining each section to ensure that you fully understand the level of cover you will receive. We allow you to tailor an individual plan to suit your requirements such as the type of property you wish to rent, how many apartments you are considering to rent, the general state of the building and whether you are renting unfurnished or furnished and much more.

Arranging landlords household insurance with the experts at letprotector.co.uk is a swift and hassle free experience, providing you with a decision in minutes and instant cover. Our representatives are on hand to offer professional assistance when you need it the most and remain dedicated to finding you the most beneficial insurance solution.

What is home insurance for landlords?

Apr 10
2010

In answer to the question ‘what is home insurance for landlords?’ quite simply put, it is specialist insurance designed for the needs and demands of landlords. Landlords home insurance varies slightly from normal domestic insurance that you have in place to protect your home. Although both provide cover against a range of damaging circumstances, home insurance for landlords features additional cover and risk factors due to the nature of the renting of a property out to tenants. We discuss the benefits of choosing the right home insurance for landlords as we know of the diversity of our clients and can tailor solutions to fit their criteria and necessity.

When choosing a company such as letprotector.co.uk over a general insurance company means that you receive a service that is focused purely on landlords and rental property insurance policies. Working to bring you an outstanding service, we provide the most beneficial insurance plans that are affordable and that offer brilliant security. If you are a property owner starting out as a landlord or perhaps you have been letting property for some time, it is imperative that you ensure the proper landlords home insurance is taken out. As mentioned earlier, rented properties pose a higher risk of being damaged based on many statistics and so it is really important to secure the right insurance to cover any eventuality.

Safeguarding your home against potential threats such as a fire, flooding, damage from a shift in the foundations, frozen pipes bursting and a whole range of additional threats doesn’t have to be difficult. Letprotector.co.uk is one of the UK’s leading landlord insurance specialists who demonstrate how simple, quick and efficient securing your investment can be. Explained fully to avoid later issues, you know exactly what you are covered against when choosing us to provide your home insurance for landlords policy. We take the time to discuss each and every criterion you wish to cover and offer additional extra benefits at affordable rates. All in all you can rest assured that with the large resources and experience behind letprotector.co.uk we can cover all of your home insurance requirements.

At any time during the length of your policy we offer flexible and professional assistance, providing relevant changes to your policy to serve you the best. Normally cheaper home insurance quotes would account to being a false economy but with letprotector.co.uk you can find affordable cover with excellent benefits. Due in part to the niche services that we offer we are able to offer a reliable and versatile insurance service that allows you to save money against other more general insurance providers. In such a competitive industry, our expertise and strong reputation for delivering speedy quotes and acting on claims in a swift and professional manner means that we can offer peace of mind that you and your investment will be protected well into the future. We are unbiased when arranging your policy and will advise you on the best solution whether you wish to rent a single room or you have invested in a block of residential flats for letting.

Offering affordable and competitive landlord insurance policies, letprotector.co.uk work to bring you the best landlords insurance, understanding just how critical costs and pricings can be to your cash flow. We remain dedicated to bringing you the right amount of cover to match your budget and continually look towards keeping our costs as low as possible.

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