BUMBLEBEE

Airbnb Problem Mar 16 , 2023

Most landlords aim is to maximise their return on investment with minimal hands-on involvement. Security and a predictable income from well-referenced and reliable tenants are usually high on the agenda. Running a guest house is a different matter, yet some tenants are using temporary accommodation platforms such as Airbnb to profit from a property a

Portfolio Landlords Mar 09 , 2023

There are landlords and there are landlords. Some are what we call “accidental” landlords, who decided to let their property as an alternative to selling. Others are somewhat inadequately regarded as “amateur” landlords, who have a single investment property. However, it is “portfolio” landlords who make up the majority of our clients. A portf

Smart Home Tech Mar 02 , 2023

Why Landlords Should Embrace the Smart Home Homeowners are rapidly becoming hooked up to “the internet of things” by linking everything from their lighting, fridge, doorbell, central heating, sound system, and more, at the touch of a button, or indeed voice command. “Alexa” and her friend Siri are clearly here to stay and she is set to enable us t

Upbeat Rentals Feb 23 , 2023

Superficially, lettings could be seen as relatively straightforward, and some firms do indeed regard themselves as a simple broking operation. However, if your investment is going to provide you with peace of mind as well as a great return on investment, then you will want to know that the property is being managed by people who really care. Ou

Lettings EPC Feb 09 , 2023

As part of the lettings process, landlords are required to ensure that their property has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) available to all prospective tenants (including existing tenants renewing their tenancy) with a minimum performance rating of “E”. This will extend to existing tenancies on 1st April 2020.An EPC is a certificate issued by an a

Inventory Matters Feb 01 , 2023

All residential tenancy deposits must by law be protected by being lodged in one of the three government-recognised schemes, such as the Deposit Protection Service (DPS) , MyDeposits or the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), which are evidence based. This means that the decision to either return or withhold a deposit at the end of a tenancy is made by considering

Bumblebee supports Live Unlimited charity with £5,000 donation Jan 26 , 2023

Bumblebee, The Barnet Group’s private lettings agency, has supported Live Unlimited with a £5,000 donation; helping the charity continue its crucial work in supporting Barnet’s looked after children and care leavers. The donation, which contributed to Live Unlimited’s Big Give Christmas Challenge, was part of over £21,000 raised which w

Touching Up Jan 26 , 2023

When letting your property, you naturally want your property to look its best, but how far should you go in terms of presentation?Firstly, aim to understand how your property “sits” within the market. Not all tenants have the same criteria, so walk through the house with your letting agent to identify your property’s strengths and weaknesses. Look thro

Avoid the Void Jan 19 , 2023

One of the worries that many landlords understandably experience is the possibility that a month or more will pass between lets when their investment property remains unoccupied. This can be a serious problem that can adversely affect the short-term cash-flow you so meticulously planned as a route to longer term investment success. Even worse, each month du

Successful Tenancy Application Jan 12 , 2023

If you are looking to rent a property, you may find yourself in a competitive environment, with a limited selection of properties from which to choose. It is therefore important to make it easy for a landlord or their agent to regard you as their number one choice of tenant in order to smooth your move. Here’s how:Application form: We have an obligation to

Guaranteed Rent: 20 Reasons Why Jan 05 , 2023

Most of our landlords opt for our “Guaranteed Rent’ service. It’s the fastest, smartest and most secure way of letting your property – worry free. Complex legislative changes have put severe strain on today’s landlords. Unwittingly get it wrong and you can be closed down, find it almost impossible to evict a non-paying tenant, face staggering fi

HMO Dec 29 , 2022

Multiple OccupancyAs a landlord, you might well have heard the term HMO mentioned by your letting agent, but what exactly is HMO and what are the implications for the private landlord? HMO (or Houses in Multiple Occupation) has a specific meaning in terms of the legislation that applies to it. A property is considered to be in multiple occupation if the f

Single Point of Contact Dec 22 , 2022

With You All The WayMany letting agencies simply act as a broking service that matches tenants to property. However, we are acutely aware that there is far more to successful lets than this alone. Indeed, nationally, about 25% of initially agreed tenancies fail to prove satisfactory for one reason or another. One of the main reasons is that a tenant gets co

Ombudsman Dec 15 , 2022

Quality Control in LettingsWhen choosing the right letting agent, how can you be sure you are dealing with a firm of integrity that upholds the highest principles and standard of service? After all, almost anyone can become a letting agent in this country without any qualifications or minimum service standards. Letting agents who wish to demonstrate their

December 2022 - Market Comment Dec 12 , 2022

December 2022 Market Comment It’s incredible that, nationally, average house prices have risen by about 24% in the past two years (source: Rightmove). Nobody predicted this, and it was inevitable that the buying frenzy, which led to highly inflationary bidding wars, would end. Well it probably has – but not in the way that many sensationalist media ou

Types of Tenant Dec 08 , 2022

Predicting the most likely type of tenant for your property is key to a successful let. Here we look at the pros and cons of various types of tenancies. Please note that the following is a huge generalisation but may give some pointers: Student Lets: Pros: Vast supply of tenants (but only in university towns). No requirement for expensive furnishings. Te

Understanding ROI Dec 01 , 2022

There are several ways of describing Return on Investment (ROI) from a rental property and serious landlords have a firm handle on the differences.The most relevant definition you might consider is likely to be the one that satisfies your main reason for investing. You may be interested in the long-term sale prospects as an investment for your children. Conv

A New Standard? Nov 24 , 2022

Why is it that the letting industry has always been regarded as the poor relation of sales? In our opinion, too many agents continue to treat their lettings properties as low-value instructions, with minimal portal descriptions, poor photography, and no floorplans or walk-through/video tours. Yet properties for sale appear to be given a much higher status an

BTL Lending Update Nov 17 , 2022

Despite turbulence caused by increased taxation and continually changing regulation, alongside today’s political and economic confusion, confidence in the Buy-to-Let sector remains high. This is evidenced by the banks, who continue to offer an extensive range of creative buy-to-let mortgage products. BTL finance was hardest hit immediately following the l

Offsettable Nov 10 , 2022

Landlords often ask us about which elements of their spending can, and cannot, be offset against their rental revenues for tax purposes. We are of course, not accountants, and you should refer to them for advice on your own situation. However, our current understanding is that this complex area is best understood when you make a clear distinction betwee

Hesitate Nov 02 , 2022

Think house prices are through the roof? We recently came across this poem about investing in property, and thought you might find it interesting. Once you have read it, and only then, take a look at the date of first publication. Makes you think! “PROPERTY INFLATION”I hesitate to make a listOf all the countless deals I’ve missed.Bonanzas that we

Switch from Sales Agent Oct 26 , 2022

If you’re considering renting your property as an alternative to selling, it would be understandable if you considered using the agent who is handling your sale, to find a tenant instead. However, a word of caution here on two counts. Firstly, many estate agents who struggle to achieve sufficient numbers of sales decide to try their hand at lettings, as a

Renting in Later Life Oct 19 , 2022

People are living longer and healthier – fact. So an approach to retirement age for many does not mean the beginning of a decline into old age, but a liberating time of post-pandemic life, full of possibilities. This new-found freedom, without the shackles of children, jobs, mortgage and university top-ups from the bank of Mum and Dad has caused people

Live Unlimited May 31 , 2022

Bumblebee donation helps looked after children prosper Earlier this year, we shared the news that Bumblebee, The Barnet Group's private lettings agency had supported the Live Unlimited Charity with a donation of £5,000. We can now share how that donation supported 680 of Barnet's looked after children. Outdoor Club Live Unlimited's Forest Schoo

Showing Tenants Around Mar 31 , 2022

Some people feel that flats and houses should be able to “let themselves” and do not need to be “shown” by letting agents. Whilst this may be true of certain exceptional properties, or where achieving the optimum rent is not an issue, most properties require the skills of a well-trained letting agent if they are to secure a good rent within a reasona

Sharers Mar 24 , 2022

One of the most effective ways to maximise your property investment is to appeal to sharers as the combined price paid by two or three co-tenants can often be greater than the rent paid by just one. Rising rents have priced out those who could not stretch to their ideal property without going halves with a friend (or even a stranger in many instances whe

Presentation Mar 17 , 2022

When letting your property, you naturally want your property to look its best, but how far should you go in terms of presentation? Firstly, aim to understand how your property “sits” within the market. Not all tenants have the same criteria, so walk through the property with your letting agent to identify its strengths and weaknesses. Look through the

Partners Mar 10 , 2022

When the time comes to let your property it is important to ensure that you entrust the sale to a reputable letting agent if the stress involved in finding a tenant, managing the property and maximising you investment is to be minimised. However, the most successful lets tend to be those where the landlord and letting agent work hand in hand during the i

Legionnaires Disease Mar 03 , 2022

Landlords, or their agents, are responsible for ensuring that the risk of exposure in their property to the Legionella bacterium is properly assessed and controlled. This is not difficult to do and can either be outsourced or done by the landlord or their agent. Legionnaires disease is a potentially fatal form of Pneumonia. Bacteria can develop in water s

Independence Feb 24 , 2022

The Benefit of Independence “Location, location, location” may be the cornerstone of wise property investment, yet many people are unaware of the importance of location in making the right choice of letting agent – whether as landlord or tenant. Letting agency is an intensely local business. It is essential that letting agents are fully conversant

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