If you are a landlord or have a portfolio of properties, you can claim ‘wholly incurred’ expenses against your property income. Expenses must follow the standard HMRC guidance and the expenses must be exclusively for the purpose of renting out the property. HMRC provide a number of examples of allowable expenses including: If you buy a new vacuum cleaner for your own home, and also use it to clean your rental property between tenants, you can’t claim the cost of the vacuum cleaner as an expense against your rental income. However, you could claim the cost of any cleaning products you bought specifically for cleaning the rental property. Where costs are incurred partly for your rental business and partly for some other purpose you may be able to claim a proportion of that cost if that part can be separately identified as being incurred wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the property rental business.

Want to extend your home, or a property that you are planning to buy? Here's how to do it without having to submit a planning application. Permitted development rights enable homeowners to make certain building works on a property without planning permission from the local council and without approval from a neighbour.

Tenant Fees Ban. How will landlords and tenants be affected? The new Tenant Fees Act comes into force on the 1st June 2019. So what is it? And how will it affect landlords and tenants?

That's one of the key takeaway messages in the Chancellor's Spring Statement this week. As the government introduces its Future Homes Standard, requiring that all new-build properties use low-carbon heating and become more energy efficient. Other headlines included the expansion of the Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme by up to £3 billion. Which will enable housing associations to build an extra 30,000 new homes through the scheme.

It's long been understood that colour has the power to transform behaviour and shape the way that we perceive a wide variety of goods and services. Businesses spend millions in branding and marketing to encourage us to chose their brand above others. In our homes, we also use colour to affect the mood and ambience of each room. With brands such as Dulux investing heavily in the branding of colours to reflect the style, heritage and personality that we want to portray.

Whether you voted to leave or stay, Brexit is beginning to take it's toll on the UK housing market. Which ever way you look at it, we're facing uncertain times; not helped by the fallout from the latest historic events at Westminster. So, should you be concerned? And could Brexit affect your property investment plans? Let's look at the statistics…

In recent years, there have been a number of blockbuster announcements relating to property ownership and rental. These have ranged from cuts in stamp duty for first-time buyers (2017) to a ban on letting fees (2016). This latest budget, whilst lacking the big headline news, did have it's fair share of significant housing-related measures.

There could be a host of reasons for you to consider downsizing. Your kids may have flown the nest, your garden may be too large, you may want to release some equity, reduce your monthly outgoings, or you are simply drawn to living in a smaller, more manageable property. Downsizing isn't just for retirement. It can be an important choice at any stage of your life, location, health or wealth. Whatever your reasons, whether you are a homeowner, a private tenant, living in a council or housing association accommodation, it's important to review the options before making your decision.

Think hard a carefully about how much you want to spend. It's easy to get carried away with that better and more attractive property, but don't forget you also have bills to pay when you move in! You might also consider renting as a short term option whilst you're saving a deposit. In which case, set you budget sensibly and you'll have more available to save each month.

Houses in multiple occupation are a great way for landlords to maximise property yields and improve cashflow. But are you aware that the law for HMO’s is changing?