A buy to let property firm made misleading claims about investing as a landlord in a radio ad, according to a ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority.

Aldermartin Baines and Cuthbert (ABC Estates), of Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire, was banned from running the ad again and must broadcast unregulated property investment ads through specialist financial media.

The ASA delivered a verdict on the advert broadcast on local radio in January after three complaints.

The advert said: “The bank may be the safest place for your money, but Aldermartin Baines and Cuthbert estate agents would argue that it’s not the most sensible place.

“If you have cash on deposit in the bank, you may be getting only half a per cent interest on your money and inflation will be working against you by eroding your savings. So, what’s the alternative?

“Here at ABC Estates we’d like to suggest investing in property, good old bricks and mortar. Put your savings in a buy-to-let investment instead and you could generate a five per cent return on your investment, maybe more. Inflation would then actually work for you by eroding the value of your mortgage debt.”

The ASA disagreed and felt the adverts understated the risks involved in buy to let investment.

“We considered the ad misleadingly presented buy-to-let investment as low risk, in that it suggested it was an alternative, or a preferable option, to saving and did not make clear the potential risks associated with such an investment,” said the ASA.

“Ads for investments not regulated or permitted under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA) may be broadcast on specialised financial channels, stations or programming only. Buy-to-let is not regulated under FSMA but considered the ad, which appeared on a non-specialist channel and emphasised an investment opportunity, promoted an investment. Because the ad promoted an investment not regulated by FSMA, we considered it should not have been broadcast on a non-specialist channel, regardless of whether or not it made clear the potential risks involved in buy-to-let investment.”

Aldermartin Baines & Cuthbert claimed they offered properties yielding between 7% and 12%, but had been advised a 5% yield made a better claim in the advert.

“We do not accept the ad misleadingly presented buy-to-let as a low risk investment. The ad did not mention ‘low risk’ but focused on inflation eroding the value of money, either on deposit or as the debt of a mortgage. This was obvious and would not mislead to anyone. The investments were low risk, because they gave an independent insurance backed rent guarantee,” the ASA was told.

“If a deal was considered risky, banks would not lend on it particularly in the current economic climate.”

Low yields and too few quality homes to buy are the biggest barriers to institutional investors entering buy to let, according to new research.

Fund managers perceive residential buy to let yields are an average 20% less than those offered by commercial property and the business model of low income and capital appreciation reverses the returns they seek.

The seven leading banks and funds approached by property firm Hamptons International also felt that a minimum £500 million investment would be needed to make any residential fund work and doubted the 2,500 or so quality properties required for a portfolio are not available.

The largest recent property deal was a 574 home portfolio that changed hands for £75 million.

The report concludes build-to-let is the likely solution to encourage insitutional investors in to the UK buy to let market.

“Build to Let will allow 100% private rented blocks to be built efficiently and at scale, offering higher net yields as well as the ability to acquire a large number of units in a single transaction,” said the report.

The report also urges the government to promote make the planning process easier for large build to let projects – and to especially look at the demand from local councils for developers to include low-cost social housing in their developments.

Adam Challis, head of research at Hamptons International, said: “This report offers a fascinating insight in to the challenges faced by institutions who are considering investment in the residential property sector, a topic which has long been a focus of the government.

“The results of this report are a clear message to government that if it wants to see institutions invest in the residential market, it needs to make build to let a viable option for investors.  The ability to create modern, efficient and bespoke private rented buildings constructed at scale without the burden of restricted planning policies will have a fundamental and positive impact on institutional investment in residential property.”

With so many favourable articles of late proclaiming the positive merits of investing in buy to let properties, a novice landlord might be forgiven for thinking that owning a rental property is an easy way to make cash.

But the reality is somewhat different—the potential for earning a healthy profit is almost certainly there, but there are also many pitfalls on the road to becoming a successful landlord. So before you acquire a massive headache, learn how to avoid common landlord mistakes:

1. If you know nothing about letting property, consider paying a professional letting agency to manage your property. The fees will bite into your profit margin but in the event of any problems, they are first in the firing line.

2. Never make the mistake of assuming a bad tenant is better than no tenant—an empty property might be highly undesirable, especially if rental payments are required to cover a mortgage, but a bad tenant could end up costing you thousands in damages, plus they may run up huge rent arrears and then abscond.

3. On a similar note, ALWAYS check references thoroughly. Just because a tenant appears to be nice and respectable, it does not automatically mean they ARE nice and respectable!

4. If your property is subject to a mortgage, ensure the lender is aware you are letting it—this is a common mistake people make when letting their home for periods of time. A failure to do so could invalidate any insurance policy you have on the property.

5. Do not be tempted to cut corners on landlord insurance—a good policy might prove to be essential if you fall victim to #2 on our list.

6. Always ask for a decent deposit to cover the cost of potential damage to the property—expensive cleaning and repair bills at the end of a tenancy are a big problem for many landlords.

7. Overdue rent is a very common issue faced by landlords, so make sure you have a clear tenancy agreement drawn up with the rent due date highlighted to avoid confusion. If a rent payment is late, take immediate action to resolve the problem.

This article has been provided by Amer Siddiq from PropertyPortfolioSoftware.co.uk They provide award winning property management software to help landlords get better organised.

A leading company in building links between the private-rented sector and local government are launching a range of new products which change the way landlords, tenants and local authorities work together.

“Our aim is create a framework that prevents homelessness, builds sustainable tenancies, and reduces the financial burden carried by government, both locally and nationally”, said Alan Elborough, Co-Director and Founder of Settled Housing Solutions. “At the moment we see homelessness up by 14% according to the latest Department of Communities and Local Government figures. The use of bed and breakfast accommodation by local authorities has grown by 37% over the previous year.

The government has allocated £400 million for homelessness in the current Spending Review period. The private-rented sector is providing more and more accommodation and local authorities are straining under the growing number of people who find themselves without a home or on housing benefit. What we have set out to do is to bring all the various elements together, landlords, tenants, and local authorities so as to produce a system that is coherent and works well at the front-line of housing need”.

The first product is Settled Sure. This is a unique insurance scheme to cover housing benefit. Its aim is to tackle the growing concerns of landlords have on providing accommodation for housing benefit tenants by providing an insurance safety net for landlords which protects their income. That helps tenants by releasing properties in the private-rented sector that might not otherwise be available to them. It assists local authorities in tackling homelessness by helping potential tenants into accommodation. A key element is that the insurance premiums would be based on local rental market levels.

Settled Tenant addresses those barriers that hamper landlords working with local authorities on housing tenants on lower incomes. Using an interactive workshop format, it helps and trains tenants to consider and recognise their responsibilities within a tenancy and as part of their local community. It encourages them to plan and budget and thus can be used as a form of tenant accreditation.

This should help create an environment where landlords have the confidence to negotiate longer tenancies which give security both to them and their tenants. Local authorities gain as fears about the growth of transient populations in some of their areas should be eased and the cost of intervention in tenant-related matters should fall.

Settled Agency is a scheme that works to professionalise local authority lettings-services by training, advice and IT software in conjunction with the Guild of Letting and Management Ltd and IT PROz. This should lead to the development of a ‘Social Letting Agency’ Model that brings local authorities and their local landlords into a more professional relationship. By going this route, rather than the traditional regulatory path, standards could be raised across the sector.

Alan Elborough went on to say, “We believe that these new products could iron out a number of the problems that bedevil the private-rented sector. Taken as a whole package they could build longer and more stable tenancies which is in the interest of both landlord and tenant. For local authorities they will save money by removing some people from the revolving door they face now, going from homelessness to hostel to short-term tenancy and then possibly round again. It helps change the role of local authorities from being enforcers into partners engaging with their local landlord which chimes in the Government’s Localism Act and welfare reforms. We believe that this package offers practical solutions for the problems facing the private-rented sector now”.

Settled Housing Solutions are the leading practitioners in building successful partnerships between the private rented sector and front-line local government services. The primary aim of their service is to harness the potential of the private rented sector market so it can play an important role in providing affordable housing for those on low incomes.

The bewildering complexity of self-regulated consumer protection offered to landlords seems to simply comes down to professional jealousy.

Landlords could be forgiven for thinking that the power-that-be at the august Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) extended their concerns about rip off rogue agents beyond a turf war.

The cat was let out of the bag by ARLA president Tim Hyatt who candidly explained that his organisation could not work with rivals SafeAgent because a competitor administrated the scheme.

That competitor is the National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS).

SafeAgent chairman John Midgley immediately grabbed the moral higher ground from ARLA with a conciliatory statement.

“The suggestion that we change the way we are administered could prove very expensive, but would also have the risk that we become just another trade body. That is not our aim,” he said.

“SafeAgent is not about allegiance to any of the existing bodies. We are an independent body and here to inform members of the public. We have no plans to remove NALS. Our view is that it is irrelevant who administers the scheme.”

The Safeagent scheme has mushroomed to several thousand members in a short time. Backers include the government, National Union of Students, Shelter, Citizens Advice and the Residential Landlords Association.

At stake is landlord and tenant money collected and held in trust by letting agents. Client money protection stops landlords shutting up shop and disappearing with cash either through poor business management or dishonesty.

The latest unprotected firm to crash has debts of more than £410,000 in unpaid rents to landlords. Liquidators have told landlords they are unlikely to see a penny of their cash.

Hyatt is about to give up at the helm of ARLA and has one big regret – that the organisation does not have an elevator pitch to sell their letting agency licensing scheme that simplifies their service for the public.

No sign of improvement in the UK economy as slow or zero growth, the Euro crisis and falling house prices add to the woes.

In most parts of the UK, London and the South East being the main exception, unemployment is set to continue rising for the next 5 years. That’s according to forecasting group The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) that predicts the overall jobless rate could hit 10.7% by 2016, the highest for more than a decade.

Although the government says that this view is pessimistic and does not coincide with the views of other economic forecasters, especially as UK unemployment fell by 35,000 to 2.65m between last December and February, CEBR says it could ultimately rise to levels not seen since the early 1990s.

Bond traders are warning Tuesday 8th May that the euro could go into freefall over the next few weeks as investors compare it to the sub-prime mortgage crisis. European voters have given austerity measures a clear “nulls points” and now currency experts are predicting a grim future for the euro, even if some of the countries in the euro can manage their way though the crisis.

Early trading has seen the GB pound and US dollar soar against the Euro which will boost the UK pound and the US dollar – good for our “safe-haven” status, but bad for exports which might otherwise boost UK growth.

The early January and February 2012 rebound in the housing market has run out of steam according to a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyor’s (RICS) survey. The records price declines and falling sales across the UK in April, still more evidence of a broader economic slowdown.

The RICS report said that 19% more surveyors have reported price falls than price rises, while the number of properties on the books of Estate Agent surveyors rose again. Only London it seems is defying the downturn. Surveyors in the capital report a different picture from the rest of the UK. 86% of London surveyors report prices the same or rising.

Not all landlords feel the need to use a letting agent, preferring to handle all aspects of the letting and management of their property and tenancy themselves. But for some landlords a letting agent is a must – to save time, reduce effort and stress, and provide them with expertise and peace of mind.

A good letting agent can be worth its weight in gold for landlords who do not want the hassle of taking care of their properties and tenants; for those who live a distance away from their property; and for those who are inexperienced in letting and need a helping hand with the practicalities and legal complexities. Or all of the above!

However, the quality of service delivered by letting agents varies drastically and – unless you choose your agent carefully – you cannot assume that you will receive a high quality, trustworthy service that protects your interests at all times.

Beware – letting agents remain unregulated!

Shockingly, despite the plethora or regulations surrounding residential letting, letting agents themselves remain unregulated, which means that anyone can set up as a letting agent, with no experience, qualifications or understanding of the lettings process, law or lettings market in which they are operating. With rental demand continuing to grow – and the sales market continuing to struggle – many inexperienced agents are branching into lettings to keep their businesses going.

Landlords therefore need to take great care when choosing a letting agent. Every landlord knows the importance of vetting tenants carefully before letting their property to them; just as crucial – but often overlooked – is vetting the agent to whom you are entrusting your investment.

Choosing a letting agent can be a minefield for landlords and it is often tempting to simply go for the one offering the lowest fees. Particularly in the current market – in which agents are crying out for more properties and are therefore slashing their fees to attract landlords. Some will also resort to over-inflating rental valuations simply to gain instructions from landlords.

This means that the uniformed landlord is at risk of choosing an agent for the wrong reasons – i.e very low fees or an inaccurate rental valuation – which could put their investment in jeopardy.

Unfortunately, choosing the wrong agent can have dire consequences for landlords, including huge legal expenses, loss of rent, long void periods, loss of tenant’s deposit and penalties for not complying with legislation. Not so mention a great deal of stress!

By contrast, the right letting agent can maximise your chances of enjoying a trouble-free and profitable investment, and give you the confidence of knowing that everything is being looked after legally and reliably on your behalf.

So, how do you choose the right letting agent?

Take a little time to do your homework on any letting agent you are considering entrusting your property to. The following are the most important points to consider:

Professional membership and client money protection

With no formal regulation of letting agents – and the government having confirmed it has no plans to introduce any during this parliament – the only way to protect yourself from unscrupulous or incompetent letting agents is to use an agent that is a member of a professional organisation such as the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). That way you can be sure they will be qualified to give trustworthy advice; hold professional indemnity insurance; have a minimum of two years lettings experience; and above all, comply with strict rules on holding deposits and rent safely on your behalf.

There has been a lot of coverage in the media over the years about agents without client money protection schemes in place. A frightening number have either gone bust or disappeared with their clients’ money, leaving many hundreds of landlords and tenants badly out of pocket, with no means of redress. The new SAFEagent scheme has been set up to make the public aware of the importance of only using an agent that protects its clients’ money. Whilst client money protection is an absolute must, landlords should be aware that being a member of SAFEagent does not necessarily mean that the agent is qualified, experienced or competent to let and manage property. Nor does it demonstrate that they have a thorough understanding of the complex legislation surrounding letting.

Reputation and experience

Look for a well known, well established agent with a good reputation – they will not have achieved their good name by default. Make sure they have been letting for many years so you know they are experienced and knowledgeable, with the right systems and procedures in place to deliver a professional service to their clients. Don’t hesitate to seek recommendations from other landlord clients. Look particularly at whether the letting agent has landlords who have been with them for many years – that in itself speaks volumes. Also consider whether they have strong relationships with large local employers who are often a key source of tenants.

Independent specialist

Although many agents do both sales and lettings, it makes sense to choose an agent that specialises in lettings only, so you know that their sole focus is letting and property management, with no distractions. They should also be independent and completely impartial; never take the advice of an agent who is also selling you a property or who may have a vested interest in whether you buy a specific property or not. It is crucial to be able to trust the advice you are given, particularly at the start of your investment. The value of specialist knowledge should not be underestimated; nor should the damage that inaccurate advice can inflict on a landlords’ investment. Trustworthy advice on the local market, rental values, how to present your property, where to invest and in which property type are all fundamental. Be wary of letting agents who exaggerate the rental value of a property simply to win an instruction; this could cause you to lose out on rental income whilst your property remains vacant because it is too highly priced.

Calibre of staff

With letting and property management being a service delivered by people, the staff of the letting agent will play a key role in the service you receive. Find out whether they are qualified, with a thorough knowledge of the lettings process and the local market. Does the letting agent invest in its staff and do they undergo thorough training? Have a significant number of the staff been with the letting agent a long time or are they mainly new to the business? These are all important indicators of whether or not you are likely to receive a good quality service from professional, well-trained, experienced people. It is also important that they are friendly, enthusiastic and happy to help; after all you may be working with them for some time!

Marketing and online presence

Look closely at the letting agent’s office, website, company literature and the way in which they market themselves and their landlords’ properties. All of these should make a positive impression and look professional. With tenants now mainly looking for rented properties online (more than 80% of our tenant enquiries at Leaders come from the internet), the agent should have a strong online presence. Use Google to search for the agent and check out which property portals and websites – in addition to their own – your property would appear on if you were to instruct them. Consider also the agent’s presence in the local newspaper.

Tenant vetting

Make sure the agent has the resources in place to carry out rigorous checks on all prospective tenants, including a careful interview process, checking their ID, credit history, previous address details; salary details; an employer’s reference, and previous landlord’s reference, if applicable.

Tenancy Agreements

Check that the agent’s Tenancy Agreements comply with the Housing Act (or contract law if it is a company let and/or a let with a rental value of over £100,000) and with the Office of Fair Trading recommendations. An experienced agent will incorporate clauses to cover any potential problem areas that have been encountered in the past to protect the landlords’ interests, for example when renting to a tenant with a pet.

Property Management

Your chosen agent should have an in-house, locally based property management department with experienced property managers and property inspectors dedicated to looking after your property and tenant throughout the tenancy. They should have arrangements in place to deal with emergencies out of standard office hours and should have access to a wide range of fully vetted professional and reasonably priced local contractors who you can be confident will carry out any necessary work at your property to a high standard. The staff who draw up the inventory and schedule of condition and carry out mid-tenancy inspections and the check out at the end of the tenancy should be thoroughly trained and competent.

Legal compliance

With the plethora of regulation relating to residential letting that landlords must abide by – and ongoing updates and changes – it is vital that your letting agent stays up to date with legislation affecting residential letting, and keeps you informed at all times. Your chosen agent must have the resources in place to stay ahead of legislative changes – and the appropriate procedures in place to incorporate these changes into their letting and management practice in good time – in order to protect your interests and the safety of your tenants. As a landlord, it is you that is liable for the actions or inactions of your letting agent. Should they break the law, you could face hefty fines and even imprisonment, so you need to be able to completely trust them to know the law and let your property legally and safely!

Fees

Each agent has their own scale of charges, usually based on a percentage of the annual rent. But be warned, the cheapest option is not always the best; you get what you pay for in terms of service and discounted fees should always be treated with caution. When making comparisons between agents, ask for a list of all charges, what they relate to, and the total amount payable for your specific tenancy. Make sure you are comparing like for like and that there are no hidden charges.

Prompt payment of rent

Your rent should be paid to you promptly (within 48 hours) so that you – rather than your letting agent – can benefit from any interest on it. Your agent should have robust, legally compliant procedures in place to ensure that any late rent payments from your tenant are chased up appropriately and the relevant legal notices served at the correct time to protect your interests.

If you are satisfied that your chosen agent ticks all the boxes described above you can be confident of receiving the type of service that all landlords deserve and letting agents should strive for. It is well worth the time and effort to carry out these checks, not only to avoid the sub-standard agents taking advantage of an unregulated industry, but to find one with whom you can enjoy a good, long-term working relationship.

Long-term relationship

Landlords should not underestimate the importance of the relationship between themselves and their letting agent, which will ideally be a long-term one if their investment is to enjoy maximum success.

As highlighted above, when you choose a letting agent to let and look after your property, you rely on them to take care of a number of critical issues, including ensuring your tenants’ safety in the property; legal compliance; care and maintenance of the property; protection of yours and your and tenants’ rights; smooth-running of the tenancy; and reliable provision of accurate, up-to-date and impartial advice on the many aspects of letting.

With all this in mind, you need to be 100% certain that your chosen agent is qualified and experienced, and knows everything there is to know about lettings.

Of course landlords will naturally want to keep their costs down and will be looking for a competitive fee. However, when choosing a letting agent, you should never base your decision on price alone, but also bear in mind that you could be working with your chosen agent for many years to come. You should choose a firm you can trust to deliver a consistently good service and high level of expertise to help you make the most of your investment over the long-term.

Some agents who offer very low fees to attract landlords claim they are able to do so because they have low overheads. However, it is clear that these fee levels are not sustainable – if they attract more landlords through low fees their client base will grow and their overheads will inevitably increase. They will then be forced to either put their fees up or drop their service level, neither of which will be good news for their landlords.

To deliver a consistently high standard of letting and property management service, a letting agent must have well trained, qualified staff; tried and tested systems and procedures which keep them up to date and able to comply with legislation; excellent marketing exposure for their clients; organised client accounting and experienced property managers. It is self-evident that all this is not achievable on low overheads whilst still maintaining a high level of service for all clients on a long-term basis.

By taking note of the criteria outlined above, you will be able to choose a letting agent for the right reasons and be confident in your choice for the success of both the immediate and long-term future of your investment.

Not all landlords feel the need to use a letting agent, preferring to handle all aspects of the letting and management of their property and tenancy themselves. But for some landlords a letting agent is a must – to save time, reduce effort and stress, and provide them with expertise and peace of mind.

A good letting agent can be worth its weight in gold for landlords who do not want the hassle of taking care of their properties and tenants; for those who live a distance away from their property; and for those who are inexperienced in letting and need a helping hand with the practicalities and legal complexities. Or all of the above!

However, the quality of service delivered by letting agents varies drastically and – unless you choose your agent carefully – you cannot assume that you will receive a high quality, trustworthy service that protects your interests at all times.

Beware – letting agents remain unregulated!

Shockingly, despite the plethora or regulations surrounding residential letting, letting agents themselves remain unregulated, which means that anyone can set up as a letting agent, with no experience, qualifications or understanding of the lettings process, law or lettings market in which they are operating. With rental demand continuing to grow – and the sales market continuing to struggle – many inexperienced agents are branching into lettings to keep their businesses going.

Landlords therefore need to take great care when choosing a letting agent. Every landlord knows the importance of vetting tenants carefully before letting their property to them; just as crucial – but often overlooked – is vetting the agent to whom you are entrusting your investment.

Choosing a letting agent can be a minefield for landlords and it is often tempting to simply go for the one offering the lowest fees. Particularly in the current market – in which agents are crying out for more properties and are therefore slashing their fees to attract landlords. Some will also resort to over-inflating rental valuations simply to gain instructions from landlords.

This means that the uniformed landlord is at risk of choosing an agent for the wrong reasons – i.e very low fees or an inaccurate rental valuation – which could put their investment in jeopardy.

Unfortunately, choosing the wrong agent can have dire consequences for landlords, including huge legal expenses, loss of rent, long void periods, loss of tenant’s deposit and penalties for not complying with legislation. Not so mention a great deal of stress!

By contrast, the right letting agent can maximise your chances of enjoying a trouble-free and profitable investment, and give you the confidence of knowing that everything is being looked after legally and reliably on your behalf.

So, how do you choose the right letting agent?

Take a little time to do your homework on any letting agent you are considering entrusting your property to. The following are the most important points to consider:

Professional membership and client money protection

With no formal regulation of letting agents – and the government having confirmed it has no plans to introduce any during this parliament – the only way to protect yourself from unscrupulous or incompetent letting agents is to use an agent that is a member of a professional organisation such as the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). That way you can be sure they will be qualified to give trustworthy advice; hold professional indemnity insurance; have a minimum of two years lettings experience; and above all, comply with strict rules on holding deposits and rent safely on your behalf.

There has been a lot of coverage in the media over the years about agents without client money protection schemes in place. A frightening number have either gone bust or disappeared with their clients’ money, leaving many hundreds of landlords and tenants badly out of pocket, with no means of redress. The new SAFEagent scheme has been set up to make the public aware of the importance of only using an agent that protects its clients’ money. Whilst client money protection is an absolute must, landlords should be aware that being a member of SAFEagent does not necessarily mean that the agent is qualified, experienced or competent to let and manage property. Nor does it demonstrate that they have a thorough understanding of the complex legislation surrounding letting.

Reputation and experience

Look for a well known, well established agent with a good reputation – they will not have achieved their good name by default. Make sure they have been letting for many years so you know they are experienced and knowledgeable, with the right systems and procedures in place to deliver a professional service to their clients. Don’t hesitate to seek recommendations from other landlord clients. Look particularly at whether the letting agent has landlords who have been with them for many years – that in itself speaks volumes. Also consider whether they have strong relationships with large local employers who are often a key source of tenants.

Independent specialist

Although many agents do both sales and lettings, it makes sense to choose an agent that specialises in lettings only, so you know that their sole focus is letting and property management, with no distractions. They should also be independent and completely impartial; never take the advice of an agent who is also selling you a property or who may have a vested interest in whether you buy a specific property or not. It is crucial to be able to trust the advice you are given, particularly at the start of your investment. The value of specialist knowledge should not be underestimated; nor should the damage that inaccurate advice can inflict on a landlords’ investment. Trustworthy advice on the local market, rental values, how to present your property, where to invest and in which property type are all fundamental. Be wary of letting agents who exaggerate the rental value of a property simply to win an instruction; this could cause you to lose out on rental income whilst your property remains vacant because it is too highly priced.

Calibre of staff

With letting and property management being a service delivered by people, the staff of the letting agent will play a key role in the service you receive. Find out whether they are qualified, with a thorough knowledge of the lettings process and the local market. Does the letting agent invest in its staff and do they undergo thorough training? Have a significant number of the staff been with the letting agent a long time or are they mainly new to the business? These are all important indicators of whether or not you are likely to receive a good quality service from professional, well-trained, experienced people. It is also important that they are friendly, enthusiastic and happy to help; after all you may be working with them for some time!

Marketing and online presence

Look closely at the letting agent’s office, website, company literature and the way in which they market themselves and their landlords’ properties. All of these should make a positive impression and look professional. With tenants now mainly looking for rented properties online (more than 80% of our tenant enquiries at Leaders come from the internet), the agent should have a strong online presence. Use Google to search for the agent and check out which property portals and websites – in addition to their own – your property would appear on if you were to instruct them. Consider also the agent’s presence in the local newspaper.

Tenant vetting

Make sure the agent has the resources in place to carry out rigorous checks on all prospective tenants, including a careful interview process, checking their ID, credit history, previous address details; salary details; an employer’s reference, and previous landlord’s reference, if applicable.

Tenancy Agreements

Check that the agent’s Tenancy Agreements comply with the Housing Act (or contract law if it is a company let and/or a let with a rental value of over £100,000) and with the Office of Fair Trading recommendations. An experienced agent will incorporate clauses to cover any potential problem areas that have been encountered in the past to protect the landlords’ interests, for example when renting to a tenant with a pet.

Property Management

Your chosen agent should have an in-house, locally based property management department with experienced property managers and property inspectors dedicated to looking after your property and tenant throughout the tenancy. They should have arrangements in place to deal with emergencies out of standard office hours and should have access to a wide range of fully vetted professional and reasonably priced local contractors who you can be confident will carry out any necessary work at your property to a high standard. The staff who draw up the inventory and schedule of condition and carry out mid-tenancy inspections and the check out at the end of the tenancy should be thoroughly trained and competent.

Legal compliance

With the plethora of regulation relating to residential letting that landlords must abide by – and ongoing updates and changes – it is vital that your letting agent stays up to date with legislation affecting residential letting, and keeps you informed at all times. Your chosen agent must have the resources in place to stay ahead of legislative changes – and the appropriate procedures in place to incorporate these changes into their letting and management practice in good time – in order to protect your interests and the safety of your tenants. As a landlord, it is you that is liable for the actions or inactions of your letting agent. Should they break the law, you could face hefty fines and even imprisonment, so you need to be able to completely trust them to know the law and let your property legally and safely!

Fees

Each agent has their own scale of charges, usually based on a percentage of the annual rent. But be warned, the cheapest option is not always the best; you get what you pay for in terms of service and discounted fees should always be treated with caution. When making comparisons between agents, ask for a list of all charges, what they relate to, and the total amount payable for your specific tenancy. Make sure you are comparing like for like and that there are no hidden charges.

Prompt payment of rent

Your rent should be paid to you promptly (within 48 hours) so that you – rather than your letting agent – can benefit from any interest on it. Your agent should have robust, legally compliant procedures in place to ensure that any late rent payments from your tenant are chased up appropriately and the relevant legal notices served at the correct time to protect your interests.

If you are satisfied that your chosen agent ticks all the boxes described above you can be confident of receiving the type of service that all landlords deserve and letting agents should strive for. It is well worth the time and effort to carry out these checks, not only to avoid the sub-standard agents taking advantage of an unregulated industry, but to find one with whom you can enjoy a good, long-term working relationship.

Long-term relationship

Landlords should not underestimate the importance of the relationship between themselves and their letting agent, which will ideally be a long-term one if their investment is to enjoy maximum success.

As highlighted above, when you choose a letting agent to let and look after your property, you rely on them to take care of a number of critical issues, including ensuring your tenants’ safety in the property; legal compliance; care and maintenance of the property; protection of yours and your and tenants’ rights; smooth-running of the tenancy; and reliable provision of accurate, up-to-date and impartial advice on the many aspects of letting.

With all this in mind, you need to be 100% certain that your chosen agent is qualified and experienced, and knows everything there is to know about lettings.

Of course landlords will naturally want to keep their costs down and will be looking for a competitive fee. However, when choosing a letting agent, you should never base your decision on price alone, but also bear in mind that you could be working with your chosen agent for many years to come. You should choose a firm you can trust to deliver a consistently good service and high level of expertise to help you make the most of your investment over the long-term.

Some agents who offer very low fees to attract landlords claim they are able to do so because they have low overheads. However, it is clear that these fee levels are not sustainable – if they attract more landlords through low fees their client base will grow and their overheads will inevitably increase. They will then be forced to either put their fees up or drop their service level, neither of which will be good news for their landlords.

To deliver a consistently high standard of letting and property management service, a letting agent must have well trained, qualified staff; tried and tested systems and procedures which keep them up to date and able to comply with legislation; excellent marketing exposure for their clients; organised client accounting and experienced property managers. It is self-evident that all this is not achievable on low overheads whilst still maintaining a high level of service for all clients on a long-term basis.

By taking note of the criteria outlined above, you will be able to choose a letting agent for the right reasons and be confident in your choice for the success of both the immediate and long-term future of your investment.

Landlords should not underestimate the importance of the relationship between themselves and their letting agent, which will ideally be a long-term one if their investment is to enjoy maximum success.

As highlighted above, when you choose a letting agent to let and look after your property, you rely on them to take care of a number of critical issues, including ensuring your tenants’ safety in the property; legal compliance; care and maintenance of the property; protection of yours and your and tenants’ rights; smooth-running of the tenancy; and reliable provision of accurate, up-to-date and impartial advice on the many aspects of letting.

With all this in mind, you need to be 100% certain that your chosen agent is qualified and experienced, and knows everything there is to know about lettings.

Of course landlords will naturally want to keep their costs down and will be looking for a competitive fee. However, when choosing a letting agent, you should never base your decision on price alone, but also bear in mind that you could be working with your chosen agent for many years to come. You should choose a firm you can trust to deliver a consistently good service and high level of expertise to help you make the most of your investment over the long-term.

Some agents who offer very low fees to attract landlords claim they are able to do so because they have low overheads. However, it is clear that these fee levels are not sustainable – if they attract more landlords through low fees their client base will grow and their overheads will inevitably increase. They will then be forced to either put their fees up or drop their service level, neither of which will be good news for their landlords.

To deliver a consistently high standard of letting and property management service, a letting agent must have well trained, qualified staff; tried and tested systems and procedures which keep them up to date and able to comply with legislation; excellent marketing exposure for their clients; organised client accounting and experienced property managers. It is self-evident that all this is not achievable on low overheads whilst still maintaining a high level of service for all clients on a long-term basis.

By taking note of the criteria outlined above, you will be able to choose a letting agent for the right reasons and be confident in your choice for the success of both the immediate and long-term future of your investment.

Landlords should not underestimate the importance of the relationship between themselves and their letting agent, which will ideally be a long-term one if their investment is to enjoy maximum success.

As highlighted above, when you choose a letting agent to let and look after your property, you rely on them to take care of a number of critical issues, including ensuring your tenants’ safety in the property; legal compliance; care and maintenance of the property; protection of yours and your and tenants’ rights; smooth-running of the tenancy; and reliable provision of accurate, up-to-date and impartial advice on the many aspects of letting.

With all this in mind, you need to be 100% certain that your chosen agent is qualified and experienced, and knows everything there is to know about lettings.

Of course landlords will naturally want to keep their costs down and will be looking for a competitive fee. However, when choosing a letting agent, you should never base your decision on price alone, but also bear in mind that you could be working with your chosen agent for many years to come. You should choose a firm you can trust to deliver a consistently good service and high level of expertise to help you make the most of your investment over the long-term.

Some agents who offer very low fees to attract landlords claim they are able to do so because they have low overheads. However, it is clear that these fee levels are not sustainable – if they attract more landlords through low fees their client base will grow and their overheads will inevitably increase. They will then be forced to either put their fees up or drop their service level, neither of which will be good news for their landlords.

To deliver a consistently high standard of letting and property management service, a letting agent must have well trained, qualified staff; tried and tested systems and procedures which keep them up to date and able to comply with legislation; excellent marketing exposure for their clients; organised client accounting and experienced property managers. It is self-evident that all this is not achievable on low overheads whilst still maintaining a high level of service for all clients on a long-term basis.

By taking note of the criteria outlined above, you will be able to choose a letting agent for the right reasons and be confident in your choice for the success of both the immediate and long-term future of your investment.

Your rent should be paid to you promptly (within 48 hours) so that you – rather than your letting agent – can benefit from any interest on it. Your agent should have robust, legally compliant procedures in place to ensure that any late rent payments from your tenant are chased up appropriately and the relevant legal notices served at the correct time to protect your interests.

If you are satisfied that your chosen agent ticks all the boxes described above you can be confident of receiving the type of service that all landlords deserve and letting agents should strive for. It is well worth the time and effort to carry out these checks, not only to avoid the sub-standard agents taking advantage of an unregulated industry, but to find one with whom you can enjoy a good, long-term working relationship.

Your rent should be paid to you promptly (within 48 hours) so that you – rather than your letting agent – can benefit from any interest on it. Your agent should have robust, legally compliant procedures in place to ensure that any late rent payments from your tenant are chased up appropriately and the relevant legal notices served at the correct time to protect your interests.

If you are satisfied that your chosen agent ticks all the boxes described above you can be confident of receiving the type of service that all landlords deserve and letting agents should strive for. It is well worth the time and effort to carry out these checks, not only to avoid the sub-standard agents taking advantage of an unregulated industry, but to find one with whom you can enjoy a good, long-term working relationship.

Look closely at the letting agent’s office, website, company literature and the way in which they market themselves and their landlords’ properties. All of these should make a positive impression and look professional. With tenants now mainly looking for rented properties online (more than 80% of our tenant enquiries at Leaders come from the internet), the agent should have a strong online presence. Use Google to search for the agent and check out which property portals and websites – in addition to their own – your property would appear on if you were to instruct them. Consider also the agent’s presence in the local newspaper.

Tenant vetting

Make sure the agent has the resources in place to carry out rigorous checks on all prospective tenants, including a careful interview process, checking their ID, credit history, previous address details; salary details; an employer’s reference, and previous landlord’s reference, if applicable.

Tenancy Agreements

Check that the agent’s Tenancy Agreements comply with the Housing Act (or contract law if it is a company let and/or a let with a rental value of over £100,000) and with the Office of Fair Trading recommendations. An experienced agent will incorporate clauses to cover any potential problem areas that have been encountered in the past to protect the landlords’ interests, for example when renting to a tenant with a pet.

Property Management

Your chosen agent should have an in-house, locally based property management department with experienced property managers and property inspectors dedicated to looking after your property and tenant throughout the tenancy. They should have arrangements in place to deal with emergencies out of standard office hours and should have access to a wide range of fully vetted professional and reasonably priced local contractors who you can be confident will carry out any necessary work at your property to a high standard. The staff who draw up the inventory and schedule of condition and carry out mid-tenancy inspections and the check out at the end of the tenancy should be thoroughly trained and competent.

Legal compliance

With the plethora of regulation relating to residential letting that landlords must abide by – and ongoing updates and changes – it is vital that your letting agent stays up to date with legislation affecting residential letting, and keeps you informed at all times. Your chosen agent must have the resources in place to stay ahead of legislative changes – and the appropriate procedures in place to incorporate these changes into their letting and management practice in good time – in order to protect your interests and the safety of your tenants. As a landlord, it is you that is liable for the actions or inactions of your letting agent. Should they break the law, you could face hefty fines and even imprisonment, so you need to be able to completely trust them to know the law and let your property legally and safely!

Fees

Each agent has their own scale of charges, usually based on a percentage of the annual rent. But be warned, the cheapest option is not always the best; you get what you pay for in terms of service and discounted fees should always be treated with caution. When making comparisons between agents, ask for a list of all charges, what they relate to, and the total amount payable for your specific tenancy. Make sure you are comparing like for like and that there are no hidden charges.

Look closely at the letting agent’s office, website, company literature and the way in which they market themselves and their landlords’ properties. All of these should make a positive impression and look professional. With tenants now mainly looking for rented properties online (more than 80% of our tenant enquiries at Leaders come from the internet), the agent should have a strong online presence. Use Google to search for the agent and check out which property portals and websites – in addition to their own – your property would appear on if you were to instruct them. Consider also the agent’s presence in the local newspaper.

Tenant vetting

Make sure the agent has the resources in place to carry out rigorous checks on all prospective tenants, including a careful interview process, checking their ID, credit history, previous address details; salary details; an employer’s reference, and previous landlord’s reference, if applicable.

Tenancy Agreements

Check that the agent’s Tenancy Agreements comply with the Housing Act (or contract law if it is a company let and/or a let with a rental value of over £100,000) and with the Office of Fair Trading recommendations. An experienced agent will incorporate clauses to cover any potential problem areas that have been encountered in the past to protect the landlords’ interests, for example when renting to a tenant with a pet.

Property Management

Your chosen agent should have an in-house, locally based property management department with experienced property managers and property inspectors dedicated to looking after your property and tenant throughout the tenancy. They should have arrangements in place to deal with emergencies out of standard office hours and should have access to a wide range of fully vetted professional and reasonably priced local contractors who you can be confident will carry out any necessary work at your property to a high standard. The staff who draw up the inventory and schedule of condition and carry out mid-tenancy inspections and the check out at the end of the tenancy should be thoroughly trained and competent.

Legal compliance

With the plethora of regulation relating to residential letting that landlords must abide by – and ongoing updates and changes – it is vital that your letting agent stays up to date with legislation affecting residential letting, and keeps you informed at all times. Your chosen agent must have the resources in place to stay ahead of legislative changes – and the appropriate procedures in place to incorporate these changes into their letting and management practice in good time – in order to protect your interests and the safety of your tenants. As a landlord, it is you that is liable for the actions or inactions of your letting agent. Should they break the law, you could face hefty fines and even imprisonment, so you need to be able to completely trust them to know the law and let your property legally and safely!

Fees

Each agent has their own scale of charges, usually based on a percentage of the annual rent. But be warned, the cheapest option is not always the best; you get what you pay for in terms of service and discounted fees should always be treated with caution. When making comparisons between agents, ask for a list of all charges, what they relate to, and the total amount payable for your specific tenancy. Make sure you are comparing like for like and that there are no hidden charges.

Although many agents do both sales and lettings, it makes sense to choose an agent that specialises in lettings only, so you know that their sole focus is letting and property management, with no distractions. They should also be independent and completely impartial; never take the advice of an agent who is also selling you a property or who may have a vested interest in whether you buy a specific property or not. It is crucial to be able to trust the advice you are given, particularly at the start of your investment. The value of specialist knowledge should not be underestimated; nor should the damage that inaccurate advice can inflict on a landlords’ investment. Trustworthy advice on the local market, rental values, how to present your property, where to invest and in which property type are all fundamental. Be wary of letting agents who exaggerate the rental value of a property simply to win an instruction; this could cause you to lose out on rental income whilst your property remains vacant because it is too highly priced.

Calibre of staff

With letting and property management being a service delivered by people, the staff of the letting agent will play a key role in the service you receive. Find out whether they are qualified, with a thorough knowledge of the lettings process and the local market. Does the letting agent invest in its staff and do they undergo thorough training? Have a significant number of the staff been with the letting agent a long time or are they mainly new to the business? These are all important indicators of whether or not you are likely to receive a good quality service from professional, well-trained, experienced people. It is also important that they are friendly, enthusiastic and happy to help; after all you may be working with them for some time!

Although many agents do both sales and lettings, it makes sense to choose an agent that specialises in lettings only, so you know that their sole focus is letting and property management, with no distractions. They should also be independent and completely impartial; never take the advice of an agent who is also selling you a property or who may have a vested interest in whether you buy a specific property or not. It is crucial to be able to trust the advice you are given, particularly at the start of your investment. The value of specialist knowledge should not be underestimated; nor should the damage that inaccurate advice can inflict on a landlords’ investment. Trustworthy advice on the local market, rental values, how to present your property, where to invest and in which property type are all fundamental. Be wary of letting agents who exaggerate the rental value of a property simply to win an instruction; this could cause you to lose out on rental income whilst your property remains vacant because it is too highly priced.

Calibre of staff

With letting and property management being a service delivered by people, the staff of the letting agent will play a key role in the service you receive. Find out whether they are qualified, with a thorough knowledge of the lettings process and the local market. Does the letting agent invest in its staff and do they undergo thorough training? Have a significant number of the staff been with the letting agent a long time or are they mainly new to the business? These are all important indicators of whether or not you are likely to receive a good quality service from professional, well-trained, experienced people. It is also important that they are friendly, enthusiastic and happy to help; after all you may be working with them for some time!

Take a little time to do your homework on any letting agent you are considering entrusting your property to. The following are the most important points to consider:

Professional membership and client money protection

With no formal regulation of letting agents – and the government having confirmed it has no plans to introduce any during this parliament – the only way to protect yourself from unscrupulous or incompetent letting agents is to use an agent that is a member of a professional organisation such as the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). That way you can be sure they will be qualified to give trustworthy advice; hold professional indemnity insurance; have a minimum of two years lettings experience; and above all, comply with strict rules on holding deposits and rent safely on your behalf.

There has been a lot of coverage in the media over the years about agents without client money protection schemes in place. A frightening number have either gone bust or disappeared with their clients’ money, leaving many hundreds of landlords and tenants badly out of pocket, with no means of redress. The new SAFEagent scheme has been set up to make the public aware of the importance of only using an agent that protects its clients’ money. Whilst client money protection is an absolute must, landlords should be aware that being a member of SAFEagent does not necessarily mean that the agent is qualified, experienced or competent to let and manage property. Nor does it demonstrate that they have a thorough understanding of the complex legislation surrounding letting.

Reputation and experience

Look for a well known, well established agent with a good reputation – they will not have achieved their good name by default. Make sure they have been letting for many years so you know they are experienced and knowledgeable, with the right systems and procedures in place to deliver a professional service to their clients. Don’t hesitate to seek recommendations from other landlord clients. Look particularly at whether the letting agent has landlords who have been with them for many years – that in itself speaks volumes. Also consider whether they have strong relationships with large local employers who are often a key source of tenants.

Shockingly, despite the plethora or regulations surrounding residential letting, letting agents themselves remain unregulated, which means that anyone can set up as a letting agent, with no experience, qualifications or understanding of the lettings process, law or lettings market in which they are operating. With rental demand continuing to grow – and the sales market continuing to struggle – many inexperienced agents are branching into lettings to keep their businesses going.

Landlords therefore need to take great care when choosing a letting agent. Every landlord knows the importance of vetting tenants carefully before letting their property to them; just as crucial – but often overlooked – is vetting the agent to whom you are entrusting your investment.

Choosing a letting agent can be a minefield for landlords and it is often tempting to simply go for the one offering the lowest fees. Particularly in the current market – in which agents are crying out for more properties and are therefore slashing their fees to attract landlords. Some will also resort to over-inflating rental valuations simply to gain instructions from landlords.

This means that the uniformed landlord is at risk of choosing an agent for the wrong reasons – i.e very low fees or an inaccurate rental valuation – which could put their investment in jeopardy.

Unfortunately, choosing the wrong agent can have dire consequences for landlords, including huge legal expenses, loss of rent, long void periods, loss of tenant’s deposit and penalties for not complying with legislation. Not so mention a great deal of stress!

By contrast, the right letting agent can maximise your chances of enjoying a trouble-free and profitable investment, and give you the confidence of knowing that everything is being looked after legally and reliably on your behalf.

Not all landlords feel the need to use a letting agent, preferring to handle all aspects of the letting and management of their property and tenancy themselves. But for some landlords a letting agent is a must – to save time, reduce effort and stress, and provide them with expertise and peace of mind.

A good letting agent can be worth its weight in gold for landlords who do not want the hassle of taking care of their properties and tenants; for those who live a distance away from their property; and for those who are inexperienced in letting and need a helping hand with the practicalities and legal complexities. Or all of the above!

However, the quality of service delivered by letting agents varies drastically and – unless you choose your agent carefully – you cannot assume that you will receive a high quality, trustworthy service that protects your interests at all times.

Buy to let mortgage lending was down 5% in the first quarter of the year to £3.7 billion, according to the latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).

Despite the bluster talking up the market from parties with a financial interest, buy to let is failing to make as much headway as the pundits suggest.

Confidence surveys from Paragon Mortgages and the Association of Residential Letting Agents suggest landlords want to spend on enlarging their property holdings, but these seem unfulfilled hopes held back by lending restrictions rather than completed deals.

The underlying data shows that despite 32,300 new buy to let mortgages agreed so far in 2012, lending is still more than 60% down on the peak years of 2006-07 with borrowing to buy rental properties 9% down and remortgaging 1% down on the last quarter of 2011.

However, the CML does indicate lending in 2012 is up around 30% in comparison to the first quarter of 2011. Buy-to-let mortgages total just over 1.4 million, with a total value of £159.4 billion.

Banks and building societies are shifting their focus slowly away from owner-occupier mortgages to buy to let. Market share has slowly grown from 12.2% 12 months ago to 12.8% in 2012.

CML director general Paul Smee said: “Even though buy-to-let lending is running at only around a third of its peak levels, the sector is continuing its gradual expansion. It has become an important part of the overall landscape of housing provision in the UK.”

Typical buy to let mortgages were at 75% loan-to-value with 125% rent cover – criteria that have remained unchanged for around three years.

Around 1,700 rental properties were repossessed in the quarter (0.12%), while around 23,500 buy to let mortgages are in arrears of three months or more (1.7%).

1. Landlords will be made liable for the unpaid water bills left behind by their tenants unless they give the water company details of the tenants, including their full name, date of birth, and the date the tenancy began—all of which is information landlords should have anyway.
2. The second option is a more ‘softly softly’ approach and landlords will be asked to provide the same information, but voluntarily.

How can I protect myself from a tenant’s debts?

The best way to cover your back is to take meter readings (where applicable) at the beginning and end of a tenancy and ask your tenant to sign a form agreeing the readings are correct. You should also inform all utility companies of any changes in tenant as a matter of course, as this makes it easier for the water companies to target the right debtors.

This article has been supplied to LandlordZONE by Amer Siddiq from PropertyPortfolioSoftware.co.uk. They provide award winning property management software to help landlords get better organised.

1. Landlords will be made liable for the unpaid water bills left behind by their tenants unless they give the water company details of the tenants, including their full name, date of birth, and the date the tenancy began—all of which is information landlords should have anyway.
2. The second option is a more ‘softly softly’ approach and landlords will be asked to provide the same information, but voluntarily.

How can I protect myself from a tenant’s debts?

The best way to cover your back is to take meter readings (where applicable) at the beginning and end of a tenancy and ask your tenant to sign a form agreeing the readings are correct. You should also inform all utility companies of any changes in tenant as a matter of course, as this makes it easier for the water companies to target the right debtors.

This article has been supplied to LandlordZONE by Amer Siddiq from PropertyPortfolioSoftware.co.uk. They provide award winning property management software to help landlords get better organised.

European politicians are trying to thrash out an agreement to regulate mortgages have missed another key milestone.

The vote on the progress of the mortgage directive was cancelled for the fourth time today by the European Parliament’s economic and monetary affairs committee (ECON) – and has been pushed back to May 14.

The vote was originally set for December.

The most likely hold-up is horse-trading between the committee members to resolve a final text for the directive.

The directive aims to impose a pan-European mortgage regime to increase consumer protection and tighten up lending criteria.

On of the main issues for the UK is buy to let mortgage regulation.

The directive does not differentiate between standard residential mortgages and investment mortgages and lenders in the UK fear buy to let loans will disappear unless an exemption is introduced in to the new rules.

If the directive comes in to force without the exemption, buy to let loans will face the same underwriting rules as standard home loans – including limiting borrowing within the landlord’s income rather than basing loans on rental income.

Most countries are unaffected by the buy to let issue as they either have no property investment market or offer buy to let as commercial lending.

“I do not know the precise cause of the delay,” said an ECON spokesman. “They usually occur because the groups do not have enough time to establish strong compromises, so they are still working on finalising the changes to the commission’s text.”

The Council of Mortgage Lenders, the UK’s trade body for banks and building societies, has lobbied against the directive for months, claiming the legislation is unnecessary and too expensive to implement in the UK.

The CML has also issued a ‘hands off’ warning over buy to let to the European Parliament.

Grand Designs Live, London ExCeL, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL Saturday 5th May – Saturday 12th May 10am-6pm Sunday 13th May 10am-5pm

Grand Designs Live, London ExCeL, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL Saturday 5th May – Saturday 12th May 10am-6pm Sunday 13th May 10am-5pm

Greenbuild Expo 2012, Manchester Central, Petersfield, Manchester M2 3GX 9th & 10th May 09:30-16:00
Sustainable refurbushment and building event

Greenbuild Expo 2012, Manchester Central, Petersfield, Manchester M2 3GX 9th & 10th May 09:30-16:00
Sustainable refurbushment and building event