Howie, Kent & Co are compliant with the latest and fifth anti-money laundering directive.
This came into force on 10th January 2020 and covers more businesses than the previous directives. This time letting agents must comply with the regulations but only if they are managing properties which yield an income of 10,000 euros or more per calendar month.
For more information and to access the full text please follow the below link, where ARLA Propertymark have made the changes easy to keep up to date with.
New public rights of way can be adversely claimed on your land if members of the public can prove that routes have been used over a period of time.
To remove this risk, landowners can submit a declaration to their local council under section 31(6) of the Highways Act 1980, as amended by the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013, to prevent any claims of new rights of way. Such a declaration will protect your property for up to 20 years.
Before 2013, a submission would last for 10 years, but since then this has been extended to 20 years. If you haven’t submitted a section 31(6) declaration for over 10 years, or have never made one, now is the time to think about it.
Howie, Kent & Co are able to submit a declaration to Shropshire Council on your behalf, putting together the required statement, plans and declaration.
If preventing the creation of any third party rights of way over your property is a matter of interest to you, please give us a call and we can discuss with you the advantages of being proactive in submitting a declaration which can help protect your property.
Beware the informal arrangements which could turn sour
Many farmers will often let sheds or space to local businesses or neighbours. The situation is often that a conversation takes place in the pub, and a local plant hire firm, builders’ firm, and so on, take over a small section of the yard, often on an ad-hoc basis that can continue for years.
There are three areas that should be considered when looking at carrying out this type of activity, including security of tenure, the potential for business rates to be charged, and whether the use requires planning consent.
Accidentally giving a tenant security of tenure can have big implications and can be very damaging. If the correct documentation is not put in place, and neither a lease nor a licence is correctly entered into, then your tenant may obtain the right to stay in the premises for as long as they continue trading, unless you can remove them under the terms prescribed in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.
In most cases, to start with a landlord and tenant get along fine, but if financial troubles or any other type of problem affects the relationship, then matters can soon become very sour and suddenly the landlord finds he or she is in a position where they cannot remove the tenant.
This can be very disruptive if both landlord and tenant are operating out of the same yard daily. The correct documentation must be put in place to prevent this from happening.
Business rates also need some consideration and it is worth expressing to the tenant on day one, as well as correctly documenting this, that if rates do become applicable then the tenant will be picking up the rates bill, not the landlord.
Lastly and needless to say, planning is also a major consideration and, in many cases, this type of occupation starts on a very short term basis, often for less than a month, but continues where it will be in breach of planning.
It is worth nothing that a certificate of lawful use can be obtained if a continuous use can be proved for a 10-year period, but for a new use, planning consent for change of use is required.
If we can be of any assistance on the above, then please do not hesitate to contact us.
Our new tenants in Minsterley, Shrewsbury checked in yesterday after snapping up this house before it went to market.
We were approached by a landlord for advice in relation to their options for a property they had inherited. It had sat empty for some time and was relatively dated in terms of kitchen, bathroom and décor. We inspected the property and gave advice in relation to what rent the property could achieve in its current condition, what rent it might achieve if redecorated, and what rent it might achieve with a new kitchen, new bathrooms, redecorated and re-carpeted throughout.
The client took some time to consider the options, and in the meantime we were approached by a couple moving to the area, looking for a property in close proximity to their new work. Their requirements matched the property completely, and we contacted the landlord to see if they would be interested in allowing us to show the tenant around the property, which we then did.
The tenants were happy with the kitchen, bathroom and décor, and just had a few requests. After discussing the options with the landlord, we proceeded to carry out minor works to the property, including having the oven and some flooring replaced, as well as a deep clean, the electrics and gas tested, and agreed terms with the couple who had originally approached us. The couple moved in yesterday and we have a happy landlord and happy tenants!
There is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution to lettings and we approach different properties and different landlords with a personal service, establishing the objectives of the landlord before providing recommendations and creating opportunities.
We’re very excited to share our latest press release, found in last weeks’copy of the Shropshire Star, promoting the latest addition to our commercial property portfolio in Shropshire.
Chance to rent in industrial quarter of Shrewsbury
By James Pugh | Business | Published:
An opportunity has arisen to rent prime space in the industrial quarter of Shrewsbury.
Two adjoining units covering a total of more than 18,000 square feet have become available due to the restructuring of a well-established company in Ennerdale Road, Harlescott.
The property benefits from gantry cranes and a spray booth and while it would be ideal for industrial use, it has the option of filling a variety of other requirements with the bays available to rent individually or as a whole.
The property is available to rent through Howie, Kent & Co – a local agent currently seeing a big increase in demand for its services in both the residential and commercial property markets. With a strong base of clients in the south east, it is growing the business in Shropshire.
Duncan Howie, of Howie, Kent & Co, said: “There may be some concerns in certain quarters over life after Brexit, but we have been pleased with the growing number of instructions we are receiving, property is still being rented, and we are delighted to be playing such a major role in helping both local and national firms meet their business needs.
“Business is thriving in Shrewsbury and there are not that many premises that become available in the Harlescott area, so this is a wonderful opportunity for a firm looking for a new location or additional storage.
“The units have come onto the rental market following the restructuring of a highly respected steel fabrication company resulting in the consolidation of required space.
“It would be an ideal place for an industrial engineering facility but would also be suitable for a variety of other uses within Use Classes B1 Business, B2 General Industrial and B8 Storage and Distribution – creating a range of opportunities for anyone looking for a base in this part of town.
“Unit 1 covers a space of about 7,550 square feet, has a minimum height of six metres, and also benefits from about 2,000 square feet of offices laid out over two floors. This space includes a reception area, three offices, kitchen and toilet on the ground floor and four offices on the first floor. The rent is £46,200 per year.
“The second unit covers about 8,100 square feet, enjoys a minimum height of 7.6 metres, including an office area extending to some 450 square feet. The rent is £34,200 per year.
“Both units benefit from a concrete floor, roller shutters to the front, five tonne gantry lifting cranes and car parking.
“It is a major instruction for us and the location coupled with its flexible use options makes it a highly desirable property – one which has already sparked a high level of interest.”
For more information about the property, call Howie, Kent & Co on 01743 404925 or visit howiekentandco.com/lettings/commercial/industrial-unit-to-let-on-ennerdale-road-harlescott-industrial-estate
Howie, Kent & Co howiekentandco.com 01743 404925 Shropshire, Telford, Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Newport, Ludlow, Bridgnorth
This week we are supporting Farm Safety Week 2019 across the UK, led by the inspiring Farm Safety Foundation – Yellow Wellies. They are working on various projects to highlight workplace injuries, fatal machinery accidents, mental health and the increased fatal injury rate in over-65s.
This year’s Farm Safety Week is bringing the focus back to farmers, farm workers and farming families and their needs in an ever-changing and uncertain world. We are immensely proud to share Yellow Wellies’ new hero film titled Mud, Sweat and Tears which tells the stories of four incredible farmers whose resilience, tenacity and clear drive to make a difference could, and should, inspire us all.
Please watch the video below and visit their website or FB page for more information or tips on how to make your workplace safer.
According to Propertymark research 94% of homeowners regretted buying a leasehold property. Having owned a leasehold property myself and worked as a property manager managing residential blocks, I can understand why this figure is so high. One of the most common problems amongst leaseholders is a lack of basic understanding of how a leasehold property works. 57% of the 1,000 leaseholders Propertymark interviewed admitted not understanding what being a leaseholder meant.
The biggest issue most people have with owing a leasehold property is paying service charge and ground rent. The ground rent is set out in the lease so should not come as a surprise when a landlord/managing agent sends a demand for this payment. Service charge, on the other hand, can be extremely unpredictable.
There are a lot of necessary items in service charge budget but there are savings that can be made. As a leaseholder you are entitled to question the charges set out within the service charge budget. The landlord/managing agent needs to be able to prove to the leaseholders that the charges are reasonable and competitive quotes have been gathered. If you, as a leaseholder, think that a cheaper alternative can be sought you are entitled to put this forward to the landlord/managing agent who will discuss the options with the Directors of the Resident Management Company.
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