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BUY-TO-LET RETURNS FALL Average rates of return on Buy-To-Let property have declined in London according to the Quarterly Indices of Rental Returns published by ARLA (Association of Residential Letting Agents). The rate of return on the total cost of a Buy-To-Let investment in prime Central London is 10.68% (a fall of 0.19%) and 10.93% in the rest of London (a fall of 0.33%). This is the largest survey of its kind undertaken in the Private Rented Sector, incorporating responses from over 500 letting agent

The first thing to appreciate is that your emergency repair may be regarded by someone else as just a minor inconvenience because emergency call outs obviously cost more than dealing with matters on a normal maintenance routine. There are certain sorts of works which are obvious emergencies such as windows that have been broken, possibly due to burglary, doors that have been forced or broken with locks damaged by a similar cause, infestation by some sort of rodent, water leaks which cannot be stopped. Yo

The following are a selection of the questions we have received from apartment residents needing advice from our specialist panel. We have edited the questions where necessary. If you have an issue related to apartment living, please write to: The Editor, News On The Block, Northway House, 1379 High Road, London N20 9LP or e-mail editor@newsontheblock.com. While we cannot answer each individual piece of correspondence personally, we will do our best to answer the most interesting questions on the Postbo

By Desmond Taylor Having noisy neighbours seems to be one of the most frequent complaints that we hear about. Letters certainly come to this magazine from distressed flat owners wondering what they can do. The first thing, of course, is to have a look at your lease and to see whether the conduct about which you are complaining is prohibited by the lease. If it is then you have a good starting point. If it is not then all is not lost because there are common law remedies for nuisance but there are diff

[image1] Property and lifestyle magazine News On The Block is to go monthly from February.  Launched as a bi-monthly in May last year, 40,000 copies of the title are distributed to residents of luxury apartments in London.  Editorial includes legal issues, finance, property management and celebrity interviews.  News On The Block is published by Adrenaline Media and the editor is Dan March. PR Week 17 January 2003

EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATIONI’ve just moved into the area. How do I find out about schools in my area?If you are looking for state school education, you should telephone the local education department of your local council who will provide you with a list, or look on their website where such information is usually posted. If you are interested in private schools, there is an organisation called the Independent Schools Information Service with lots of useful information available on their website (www.i

EUROPEAN FLOODING AUTHORITY REQUESTED Europe needs a continental-wide flood prevention authority to co-ordinate member states measures to stop a repetition of August’s disastrous inundation, says RICS, the leading international body representing property professionals. RICS chief executive, Louis Armstrong, said: “Rivers do not recognise borders so decisions on planning and flood control in one country can rapidly become a major problem for another country downstream. RICS wants to see a central body with

CLAMPERS CLAMPED Under the new Private Security Industry Act 2001, which is intended to make provision for the regulation of the private security industry, there will soon be in force provisions that will control the cowboy clampers. Under Section 6 a Managing Agent or Landlord will be guilty of an offence if it uses and unlicensed person to clamp or take vehicles away. The penalty could be imprisonment for up to six months or a not insubstantial fine on a summary conviction and, on an indictment, impris

By Desmond Taylor The short answer to the question posed at the heading of this article is – yes! In the past a view has perhaps gained currency that being a director particularly an inactive Directors or non-executive Directors does not carry much risk. We now know this is no longer the position. Recent financial disasters such as those befalling Equitable Life and Split Capital Trusts (to name but two) have shown that directors are very much in the firing line when things go wrong whether they are exe

By Desmond Taylor Without doubt the payment of rent and service charge must rank as a priority debt together with mortgage interest. Failure to pay can ultimately lead to an order for possession of the subject flat. However if through misfortune or otherwise you are faced with a mounting burden of bills how do you control the situation? Although it is a small minority of people who really have problems and need professional help many others would be helped by some simple guidelines. For example if you

NENERGY EFFICIENT NEW HOMES HELP FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING The use of gas, electricity and coal in the home affects global warming. Modern houses are increasingly becoming energy efficient, largely through the work of the National House Building Council which has carried out an energy rating assessment on 45,000 new homes. Features making new homes energy efficient include improved insulation, energy efficient boilers, better draught proofing, double glazing, low energy light bulbs and more efficient appliance

By Desmond Taylor If you are going through or contemplating divorce and it is clear that no agreement over your home can made, the first point of call is to establish whose names are on the title deeds to the property. If you are unsure who owns the flat, a solicitor can make a search at the Land Registry for you. If the Deeds have both your and your spouse’s name on them, you have a legal interest in your flat. It may be a 50/50 share or some other proportion. If your name is not on the title deeds-