Lettings

When it comes time to looking for a new house, you want to get the most out of every viewing you go to. You have limited time to make an assessment of one of the biggest commitments in your life. Sometimes you can get that instant gut feeling about a place, but for a more in-depth way of working out whether a property is right for you, here are our top tips of getting the most out of you house...

It’s a tough time to be a private landlord. Rent freezes during Covid, which looks to be sticking around in places like Scotland, and a recent crackdown on laws regulating the private rental sector, with wide-sweeping reform to keep up to date with - and it looks like it’s only going to get stricter. With all this in mind, now might be the time for private landlords to take that next step with their...

New tax rules for Swindon buy-to-let landlords from 2026 We at Richard James want to make you aware of some important changes that are coming into effect from April 2026. The UK Government is introducing Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax, which will affect how landlords report their income tax to HMRC. The original plan was for Landlords’ income of £10,000 or more from their properties must file...

The government has published new guidance for landlords, agents, and tenants on the extended regulations on carbon monoxide and smoke alarms, which will come into force on 1 October 2022 in England. In addition to the existing legislation whereby landlords must ensure at least one smoke alarm is installed on each storey where there's a room used as living accommodation, from 1 October in...

This April (2022) sees us celebrate the 30th anniversary of Richard James, after opening our doors in Wroughton back in 1992. Since then, we’ve been fortunate enough to help clients of multiple generations find their dream homes and have expanded across 8 offices that cover Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. As well as Sales, we are also home to Richard James Lettings, Land & New Homes,...

With our Sales and Lettings businesses under one roof, we regularly hear from investors looking to invest in properties that they will later rent out using our property management service. That coupled with the abundance of apartments in Swindon, which in our opinion are ideal buy-to-let investments, means we often get asked the same questions regarding the local area, the current market and other...

Landlords should be aware that they could be liable for any unpaid utility bills, and even reconnection fees if they don’t correctly manage the end of tenancy process with regards to utilities. We've put together a ‘best practice' guide regarding tenants’ utility services to help you have a successful tenancy, without facing any unexpected fees.  Who is responsible for paying utility...

Whether you’ve deliberately made the decision to invest in a buy-to-let property or you’re one of the country’s rising number of ‘accidental landlords’ and you’ve found yourself in a position where, for whatever reason, you need to rent out a home, you must understand your responsibilities before you welcome your first tenants. There are a lot of rules in place that apply to landlords and...

A lot of landlords are still unaware of the regulations for MEES (minimum energy efficiency standard) and what it entails. So, we thought we'd break it down for you: The previous changes that came about in 2018, meant that landlords of low scoring properties were required to conduct repairs or changes to their properties to upgrade them to band E or higher, once their current tenant had vacated....

This is first in a series of 'Top Letting Tips' and it is all about calculating your rental yields. Rental yields are one of the most important considerations for any new or current landlords. Rental yield helps you decide whether or not a property is a sound investment and it is also used as a factor when considering the affordability of buy-to-let mortgages.  SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS RENTAL...