Common Law Requirements Vs Housing Act Requirements

One of the Landlord insurance providers that jml-property-insurance.co.uk works with sent the following message out at the end of April.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION BELOW THAT COULD AFFECT YOU CLAIMS - Common Law Requirements Vs Housing Act Requirements

It has recently come to light that landlords may be having problems evicting tenants who pay rental in advance.

It is essential under statute (Housing Act 1988 section 5 and 21) and common law that should your tenant/s pay rental in advance as per the referencing decision, failure to secure a guarantor, or tenancy agreement, that they are given notice to quit applicable to the period paid in advance.

I.e. If your tenant/s has/have paid 6 months rent in advance as stated in the tenancy agreement, they require 6 months notice to vacate. This can be served at the beginning of the six month tenancy to expire on the last day of the term of the six month tenancy.

Should the tenants CHOOSE to pay 6 months’ rent in advance and it is not a requirement of the referencing undertaken, insurance policy or tenancy agreement (i.e a clause of the agreement), the standard notice to vacate would suffice.

Ultimately if the rental is paid weekly/monthly then the usual notice period applies. If the rent is paid in advance for 6 months every 6 months then that is the "period of the tenancy" and as such the notice period would be the last day of the period of the tenancy i.e. 6 months; due to the effect of Section 21 (4). The same applies for 12 months in advance etc.

It is essential that independent legal advice is sought should you have any queries regarding this.

If you are looking for Landlord or Tenant insurance, pay a visit to: http://www.jml-property-insurance.co.uk/

World Cup 2010 Car Hire Travel Insurance & More

jml Insurance have got ready for promoting advertisers who cover South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup football.

The insurance advertising website has set up a page with links to holiday autos car hire, Travel Insurance provider at jml-insurance, car hire excess insurance at insurance4carrental.com and even a guide to driving in South Africa.

The World Cup is scheduled to take place between 11th June and 11th July and this will be the first time that the tournament has been hosted by an African nation.

Further information at: http://www.jml-insurance.co.uk/index.php?id=422

Direct Travel Insurance to pay claims for travellers impacted by the volcanic ash cloud

19 Apr 2010 Press Release from Direct Travel

"Direct Travel Insurance to pay claims for travellers impacted by the volcanic ash cloud"

Direct Travel Insurance has confirmed that they will cover claims from customers that are either stranded abroad or cannot travel due to the volcanic ash.

European aviation officials are allowing limited air traffic to resume in so-called ‘caution zones’ following a five-day hiatus that has cost the aviation industry more than a $1 billion. The massive ash cloud caused by a volcanic eruption in Iceland has left travellers scheduled to fly to and from Europe stranded at airports worldwide.

According to the International Air Transport Association approximately 81,000 flights were cancelled, creating a massive backlog. The impact on British travel has been immense, with the Daily Mail reporting over 1 million Britons stranded.

UK travel insurance provider Direct Travel has confirmed that they will cover claims from customers that are either stranded abroad or cannot travel due to the volcanic ash. Many travel insurance policies do not cover such situations, but in light of these extraordinary circumstances Direct Travel Insurance is treating this as an ‘adverse weather event’. This means customers may be able to make a claim for Travel delay, Abandonment or Missed departure under their policy.

Paul Thilo, Vice President – Consumer Marketing at Direct Travel Insurance said: “We have received calls from a lot of distraught customers. Some are concerned about their forthcoming holidays, while others are stranded abroad. Whilst our travel insurance does not normally cover this kind of situation, we wanted to do what we could to help those that have had their holidays affected. Unfortunately the knock-on effects of the Icelandic volcano eruption are likely to be felt long after the planes take to the skies once more.”

In relation to abandonment, claims for costs that cannot be recovered from another source such as the airlines, tour operators or hotels will be met for policies purchased before 13th April 2010, when the event began. Normal policy limits and conditions will apply.

Please Note:
Direct Travel Insurance policies include a 24 hour medical emergency service, Medical expenses up to £20m per person, Missed departure up to £1,000, Delayed departure up to £350 and Abandonment up to £6,000 per person.
Direct Travel Insurance will automatically extend cover, at no extra cost, for single trip policyholders that are stranded abroad due to the travel disruption.

Want to find out more about Direct Travel Insurance? Follow this link http://www.direct-travel.co.uk/?AID=jmlproperty

Staysure: Volcanic ash update

23rd April 2010. The following message came in from Staysure insurance earlier in the week regarding the Volcanic problem from Iceland

Important information from Staysure: Volcanic ash update


As you will be aware due to the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland all flights in and out of British airspace and northern Europe are grounded or severely restricted until further notice.

There is only one thing worse than a crisis and that is lack of information and if you’re one of the many clients affected by cancellation or delayed flights, you will want to know how your Staysure policy is affected;

1. Let us know if you have bought a single trip policy but haven’t yet travelled and your trip has been interrupted by volcanic ash, as we can change the travel dates on your policy.

2. If you have bought a single trip policy and are already in resort or your return travel is delayed, let us know and we will extend the travel dates on your policy.

To make these amendments call Customer Services on 0845 508 1318.

Due to the enormous amount of calls our telephone lines are extremely busy, so if you would like further information we request that you visit www.staysure.co.uk/ash to get the latest update on the situation and how it affects your cover.

For more information on Staysure Travel insurance visit http://www.jml-insurance.co.uk/displayproduct.php?id=322&sec=8

Volcanic Disruption – Airlines Count the Cost

Tuesday 20th April 2010 PRESS RELEASE


Volcanic Disruption – Airlines Count the Cost


After the first week of wide spread disruption resulting from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano, industry experts are already saying the impact on the airline industry will be worse than 9/11.


Within a few days of the disaster 313 airports were paralysed across Europe and by Sunday only 4,000 of the 24,000 flights that would normally operate across Europe were made, report Eurocontrol, the air-safety agency which also confirmed that by Sunday night more than 63,000 flights would have been cancelled.


Airlines are estimated at losing ‘well in excess of £100m per day’ said Alistair Beveridge of Zolfo Cooper, the restructuring firm, who added in the Financial Times that the situation was ‘burning airlines cash stockpiles at an alarming rate. An concern grows that weaker airlines might be unable to last out the crisis.’


Even bitter rivals Easyjet, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have joined forces and were among airlines who wrote to the Prime Minister warning that the disaster ‘could have material impact on our positions going forward’.


“In short, the situation is becoming untenable,” executives said as they look to the Government for compensation similar to that provided after 9/11.


Specialist travel financial failure providers, ProtectMyHoliday.com is reporting a spike in sales since the disaster struck. ‘Daily sales have quadrupled since the scale of the eruption as people worry about the security of their airlines’, reported Michael Ward, Key Account Manager of International Passenger Protection Ltd, the company who provide the direct sell website.


‘It isn’t just the airlines who will be affected’, Ward continued ‘other travel organisations will also be feel the effects such as hotels, car hire companies and excursion providers’.


‘This event occurred just when IATA indicated a year on year a sharp upturn in February following two years of dire financial results since the start of the recession. It could not have happened at a worse time’, Ward concluded.


Volcanic Disruption – Facts and Figures:

Lufthansa - £22m per day

British Airways - £20m per day.

Emirates - £10m per day, £1m because of accommodation and meals for 6,000 stranded passengers

Around 150,000 Britons are stuck overseas (as of 20/04/2010).

For more information about Financial Failure Travel Insurance Visit http://www.jml-insurance.co.uk/displayproduct.php?id=319&sec=8

Private Rented Sector in the UK General Election

The NLA - National Landlords Association has produced an interesting fact sheet outling what each political party in the forthcoming May 6th General election would do:


The NLA has scoured the party manifestos for details of policies directly relevant to landlords:

Conservative

Amend the recent Planning Use Classes Order
Abolish Home Information Packs
Keep Energy Performance Certificates
Give every home up to £6,500 worth of energy improvement measures, with more for the hard to treat homes

Labour

Bring in written tenancy agreements
Free and impartial advice service for tenants
Set up a National Landlord Register
Reform Housing Benefit payments
Introduce minimum insulation standards

Liberal Democrats

Quality private rented housing for those who need it
Introduce a national home insulation programme
Scrap Home Information Packs
Keep Energy Performance Certificates

To read the parties' proposals in their own words and for the policies of the Green Party, Plaid Cymru, Scottish National Party and UKIP
Go to http://www.landlords.org.uk/archive/factsheets/factsheet-manifesto.htm?dm_i=11G,4D76,23CCM,DJYS,1

Intasure has even more produtcs on the jml Insurance sites

Intasure the well known insurance provider of property related insurance products now has six of their products being advertised on the jml-property.co.uk and jml-insurance.co.uk websites

There are the original Holiday Homes insurance for overseas and UK properties, Main residence insurance in the UK and the additional products are - Intasure Holiday Chalet & Log Cabin Insurance, UK Listed Buildings Insurance, UK Property Insurance for Flats and Apartments and Buy to Let and Landlords Insurance from Intasure Insurance.

For more information visit: http://www.jml-property-insurance.co.uk/Intasure_overseas_property_insurance.htm

Volcanic Dust Cloud from Iceland Insurance Info

The ABI - Association of British Insurers has issued the following Press Release on the Thursday 15th April 2010

"Travel Disruption due to Volcanic dust cloud - advice from the ABI"

People travelling to or from a UK airport are having their travel plans disrupted due
to an ash cloud from a volcanic eruption in Iceland. The ABI advises customers
who may be affected that:
• Volcanic eruptions are not always covered by travel insurance for cancellation and
delay. However, some policies will cover this, so you should contact your travel
insurance company to check what your policy covers.
• If your flight is cancelled, most airlines will offer you either a full refund or an
alternative flight.
• If your flight is cancelled and you do not travel, most travel insurers will refund
your premium if you took out a single trip policy.
• If you accept an alternative flight at a later date, most travel insurers will amend
your policy to cover your new travel arrangements and dates.
• Insurance only covers events that happen after the policy is taken out so
customers taking out travel insurance from today onwards will not be covered for
this event.
• Deciding that you no longer wish to travel will not be covered by your travel
insurance policy.
Nick Starling, the ABI’s Director of General Insurance and Health, said:
“Travel insurance policies will differ in this situation; there is no standard set of
conditions which applies to a situation of this kind. Therefore customers should
check their travel insurance policy, and speak to their travel insurer to understand
what their individual policy covers them for in this situation.”

The ABI is the voice of the insurance and investment industry. Its members
constitute over 90 per cent of the insurance market in the UK and 20 per cent across the EU. They control assets equivalent to a quarter of the UK’s capital. They are the risk managers of the UK’s economy and society. Through the ABI their voice is heard in Government and in public debate on insurance, savings and investment matters.

Looking for Travel Insurance? Click on this link http://www.jml-insurance.co.uk/products.php?id=8

Third Party Dog Insurance and Mandatory Microchipping

We were sent a News Release from AFI - Animal Friends Insurance yesterday entitled "Mandatory Microchipping and Third Party Dog Insurance"

The recent proposals regarding revisions to the Dangerous Dogs Act (1991) in the UK - making it mandatory for all dogs to be microchipped and owners to have third party pet liability insurance on their dogs - have of course sparked another lively debate between people for and those against.

The government wanted to use this law to help decrease the number of dogs that are bred and kept for the sole purpose of intimidating others, and to take action against owners of dogs which have attacked people. The logic goes that compulsory microchips will help law enforcement track down owners of dogs who have been involved in attacks. The mandatory pet insurance part would compensate victims of dog attacks. The rest of this can be found at: http://www.jml-insurance.co.uk/index.php?id=421

Don't forget your pet's insurance - It can save you a lot of money if your pets becomes ill or has an accident.

There are a lot of companies advertising on the jml-insurance site including Animal Friends -AFI, Petprotect, Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, PDSA, Halifax, Direct Line, Tesco and more at
http://www.jml-insurance.co.uk/products.php?id=10

Quinn Insurance Ltd placed into provisional administration

The Financial Regulator in Ireland has announced that Quinn Insurance Limited has been placed into provisional administration.

Following an application to the High Court in Dublin, joint provisional administrators have been appointed to the firm, which has offices in Cavan and Enniskillen.

Quinn’s UK operations, Quinn Insurance Limited (UK) or Quinn Direct, specialises in motor and professional indemnity insurance and has now closed to new business.

According to the UK’s Financial Services Authority (FSA), the Irish regulator has confirmed that existing policyholders in the UK will continue to be covered.

Customers of the firm can continue to make claims and should continue to pay direct debits and premiums in the normal way.

The FSA says it is working closely with the Irish authorities in the matter.

The BBC has reported that the Irish Financial Regulator expressed serious concerns about the finances of the company following the discovery that back in 2005, subsidiaries of the group had made guarantees that reduced the value of the company’s assets by €448 million.

A message on the "Quinn direct" website says "QUINN-Insurance Notice
Quinn Insurance Limited has ceased writing business in the UK. Existing UK policyholders will not be affected by this decision as existing policies will remain valid. Customers can make claims in the normal way. Please see attached statement from the joint provisional administrators appointed to Quinn Insurance Limited."

The Irish Times - Wednesday, March 31, 2010 had a headline "Quinn Insurance under financial investigation"

It went on to say"The Financial Regulator has launched an investigation into Quinn Insurance, the motor, health and general insurer within Seán Quinn’s group, after successfully applying to put the firm into provisional administration.

The High Court appointed joint provisional administrators to the insurer at a vacation sitting yesterday morning after the regulator expressed “very serious” concerns about the company’s ability to meet its liabilities to policyholders.

The administrators will now take control of the company, the largest Irish-owned insurer with about one million customers, from the management team. They will run the company as a going concern and conduct business with a view to putting it on a sound commercial footing.

Policy-holders will be unaffected, while Quinn’s life business is not affected."

On the Quin Group website this morning (3rd April) there is a Press Release "QUINN-group Limited wishes to comment on the actions of the Financial Regulator yesterday to appoint provisional administrators to QUINN-Insurance Limited (QIL), which we consider to be pre-emptive, aggressive and unnecessary.

As a preliminary matter, we wish to confirm that the QUINN-group and QIL are fully able to meet all of their payment obligations, and (except as disrupted by the Regulator’s Actions) our business continues as normal. Policyholders of QUINN-direct, QUINN-life and QUINN-healthcare, and staff, customers and suppliers of the entire QUINN-group, should continue to deal with us as usual.

The Financial Regulator has justified his actions on the grounds of "certain matters within QIL that have very recently come to light". We understand that he is referring to guarantees provided by certain subsidiaries of QIL, some dating back to 2005, supporting the general indebtedness of the QUINN-group. These guarantees are entirely lawful, do not breach any insurance regulations, and were fully disclosed in the statutory accounts of the relevant companies.

We reviewed these guarantees in the context of our current refinancing, and sought the opinion of the Financial Regulator last week. He took the view that the guarantees were inappropriate. Since then we, our financiers and our respective advisers have been working around the clock to respond to the Regulator’s questions and to address his concerns.

The guarantees have not been called upon, there was no reason to believe that they would be called upon, and the Regulator was provided with comfort on this by our financiers, most recently in a meeting on Monday 29 March. QUINN-group is in the process of negotiating a refinancing which would have addressed the concerns of the Regulator, and we and our financiers remain confident that this will be achieved. Therefore, the Regulator’s analysis that these guarantees give rise to a €448m liability is totally incorrect. The Regulator's demand that the guarantees be released was therefore unnecessary, and not practical in the time which he allowed.

In the light of all these facts, of which the Regulator was well aware, we believe the Regulator made the wrong decision. We do not believe that his decision was in the interests of any of the relevant stakeholders - QUINN-group, its staff, its customers or indeed the Irish Exchequer, which has received well in excess of €1bn in tax from QUINN-group since it was established in 1973. Indeed, we note that yesterday was marked by significant announcements in relation to the Irish economy and the banking sector, and it is highly ironic that, on that same day, the Regulator's action was taken in respect of one of the most successful Irish companies, providing crucial jobs in the export sector.

Even if the Regulator’s concerns in relation to QIL were well-founded (which we dispute), it is extraordinary that the Regulator was unwilling to give the necessary time to work through those concerns, rather than taking precipitate action which damages the interests of all stakeholders, including the State.

Separately the Financial Regulator has directed QIL to cease writing new business in the UK, and has commented that the UK business is currently unprofitable. We entirely disagree with this statement and unless reversed, this direction will be immensely damaging to the future prospects of QIL.

While we work through the issues which have been caused by the Financial Regulator’s actions, QIL remains focussed on the future and will continue to provide a high level of service to all of its customers. We thank our staff, throughout the QUINN-group and especially in QIL, for their continued commitment to the business. We remain totally committed to working with them, and our customers, to get through this difficult period.

Rising Rents Pose Potential Risk for Landlords in the UK

2nd April 2010



Summary of News Release from HomeLet: Following the recent RICS residential lettings survey and FindaProperty Rental index which both reveal an increase in rental prices HomeLet is urging landlords to protect their monthly income.

According to Managing Director John Boyle continued increases could cause problems for landlords further down the line as people looking to rent may not be able to afford to do so or may struggle to make their monthly rental payments.

In light of the recent RICS survey revealing that more letting agents expect rents to rise over the next three months, landlords are being urged to rigorously vet potential tenants before handing over the keys.

According to the latest RICS residential lettings survey, which covers the three months to January 2010, more surveyors reported a rise in rents than a fall. This follows five consecutive quarters of negative readings.

The expectation for achievable rents also rose with 33 per cent of respondents believing rents will rise over the coming quarter compared to just 22 per cent last quarter.

Similarly FindaProperty’s Rental Index for March revealed rents have risen for the second consecutive month and are now £16 pcm higher than in January at £820 pcm. According to the survey the firming of rents has been underpinned by a reduc¬tion in the availability of rental properties on the market, which are now at the lowest level since October 2008.

Managing Director of HomeLet John Boyle welcomes the increase in rents which he hopes will increase yields and encourage more people to enter the buy-to-let sector as well as help alleviate the widely anticipated shortage in rental properties.

However he says increases in rent asking prices could also cause problems for landlords further down the line.

“If rental prices continue to increase owing to the decline in supply of both flats and houses in the marketplace, people looking to rent may not be able to afford to do so or may struggle to make their monthly rental payments,” said John.

“For that reason I’d advise landlords to make sure they know exactly who they’re letting their property to. Tenant referencing is a crucial area that is often neglected. Yet it can be the single most significant factor in protecting letting agents and landlords from tenants who can't or won't pay the rent.

“Even the best tenant on paper can fall on hard times, especially in the current financial climate. As a tax-deductible premium Rent Guarantee insurance therefore will guarantee you receive the rent you are expecting from your property regardless of your tenant’s personal circumstances or ability or willingness to pay the rent.”

Unfortunately rental arrears are still a real threat for many landlords. In 2009 HomeLet paid out £3 million in Rent Guarantee insurance claims compared to £2.8 million in 2008, which is an increase of over 7 per cent.

HomeLet’s Rent Guarantee policies, which are available through their approved letting agencies (of which there are around 3,000 nationwide), will cover the rent for either six or 12 months. They also include legal expenses to evict the tenant for non-payment of rent and depending on the policy can provide additional cover once vacant possession has been obtained and a new tenant is being found.

For more information please visit http://homeletuk.com/cgi-bin/alpha.cgi?agentschemeno=1501435

 HomeLet is the UK’s largest tenant referencing, Rent Guarantee and specialist insurance provider for the lettings industry and has around 3,000 approved letting agents nationwide.
 HomeLet is proud to be a main sponsor of the Estate Agent and Letting Agent of the Year Awards 2010.

Dogtag Travel Insurance includes Financial Failure Protection in time for Easter Breaks

Press Release that came into jml-insurance.co.uk a couple of days ago.

Dogtag, the specialist insurer for action-minded travellers have increased their scope of cover to include financial failure protection of end suppliers.

The award winning innovators at Dogtag took the decision to extend cover following increased awareness that independent travellers were not covered under the Governments ATOL when booking component parts of travel separately.

‘We are known for extreme sports and covering pursuits which other providers would not dream of, however we have realised that a lot of our customers are building their own travel itinerary and therefore providing financial security to them is just as important as our sports versatility, especially in the current financial environment’, stated Mike Welby, Director at Dogtag.

Dogtag has three levels of cover with the highest ‘Extreme’ covering activities such as rock climbing, expeditions, paragliding and canyoning. Each insured person is provided with an unique identity chain (the Dogtag) which includes important details including their name, identity number and emergency contact in the event of an accident.

The cover now includes protection for insolvency of airlines, hotels, hostels, car hire companies, excursion providers, theme parks and any other end supplier. The section is provided by International Passenger protection Ltd (IPP), the specialists in providing this niche cover.

‘We will continue to innovate our products to meet our clients needs, a perfect example being the financial failure cover, with the result being that Dogtag clients have exceptional cover and can really enjoy their trip.’ concluded Welby.

INFORMATION

International Passenger Protection Limited (IPP) formed in 1990.
IPP is the largest and main supplier of Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance (SAFI) and cover for other parts of the holiday in the UK and world-wide operating in over 30 countries.
IPP operates as an underwriting agency on behalf of insurers and re-insurers who’s combined net assets exceed Euro 100 Billion

If you are looking for IPP Products follow this link http://www.protectmyholiday.com/?affiliate=jml

If you are looking for a range of Pet insurance products follow this link http://www.jml-insurance.co.uk/products.php?id=10

Letsure sets up insurance deal with Hamptons Letting Agents

Lettings insurance specialist Letsure has agreed a deal to provide insurance products to landlord customers of residential agency Hamptons International.

The new product, which covers rent and legal protection, will cover landlords against losses that occur as a result of unforeseen events, such as tenants failing to pay their rent or breaching the terms of the tenancy.

Commenting on this product, Managing Director of Letsure, Ian Fraser, said: "Letsure is delighted to be working with such a prestigious brand as Hamptons International.

The product that we have designed for Hamptons International is one of the best available in the marketplace and we are confident that it will be warmly received by their customers."

Lesley Cairns, head of lettings at Hamptons International added: "I am excited about this bespoke service we are offering to our clients as there are many unexpected circumstances which put landlords at risk.

Some tenants may not have a spotless credit history particularly following the last 18 months, so landlords need to consider tenant history and affordability especially as unemployment remains challenging."

jml Property Services have been Letsure agents since 2002 and if you are a Landlord - Tenant - own a Holiday Home take a look at http://www.jml-property-insurance.co.uk/letsure.htm at the jml Property Insurance.co.uk property advertising website.

Letsure Ltd are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Letsure's FSA registration number is 313817. Letsure Ltd Registered in England No. 03010153 - Registered address: 4-9 Highview, High Street, Bordon, Hampshire, GU35 0AX, England