Rents in London rise at more than double the rate of inflation

Rents in Greater London rose by 6.7% over the past year – more than double the rate of inflation, according to the January 2013 HomeLet Rental Index.

This month’s report shows the average cost of renting a home in the London is now £1,224 per month. This is a significant 84.9% more expensive than the UK average cost of renting a home, which is now £777 per month.   These increases are significantly more than that of the UK consumer price inflation that remained unchanged at 2.7% for the fourth consecutive month in January, according to recently released figures from the Office of National Statistics.

  Tenants in London are therefore currently paying rent that’s 84.9% more expensive than those around the rest of the UK. With average rents appearing to continually increase, possibly it will only be a matter of time before renting in Greater London is 100% more expensive than the average UK amount.   However the East Midlands is the only region where average rents decreased, after lowering by 2.1% over the past year to £554 per month. (Source HomeLet)

So if you are an owner or tenant of one of these properties, be it in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh or Belfast or other UK areas, make sure you have the appropriate insurance. Information about HomeLet's products for example can be found Here

Make sure you have Travel Insurance and Car Hire Excess Insurance for the half term holiday

The half term holidays start for most schools next week and in fact as Easter is early this year, pancake day - Shrove Tuesday a couple of days ago and Ash Wednesday the start of Lent yesterday it won't be long to that holiday either. I saw Easter eggs for sale in a branch of W H Smith yesterday and no doubt some of the supermarkets will have been doing this since the start of the month.

So if you are off on your holidays at the weekend have you remembered  to buy your travel insurance? A lot of people probably still do not do this thinking it could be a waste of money and that they would never need to claim.

You never know your holiday could be delayed, you have lost your money or luggage and then you really should have had that insurance.
If you are taking a winter sports holiday that is one essential you can not risk not packing.

Just like Travel Insurance, car hire excess waiver insurance is equally as important when you hire a car (or motorhome). If you buy this from the car hire company you will normally pay a lot more than you would if you buy it from an independent company.

If you are not taking a holiday, but moving home, buying new furniture and are hiring a van, don't forget you can buy daily van hire insurance and it does not cost a lot.

Many people might be visiting their holiday home next week, have you got it properly insured? At the  jml-insurance website there is a great choice of holiday home insurance companies advertising their  products. Some only cover properties in the UK, others like Intasure, Andrew Copeland and Staysure offer products for a range of countries.

To find out more go to  jml-insurance.com  and make your arrangements on line with the individual insurance company who is advertising and then have a most enjoyable relaxing break.

Insurance for Valentine's Day

©Received an email from AngloInfo in Spain earlier today. Naturally with Valentine's day on Thursday, it had a "love" theme. Well actually an international one..... Amore, Mencintai, Amour, láska, miłość, grá, lieben, kärlek, любить, or in plain English Love.

So if you are off on a romantic break, hiring a car or just simply arranging insurance for your love nest or holiday home love nest make sure you have the appropriate insurance.

We have advertisers offering property insurance - UK rental insurance - Holiday home and main residence insurance in the UK and out of the UK - car hire excess insurance and of course Travel Insurance for that break.

So apart from making sure you are buying the right insurance, don't forget the cards and flowers, although neither of these are being advertised at www.jml-insurance.com

Complete Green Deal solution for landlords launched by the NLA

I received an email from the NLA - National Landlords Association yesterday that started "The sun is shining here at NLA Head Office and we have some sunny news to share. NLA Green Deal launched this week, offering you a one-stop solution to improve your properties' energy efficiency."

Well it might have been yesterday when it was sent out, but I never saw it and today it has been snowing on and off. Anyway I thought I would find a bit more and came across the NLA's press release from Wednesday 6th February.

Here is what the NLA said "The National Landlords Association (NLA) has today launched NLA Green Deal, a complete Green Deal solution which will enable landlords to make energy efficiency improvements to their properties with ease.
The Government’s Green Deal offers landlords and home owners a cost-neutral solution to making their properties more energy efficient. Improvements such as cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, double glazing and boiler replacement can be made and any up-front cost to the landlord is refundable.

Partnered with providers MITIE and United Legal Services Ltd (ULS), NLA Green Deal aims to make the process of making energy improvements as smooth and simple as possible. From assessing the eligibility of your properties to finding a provider and installing the improvements, NLA Green Deal will provide landlords with a hassle-free all-in-one solution.

The works are paid for via a loan attached to the property’s electricity bill. But importantly, the electricity bill will never be more expensive than it would have been if the works had not been carried out. In essence, the energy savings made through the works will be equal to or more than the cost of the Green Deal grant.

Richard Lambert, Chief Executive Officer of the NLA, said: “Partnering with MITIE and ULS enables us to offer all private landlords an end-to-end, cost-effective solution with energy company subsidy and/or Green Deal finance. MITIE’s relationship with the different ECO and Green Deal providers as well its national delivery capability will ensure the best end-to-end solution for both landlords and tenants, and ULS will be able to supply the key support systems needed, as well as essential advice and guidance to assist landlords through this process.

“The Government’s Green Deal initiative highlights how important it is that the UK’s housing stock is energy efficient. Landlords only have a few years to comply with the scheme until their hands will be forced. And with the private-rented sector playing such a prominent role in the provision of housing, this is a key opportunity for them to prove they are able to self-regulate.

“We encourage all landlords with properties in need of energy efficiency improvements to take advantage of the Green Deal – it’s a win-win situation for both landlords and tenants.”

Stephen Giacchino, Director for Strategy and Corporate Development at MITIE, said: “We are looking forward to working with the NLA to help landlords maximise the investment benefit that the Green Deal brings to their portfolio, while delivering energy savings and increased comfort to their tenants.

“Landlords will benefit from MITIE’s experience in managing over 200,000 tenanted properties in the UK, our technical capabilities and national reach to install the right measures to help in the campaign to alleviate fuel poverty.”

Nigel Hoath, Managing Director of ULS Group said: “The software we have created enables landlords to establish what aspect of Green Deal they should be eligible for at a click of a button. We are very pleased to continue to work with the NLA in providing innovative products for landlords’ needs.”

The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) estimates that expenditure on Green Deal measures is likely to be worth up to £17 billion over the next 10 years." More Here

The National Landlords Association (NLA) is the UK’s leading organisation for private-residential landlords. It has over 20,000 paid members, ranging from full-time landlords with large property portfolios to those with just a single letting. NLA membership helps landlords make a success of their lettings business by providing a wide range of information, advice and services. The NLA campaigns for the legitimate interests of landlords by seeking to influence decision-makers at all levels of government and by making landlords’ collective voice heard in the media. It seeks to raise standards in the private-rented sector while aiming to ensure that landlords are aware of their statutory rights and responsibilities.

It is a an excellent organisation for landlords to belong to particularly now as there is more and more legislation about, rental properties having to be registered with the local council in a couple of parts of  the country and more to come. It does not cost a lot to join and maintain membership and it quite a different organisation since I first joined in the 1980s when it was known as "The Small Landlords Association".

Meanwhile back to "The Green Deal" Luciana Berger MP, Labour’s Shadow Climate Change Minister said The Green Deal could end up costing people more than they save. - “For months Labour has been warning that to be successful the Green Deal must be a good deal for the public, after all the whole point of the scheme is meant to be that households save money on their energy bills.

“Unfortunately the Government hasn’t listened and now because of sky high interest rates, hidden charges and penalty payments the reality for most people will be that the Green Deal ends up costing them more than they save.”

And finally  Richard Lloyd, Which? Executive Director, said "Rising energy prices are one of consumers' top financial concerns so we support measures to make homes more energy efficient and save people money on their bills but we want to make sure consumers are aware of all the pros and cons before taking out financing through the Green Deal. The Green Deal might work for some people but, as with any financial product, whether it's a good deal for you will depend upon your personal and financial circumstances. Overall, people should tread carefully, check the small print and shop around."

Keep out the cold with the Rentguard Insurance Property Care Guide

After thinking that the snow had finally gone away, there is more about this weekend.

Rentguard Insurance sent out an email yesterday saying "While the recent snow has been great for kids and teachers, those of us in the insurance business have not had as good a time.

The AA recently revealed that the recent snow has led  to over three million pounds worth of car insurance claims and while final numbers on the current situation aren’t available yet, the last time large amounts of snow fell, in December 2010, over three million pounds of claims were logged on our buildings insurance alone.

Keeping claims down helps us to keep premiums down; which translates to more business all around. Much of this damage could have been avoided if a few simple precautions were taken and it is for this purpose that we developed our Property Care Guide, which details various potential dangers and warning signs to be aware of. Keeping to the tips laid out in this guide can be the difference between a minor claim and potentially massive damages. Find it here"

So what sort of insurance does Rentguard offer anyway?

At jml Insurance, we have been promoting Rentguard Insurance products since 2009. They offer the following:

Rentguard Insurance – Home Insurance

Rentguard Insurance – Portfolio and Blocks of Flats Insurance Insurance

Rentguard Insurance for Landlords

Commercial Property Insurance from Rentguard Insurance

Legal Expenses with/without Rent Guarantee Insurance from Rentguard Insurance

For Owners (Private Residences) from Rentguard Insurance

Rentguard Insurance for Tenants

Holiday Home Insurance from Rentguard Insurance   Find out more here http://www.jml-property-insurance.co.uk/Rentguard_Insurance_Products.htm and follow the dedicated links to Rentguard Insurance and make your online arrangements today and keep warm too!

Don't forget your Travel Insurance for your Valentine's break

With under ten days to go to "this most romantic day of the year" or so we are told, many people will be leaving the love nests and heading off for a romantic trip.
©This year the 14th February falls on a Thursday do that is a great excuse for a break lasting at least two or three days. An extended Valentine's break.

So you are remembering to pack the chocolates, pink champagne and other goodies, but have you forgotten to pack your travel insurance?

Many people tend to forget this and it is very important, particularly if you have paid deposits on hotel accommodation and suddenly have to cancel.

These are some of the reasons you need travel insurance for:

Missed departure?

Lost your passport?

Personal money stolen?

Damaged your ski equipment?

Personal Accident?

Abandon your holiday before you leave the UK

Catastrophe — fire, flood, earthquake or storm

Medical Emergency — Hospital — Emergency Dental Treatment

Legal Advice

Mugging
©Last weekend the newspapers were full of exciting suggestions as to where to stay, so remember to arrange your travel insurance now. There is a great deal of choice to all all ages including the over 50s (yes they must surely have romantic breaks, in fact probably have penty of income for such trips) of insurance companies advertising on the jml Insurance sites. Find out more at  http://www.jml-insurance.co.uk/products.php?id=8

Half term is also on it's in a couple of weeks so you will need Travel Insurance if you are going away. You might be off skiing so there is a great choice at http://www.jml-insurance.co.uk/types.php?id=36&sec=8

Landlords are playing Russian roulette with property insurance according to report

The January 2013 edition of Landlord & Buy-to-Let Magazine arrived in the post today and there was a worrying insurance aricle on page 12. Well illustrated by a hand gun single bullet in cartridge revolver the headline was "Landlords play Russian  roulette with properties"

It appears that Direct Line for Business who offer a selection of business insurance products including Landlord insurance have recently carried out a survey. They found 18 per cent of the UK's private landlords do not have the correct insurance to let out their property. Put it another way that is almost one in five!

So too many landlords do not realise that standard home insurance do not cover rental properties. On this blog site we have often reminded people that the tenant's insurance will not cover the landlord's belongings and vica versa. 

The Managing Director of Jordans lettings agency William Jordan says that specialist buy to let / landlord insurance is needed particularly in the cold weather where there are a lot of claims. Water damage is a major factor with claims from burst pipes.

We have just had some severe weather last month and there could always be more on the way. It is most important for landlords to be fully covered and remember that if they do not have contents insurance and there is a burst pipe damaging the curtains and carpets the insurance company will not pay for replacement unless contents insurance is in place.  

  Many of the specialist insurance companies actually now offer "limited" contents insurance which makes  a lot of sense of the property is not fully furnished.

The jml Property Insurance web site has a great choice of  specialist insurance companies advertising their products.  Rentguard - HomeLet - Endsleigh - Intasure - Letsure - Devon Direct - Allystles insurance brokers - Rentshield Direct and Quotezone. Find out more at http://www.jml-property-insurance.co.uk/landlords_insurance.htm and make sure your rental property is properly insured and don't play Russian roulette with the insurance.

Get the most out of your travel insurance cover says Staysure Insurance

Just received the latest Staysure Insurance newsletter and one article drew my attention.

With more and more people taking several holidays a year, particularly the over 50s age group it makes sense to buy an annual travel insurance policy. Rather like buying annual car hire excess insurance, an annual travel insurance policy will save you money and give you extra cash to spend on your holidays.

Staysure's article goes on to say " Your holiday is booked and the exciting countdown begins, but before you pack your bags make sure you have good travel insurance cover in place.

If your passport boasts stamps from all over the world then it is likely that your passion for travelling could benefit from considering Annual Multi-Trip travel insurance over multiple Single Trip policies. When taking out a travel insurance policy it is worth asking yourself whether you may be better suited to a policy to cover you for 12 months worth of travel. If you are likely to take more than 2 or 3 trips abroad within the space of 12 months, Annual Multi-Trip travel insurance could save you money and offers many extra benefits!

Benefits of choosing Annual Multi-Trip


Choosing Annual Multi-Trip travel insurance includes some great extra benefits and optional upgrades to choose from, including up to £5,000 cancellation cover and up to £2,000 personal baggage cover for trips in the UK and abroad. Travellers are also covered for a maximum of 183 days of travel per year and can enjoy as many holidays as they want within these limits.

Other benefits of Staysure Annual Multi-Trip travel insurance include:


• Cover for European and Worldwide destinations

• Up to £10 million Emergency Medical Cover including Repatriation

• Cover for travellers up to 85 years old

• Up to 17 days of Winter Sports cover included FREE for customers up to 70 years old

• 183 days of travel per year standard with a maximum stay of 50 days in one location

• Other available upgrades include Travel Legal Dispute cover and Financial Failure cover

There are potential savings to be made with Annual Multi-Trip cover, plus we offer discounts for couples living at the same address. For more information visit Staysure's Travel Insurance advertising page Here It could be your best decision today. (Source Staysure)

Staysure insurance are also involved with holidays themselves. There is a feature on Staysure Holidays Here at the jmlvillas website

Staysure is also involved with Holiday Home Insurance -  Motor Insurance - Health Insurance

In December 2012 Staysure.co.uk was ranked no 28th in The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 league table. Staysure had been listed in the Fast Track 100 for the third year running. Fast Track, which recognises the UK’s fastest growing businesses ranked Staysure no. 28th in the league table printed in the Sunday Times in 2nd December 2012. This is the third year running for Staysure and is marked the end of very successful 2012.  Keep up the good work Staysure in 2013.