Lay My Hat

A bed I bought three years ago has just collapsed. A reasonably well-known supplier but no refund offered, merely a paltry 15% discount on the next one! I assume that any reputable supplier would immediately replace in these circumstances but perhaps I should have been warned by the pretty minimal 1...

Contributors may be interested in this recent coverage:

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/ ... oliday-let

I understand that a coronavirus-related grant is available for FHLs that are subject to business rates and that these can be applied for via your council’s website. The application process seems straightforward but you need to confirm on the final page that the property “is not used for personal pur...

If they're good, I'd be slightly cautious about doing it yourself. Why not try to negotiate better terms with them first?

Can anyone recommend a good fire pit? There are so many to choose from at a large range of prices!

I think the current rule is that the property has to be available for letting for 210 days a year (it was 140 some years ago) and actually let out for at least 105 days. But there is a period of grace for new lets.

The bath is upstairs (with the electric shower). The shower that operates off mains pressure (satisfactorily) is downstairs. My assumption is that an electric shower was installed upstairs by the previous owners because the mains pressure would be inadequate given the elevation. The aquiliser with m...

Many thanks for the reply! We have a downstairs shower that runs off the mains downstairs (and pressure is sufficient for a good shower) but we inherited the electric shower upstairs I assume because the mains pressure would not be adequate. Yes cold water can reach the first floor (there is a bath).

One guest recently complained about the flow in our electric shower, which I admit isn't great. I'm reluctant to install a pump because the old pipework may not take it but can anyone recommend an electric shower that actually delivers a decent shower? (We have a combination boiler but running just ...

Currently, mortgage interest can be deducted from rentals when calculating taxable profit. For buy-to-let landlords, this relief will be withdrawn gradually from April 2017. My understanding is that FHLs will not be affected, but will be able to continue to deduct mortgage interest in full. Does any...

With the winter months coming up, I wonder if other folk charge guests for logs? If so, what is a reasonable charge for a week's worth per fire? I was thinking of providing one basket and asking for a contribution thereafter. Since the logs are available in an open shed in the garden I'll have to re...

Dear OrangeBlossom, I spoke to HMRC and they were unable to answer the specific question on capital expenditure but I'll let you know once I submit receipts to my accountant. In my case, the first trading period (potentially also the start of the first grace period) started this March on the day on ...

Many thanks. That's a v useful overview. It doesn't quite answer the question unfortunately (can a loss arising from capital expenditure in year one (a "grace" year) be carried forward indefinitely even if the property is never classified as FHL?) but it's a v useful overview. I think I'll...

I have just started letting out a cottage and have incurred a fair amount of "capital" expenditure to get the property ready. I've looked at the HMRC criteria on FHL and I understand that one can have up to two periods of grace in a row should lettings fall short of the 105 night p.a. thre...

Paolo - Many thanks but I was not contemplating using tripadvisor for bookings (they come via cottages.com), merely for guests' reviews. Do you know if that's possible?