Viruses:


Legally on residential mortgage.

Is it not allowed to rent out some rooms?

You are allowed to take a lodger and you don't need permission from the lender for one lodger. However, taking lodgers must not constitute converting your home into a HMO (3 or more unrelated persons) or a short term let although some lenders like Halifax and Nationwide will automatically allow a maximum short term let of not more than 12 weeks in any given year (there's a particular clause). Where these maybe breached, then you need permission which frankly is unlikely to be granted. The rent a room scheme is designed for home owners to take in 1 lodger rather than multiple ones.

It is important to ensure that taking a lodger does not earn you more than £7,500 annually. Any amount over £7,500 will incur tax and the lender is likely to see it as a wuru wuru HMO. See the rent a room scheme here - https://www.gov.uk/rent-room-in-your-home/the-rent-a-room-scheme

Another side way of getting your property rented out is to buy a residential home, live in it for 6 months or more then apply for a consent to let. This works better if you have a 5 year fixed rate. The CTL is a straight forward application, usually you pay a fee (Natwest is £150 flat rate) and it gets approved for as long as your fixed rate lasts. Some lenders will insist you change to a BTL once that fixed rate is over, others like Natwest will roll it over until you say stop!

A CTL gives you permission to rent out the house in full whilst still on a residential mortgage. Of course, it'll have to remain a repayment mortgage throughout. Our main UK family home has been on a CTL since 2017 and we have remortgaged twice since then. It's why the rate on that particular house is 1.1%!

chimexview:

My credit score from my Lloyds bank is about 544, I’m single and interested in getting a BTL house.
I intend to liquidate an asset back home in order to raise about 20k pounds to 25k pounds for down payment.

You are better off buying your own home first before buying a BTL.

For a BTL, you need a 25% deposit, rent is stress tested at 125% of the monthly mortgage payment
Mortgage fees are around £1500 to £3000.
Survey fees £800 ish
Solicitor fees £1500

So your £25k is already down to £20k before you even take up a mortgage.

A £20k deposit means you're looking at properties around the £80k mark. Even in very derived areas of the North and Scotland, I doubt that are many properties floating around at £80k which needs zero work and you can get awesome tenants for.

After getting the mortgage and before having tenants, you will need to have an EICR completed, a legionnaires test and a gas safety check if the property has a gas supply. That's easily another £1k if there are no issues at all which is highly unlikely at that price point.

Then you need to set aside Oga Charlie's cut from the rental income. As you're already working, your tax free allowance is gone. So you'll be taxed at your standard tax rate on every penny that comes in as rent minus expenses.

Then you need to set aside monies for any repairs that tenants will throw at you.

You will also lose your first home buyer status which means when you come to buy your own home, you will be paying a hefty stamp duty tax as well.

UniqueDext:
That was the website i used to make the reporting.

Am not able to check the HMO license as i dont know how to check that, i have tried through the council website but it's asking for details of the license which i dont have.

What borough are you in? For example, you can find all licenced HMOs in Hounslow here - https://data.hounslow.gov.uk/dataset/register-of-licensed-hmos

All councils have to publish the data - it maybe some months out of date but you've been there a year, so she should be listed on her borough's register.

Also by removing your door, she's breached fire regulations and also made your room inhabitable - so take pictures, find the environmental health officer or pages for your borough and put in a report. She will most likely be given 48 hours to remedy it or enforcement action will be taken. It will also firmly put her on their radar for a couple of years. Again this information will be on your borough website - see Hounslow one - https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/report

If you have time, go to your council offices and speak to someone in person. Make sure to talk about feeling unsafe. What if a fire breaks out? - it is winter as well so there are health implications for not being able to keep warm.

Tenants have a lot of rights which are enforced but breaches have to be reported otherwise enforcement cannot happen! Do not be afraid and do not let her get away with it.

UniqueDext:
No, she does not live in the house

Already called police , they referred me to citizens advice.
Unfortunately CA doesn't work on weekends

Okay few things here -
1. Contact Shelter - they're a better bet than CAB who most likely will refer you to Shelter. Shelter also has a very huge hard on for Landlords especially rogue ones
2. Do some background work yourself. Is the house a HMO? If 3 or more separate persons so you, your friend and one other person not directly related live in the house, it automatically makes it a HMO. Is that the case?
3. Is it a selective licensing area? You can easily find this from your council's website. If yes, your landlady needs to have a licence and have it displayed in the house, the house will need fire doors and a host of other things. If she doesn't have this, then she's in deep dodo. Each council also publishes a list of all HMO landlords in the area, you can search for it this way as well.
4. If it's not a selective licensing area, she still needs to meet the regulations for a HMO so again Shelter and the council.

By her behaviour, I am sure she's skirting the edges of the law in many ways. Keep every communication you have had with her via text, email, WhatsApp etc. Gather evidence to show she does not live there as she may claim you are lodgers and she lives there as well.

Unless your contract explicitly states that you are not allowed to have guests (that cannot be upheld anyway), you can totally have a guest which is what your friend was till money started changing hands for his stay. Once extra rent has been asked for, then your friend also has a tenancy there.

So you have a 2 pronged approach - use Shelter to your advantage and report to the council's housing department.

Lexusgs430:


It matters alot (infact, it's the spine of this matter).......

Without a legal contract, you cannot be deemed a tenant......

LL could claim she simply housed an unruly family member......

Without a contract, if the LL is wise..... She would get away with murder.......

That's not quite right. As long as there is a documented trail of rent payment, even if not consistent, any indication of a rental agreement i.e. a text or email requesting rent or referencing the rental, it's a rental contract verbal or written. There are several case laws for this.

It is easy to prove they're not related.

Besty2023:
Good day all especially Ticha. Please kindly tell me if it is mandatory to pay the full year tuition or a semester for a master's degree I got admission to. It's a two years program but I saw where I'm to enroll in 60 units and pay the estimated value(which is a semester) and another to pay full tuition as on the offer letter I got, which is full year.

It is usually one semester worth of fees. However, as there's a discrepancy, reach out to the admissions office to find out which one is correct. INZ will go with what is on your offer letter so get the institution to correct it.

triplo3:


100% agree.

Is that why oyibos do “partners” instead? Does it offer them any protection different from married folk? In terms of house and pensions etc.

Yes and No. Once children become involved, whether you're married or not makes absolutely no difference as the needs of the child will always come first.

Secondly, there's something called common law marriage (it's just a social term/slang) but it's when people live together and are not married. If I recall correctly, living together for 2 years or more, gives certain rights akin to being married. The longer you live together, the more those rights become entrenched.

If you live together as partners and intermingle your lives, i.e. get a joint mortgage, joint accounts, have kids etc then for all intents and purposes, you'll be treated as a married unit from a financial perspective. To avoid all of these blurred lines, you must have a contracting out agreement from the start so something similar to pre-nup or you keep your funds and your lives separate. It's why single mothers will claim living alone for benefit reasons as once a partner moves in, his income is taken as family income even when the children are not his!

The longer the relationship lasts as a joint couple aka partners living together, the more rights you have. My friends have just separated after being together for 23 years (unmarried with an older teen son). Splitting the assets still started at 50/50. Son opted to stay with the dad as the mum is moving back home so the assets have been split 60/40 in favour of dad. They've sold the family home and had to negotiate to keep their pensions.

So not getting married is not the get out of jail card people think it is. For a lot of my white friends and this spans all countries I've lived in - they just don't see marriage as proof of commitment anymore and don't see the need for it. Especially where there are kids and a mortgage. You can walk away from a marriage, you can't walk away from child support or mortgage payments or joint debts. So I agree with them - any of those 3 things are a greater proof of commitment than marriage vows.

The biggest advantage to not being married is that if you die, partner has to take your estate to court to get something out of it if you have not co-mingled your lives and finances. It does also means you can't make decisions on behalf of the other person without a prior PoA so if for any reason you need urgent hospital care and can't consent, they can't consent for you as a married partner will be able to do.

Plus at the end of the day, the lawyers will always walk away with more than you ever think you can hold or protect. So either shine ya eyes and jump in with both feet, or close your eyes and dip one toe in and stay on the side-lines. The law is blind and an ass. It starts from a position of fairness to everyone.

GraduatesGrant:


VISA APPROVED
.

Awesome! Congratulations! Wishing a you all a safe trip and smooth transition to NZ!

babajeje123:
Can someone recommend suitable bathing soap and cream to maintain kids' colour? My girls are turning dark.

People's complexions change all the time as a result of many factors - are you using sunscreen? One big sign of sun burn and damage is skin turning dark and I know it's been hot and sunny lately. It's why oyinbos cook themselves in the name of tanning aka damaging the skin lightly to make it dark. It will clear up once the skin heals itself. Please don't go hunting for special soaps/ cream to make them lighter or brighter. Normal Aveeno or any good moisturiser or emollient is fine as we head into winter and dry skin territory.

Just as an aside - hopefully you're not referencing to the girls' hearing that they're turning dark? I often see how our children can internalise the all things dark/black is bad and go the other way.

triplo3:
Ancestors,

Someone in Nigeria is trying to buy property in UK. They’re willing to pay the >25% deposit for a mortgage. Target is to preserve capital, gain equity, get good ROI from a rentals etc. Strategic location to ensure long term value. House or flat. What’s the best approach? Any advise. Thank you in advance.

No chance of a mortgage - not from any mainstream lender or other registered financial lenders anyway. Not even with a 50% deposit. The chances of meeting AML requirements is almost zero as we have no acceptable credit rating authority/ facility/system in Nigeria.

LaXxOnebody:
Has anyone ever tried getting a property via an auction?

Would you be able to survey it also?

Any thoughts or advice based on experience?

Bring back @SemmyK also

Have you reached out to SemmyK to check he is ok? Be a good fellow Nigerian and check on him!

If you don't need a mortgage then by all means have a go at auction. Be aware that all your buying costs are pre-loaded. 90% of the time, houses at auction have heaps of issues, weird covenants and could be unmortgage-able. You also need to complete within 28 days and once the gavel falls, you don buy house be that.

So to buy at auction, you need to have;

1. Collected/ downloaded and read the legal pack. So you will need to instruct and pay a solicitor to do that. Considering that you'll usually have about a month beforehand, it means you'll be paying premium prices for the solicitor to work through the documents quickly.

2. Have a 10% deposit plus any auction fees ready to go

3. Have any loans or mortgages already approved and ready to go - this cannot happen for mortgages at all. You maybe able to get a bridging loan but you'll be looking at interest rates of 10% to 12% over a max 18 month period. Most bridging loans also have interest rolled in so they'll give you the money minus the charged interest so they collect their interest upfront. Bridging loans also comes with fees of between 2-3% of the loan which you have to pay upfront. You will also need a broker. You must also have an exit strategy in place so when the loan period ends what will you do? Get a mortgage? Is the house mortgageable even when all repair work has been done?

4. Do a survey for information purposes rather than leverage purposes.

5. Have nerves of steel and good discipline. There is a reason majority of houses at auction go above guide prices. The guide price is just that - a guide price. Guide prices are also often deliberately set very low to generate interest and push people into emptying out their pockets. My friend bought a house in Liverpool at auction - the guide price was £1. The opening bid was £20k. She bought it for £180k and spent about £25k doing it up!

These days there is the modern method of auction which unlike the proper auction method allows you bid over the course of weeks. But you will need to pay all the sellers costs upfront before bidding and if you don't win, you lose that money - usually around £6k to £8k.

If you really want to buy this way, my suggestion would be to look for properties that did not sell at auction and then buy by negotiation. All auction results will tell you what the last bid was or if no one bid on it. You can then use that information to buy at the price point that works for you.

For everything auction, have a look at https://www.eigpropertyauctions.co.uk/

You can register for a free trial period which will allow you to see past auctions, guide prices, sold prices etc.

Raskasal:
Hi Op. Thank you for your informations.

I'm am applying to Auckland university, but was asked to submit a certified copy of my id document. How can I have that done. My ID document is an international passport issued by NIS.

Find a lawyer/barrister/JP to certify it for you. You will need to certify copies of all your documents including certificates too. If you're in Abuja, I can give you details of one.

PalestianIsrael:
Hi Elders,

Had to create a new account to hide my identity.

Need urgent advice. Domestic Violence.

I need advice from Elders who have either experienced similar issues or know people that have. We bought have pictures of the injuries we inflicted to each other as ammunition if things escalate to police.

I’m really confused. Please help!!!

https://mensadviceline.org.uk/ Go to them for advice. They will not only advice you but provide you with the necessary resources, guidance and support you need. Good luck and stay alive!

fetomowo:
@Ticha @justwise @lexus

Is there anyone familiar with life insurance policies?

Please someone is trying to sell me life insurance, should I go for it? What are your thoughts on life insurance in the UK? what are the best policy and what product should I be looking at? Thanks.

We have life insurance and critical illness cover. It's useful to us and we've had one for over 10 years. We also ensure that the life insurance we chose is not cancelled out by death in service benefits/pay-outs. My husband has a very generous death in service and we found some of the fine print of life insurances will not pay out if the death in service payment is higher than the life insurance payout!

We've opted for a sliding payment one which pays off all our existing mortgages especially as all our mortgages are repayments so the amount reduces every year. It's also tied into the trust we set up so the payment goes into the trust which is administered by trustees.

Ours is with Aviva.

PS - if you want to get life insurance, research it yourself and find your own broker if you don't have the me to go through different providers and compare. Don't be talked int it as some advisors are only after their commission.

Yashita:


Thank you Ticha. I was searching for jobs on New Zealand's green list, but I haven't even seen the green list. I really have many questions to ask but let me check the other thread link

Haba jama'a! Go to the NZ immigration website - every single bit of information about visas is there. If you have further questions, do ask. But make sure you have also done your homework by thoroughly reading through the different visas and their requirements.

Everything you need to know about the green list is here - https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/preparing-a-visa-application/working-in-nz/qualifications-for-work/green-list-occupations

femijck:
Great job you're doing here Ticha. Your responses are so helpful to so many, more than you could imagine.

I remember this thread because couple of days ago, I met someone who recently arrived here in Akl, we got talking and I mentioned something about Nairaland and he's next question was are you "Femijck" that blew my mind. So incredible to know that something I wrote many years ago is still very informative to some today.

So keep up the good job @Ticha

Aww thank you! You started the good work and the left me
It is really disheartening to see how easily people get scammed.

Yashita:


Hello all,

please I need guidance. Who has successfully applied for vocational programs in a New Zealand school and gotten job/PR afterwards?

https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas should be your starting point. It also takes a minimum of 4 years to get PR unless your job is on the green list. Check what level of study entitles you to a post study visa before you jump

ehizario2012:


This is soothing to the ear o. I have over 10 years experience as a Relationship Manager with three banks from Nigeria but currently working in a warehouse for now, I will appreciate any advice on any industry to focus my professional job search on.

I passed NatWest bank interviews here and currently waiting for their offer, but I really don't want to do sales anymore in UK jare. We don do marketing tire for Nigeria.

I know there'll be guys here who were once in my position but better off now, ur advice would be appreciated please.

Consider roles that have Communications, Stakeholder Engagement, L & D etc in the titles as you'll be able to show strong transferable skills.

muhyideenabdul:


Hope they will not send me to another country for the process

Why would they do that? It's important to know the visa processes of any country you're interested in applying to - https://www.immigration.govt.nz/ is a one stop shop to everything NZ visas. It would be wise to familiarise yourself with the website.

muhyideenabdul:

@TICHA please I will be glad to talk with you on WhatsApp 07060924065

I will continue throwing my questions here but I will need to ask some funny questions privately please

Please send me an email.

muhyideenabdul:

I believe to missed quote it

My question is, since they have no embassy here in Nigeria how can one get proof as a visa to that destination?

You apply and submit the application online. Of you need biometrics, you'll be informed where to go do them. Same as medicals. All their visas are e -visas so you get your visa by email. Which is then linked to your passport.
It's why there a prevelance of scam visas.

ab4m:
Hello,

Please does anyone know if there is Naija community in Otago?

For those already in NZ studying PhD, how will you rate employment there generally and possibility of combining PhD with fulltime or part-time employment?

I am starting my PhD Finance 1 November self funded, hence the need for this information before departing Naija to enable me plan well.

Thank you.

There's a small Nigerian community in majority of the big cities. Ask the pastoral care support staff at Otago to put you in touch with existing African students there before you come

BorisJohanson:


Hello Ticha.
#MeToo

Hehe oya send me email and I'll send it over

muhyideenabdul:
Can someone help me, how do I get the approval copy for New Zealand visa since Nigeria is among their Visa Waivers?

Nigeria is definitely not a visa waiver country. Go read the NZ immigration website thoroughly

babajeje123:

Agreed o, that's why I said I need help on available options.

Send me an email - I have a spreadsheet of all the towns and cities within a 60 minute train ride of London linking it by train stations. When we briefly worked in London, we lived in St Neots. Took 45 mins on the train and about 1 hour door to door

evalovely:


I tried cash app and was told it’s only applicable to send money to US and not Canada

I didn’t check PayPal
a lame question though 🙈 - can I pay money into someone PayPal account for them to transfer to their bank account please?

Use Wise

Rhoda95:
Good day,
Please can someone who wants to study an undergraduate program travel with dependants to NZ?

No. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/assist-migrants-and-students/assist-students/student-visa-info

mizGene:
Guys pls which is the best bank card to use abroad?

Get a Wise card. It operates as local currency and charges are minimal

ukay2:
very interesting story to watch


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7RevkoUiMo

He's quite the predator. You should do some reading on his practices in the property education (not properties itself) industry. Whilst at it, check him out on companies house.

tinutunde:
Please I need a therapist,mental health issue is driving me crazy

Go to your GP and ask for a referral - if waiting lists are long, opt for private and pay out of pocket and you'll get seen earlier.

amanze54:
Yeah you have a point there, I have looked that I have advantage to bargain but salaries are fixed for the role, also since I don't have other jobs offer on the table, I feel I need to take up one

Both jobs are on a government salary scale and both also have defined pensions. Teachers are employed by the LEA and follow that scale. Unless you end up in a private school.

amanze54:
Please I need some guidance, advice and feedback...

I have two offers which I am divided on which to choose

I am through with my MSc in Data Science here and already on tier 2 courtesy of my wife who got a sponsored support work

The first offer is a prison officer with a starting salary of 28k.

The second offer is a Department of Education Financed training to be a physic teacher with a bursary of 28k for 10 month, I will be paid 19k while 9k will go to the Secondary school providing the training which is affiliated to a university. At the end I will be given QTS ( qualifications to teach) and a PGCE. Now at the end of the training, I am required to look for a teaching job.

Please I need a guidance on which to go, given the peculiarity of this country.

September is start date for both.

Do not mind any grammatical error.
Note I can't do both given the way the training is structured

Take the teaching role - you will be snatched up quickly as a Physics teacher. You can also choose to teach A levels only removing any behaviour issues in class. Even at higher secondary level, most students in your class will be there by their choice and academic ability

1. QTS is widely accepted everywhere
2. You can easily transit out of teaching after your NQT year (so max 2 years teaching) into other fields (check the bursary doesn't have a timeframe to it)
3. You will be able to work part time in your study field (school holidays, weekends should you choose to do so)
4. The teaching experience will not be lost when you transit into your data thingymajingy. Teaching experience and skills is one of the most general and versatile skill sets to have

But then I am biased as qualified teacher - PS I have used my teaching quals from the UK in 3 western countries so far and I officially stopped teaching 6 years ago.