Property inspection during pandemic Scotland

Agencies and other headaches, keys and cleaners, running costs and contracts...in short, all the things we spend so much of our time doing behind the scenes.<br>
Mmmbobby
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Joined: Thu Dec 07, 2017 10:35 am

Property inspection during pandemic Scotland

Post by Mmmbobby »

Can anyone tell if it is permissible to leave my house to visit my holiday let once a week, to make sure everything is Ok
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CSE
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Post by CSE »

Catherine Calderwood found out it is illegal. :lol:
Never try to out-stubborn your guests.
GillianF
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Post by GillianF »

See above! Can you get a neighbour to check for you if you are worried.
Mmmbobby
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Post by Mmmbobby »

Catherine Calderwood displayed an arrogance that is to be expected from a person in high authority. All I want to do is have a five minute look around my property to make sure there are no leaks etc. It is a first floor apartment and I must take responsibility for the business below.
zebedee
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Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

I don’t know what the law is in Scotland, or how vigorously the police are applying the rules about non essential travel. I am not in Scotland, but personally, I am paying someone to do the checks on my property.

I suspect everyone else who is not on site is either doing the same or have a friendly neighbour doing it for them??

We are all in the same position as you are.

Edited to add: Why don’t you just get someone to turn the water off ?? That way there can be no leaks.
Mmmbobby
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Post by Mmmbobby »

Have to go on site to do that. The less people who do go on site the better. Only looking for a bit of advice.
Sparks
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Post by Sparks »

Find the appropriate legislation online. For England it is:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/made

Print off and highlight the passages that apply to you and what you are doing. For the above I would use:
Restrictions on movement

6.—(1) During the emergency period, no person may leave the place where they are living without reasonable excuse.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a reasonable excuse includes the need—

(f)to travel for the purposes of work or to provide voluntary or charitable services, where it is not reasonably possible for that person to work, or to provide those services, from the place where they are living;
Carry identification and if stopped reasonably explain what you are doing. It might also be an good idea not to have the whole family jam packed in the car and a picnic basket and frizbee in the boot. :D
Mmmbobby
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Post by Mmmbobby »

I think it could be reasonably described as work. If it is not a business then I won’t have to pay tax on what we earn (or not at the moment) from running it&#128518;
Sparks
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Post by Sparks »

Furthermore some insurance policies state that there must be an regular inspection of the property if unoccupied.

It might also be an idea to write a to whom it may concern letter with the property logo/header on it stating that you are the property manager and giving a telephone number that someone could vouch for you on.

From a personal point of view if travelling to another area I would make sure that iI only entered the property and brought everything I needed with me having no contact with anyone else at local shops or neighbours for instance.
zebedee
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Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

My understanding is that for tax purposes, income from property is classed as Unearned Income therefore it is not your work - even if you do the changeovers.

That’s why it all goes on a different bit of the tax form.
jafa
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Post by jafa »

Of course its work. The fact its on a separate part of the Tax return doesn't mean its not.

A lot of people own portfolios of property and pay tax just like everyone else do on for example PAYE

The fact that its rental income is irrelevant. The tax they pay the revenue is the same as anyone else. The fact that they have to go to the property and manage it is no different to anyone else going to work. In some cases, they manage it themselves.
Jafa
zebedee
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Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

So how come if I do a changeover, I cannot claim a fee. If we do work on the property we cannot claim for our time, just for the parts that are used, yet I can claim the full cost for paying a cleaner and for paying the full wage of any contractor????
Sparks
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Post by Sparks »

This has gone off at a strange tangent.

My take is if you paid yourself a fee as you are the same entity the fee would be taxable at the same rate as if you hadn't bothered. This makes the transaction pointless.

:?

Does that even make any sense?

I suppose the way around it would to be to set up a limited company and employ yourself as then there would be 2 entities, yourself and the company. You would then only pay tax on your earnings from the company and the company would pay tax on it's profits. probably not worth the extra hassle.
Mmmbobby
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Post by Mmmbobby »

It’s giving us all something to think/talk about as we self isolate. Stay safe everybody!
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