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Buy to let

Here at Winston Solicitors, we can act for you if you decide to buy property for investment purposes.

How to plan your buy to let purchase

You will need to plan your buy to let purchase carefully. This will involve:

Ask friends or colleagues to recommend a mortgage broker or financial advisor or contact your bank or building society directly. They should be able to discuss the affordable options with you and help you choose the best mortgage to suit you. 

You will be liable to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax at the higher rate if you will own more than one property on completion. Your conveyancer will complete the Land Transaction Return (Stamp Duty Land Tax Form) for you to sign, based on the information that you provide. If you think that you do not need to pay the higher rate, you should obtain specialist tax advice from an accountant or financial advisor.
You should also ask your accountant or financial advisor to provide income tax advice and capital gains tax advice. 

Think carefully before choosing a property to invest in. Would you prefer a newer property or an older property? An older property might give you the opportunity to add more value. 
If the property is let, or is going to be let, to more than three people who are not from the same family, it will be a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). You will need to comply with all the rules and regulations relating to HMOs. Some lenders will not lend on HMOs.

Your lender will impose additional “Buy to Let” conditions, which will include conditions relating to the type of tenancy agreement and the nature of the tenant. For example, some lenders will not lend on HMOs (see above) or on student lets, and many lenders will require short term assured shorthold tenancy agreements. You should check your lender’s requirements with your mortgage broker/financial advisor or your lender.

Ask friends or colleagues to recommend a surveyor. Your surveyor will be able to carry out a survey and tell you how much rent the property is likely to yield.

  • Any existing tenancy agreement must comply with the lender’s requirements. Any deposit paid by the tenant must be registered with an approved deposit protection scheme.
  • Up to date gas certificates and electrical certificates must be supplied.
  • All other relevant rules and regulations must be complied with.
  • Your conveyancer will raise appropriate tenancy enquiries and will discuss the replies with you. 

You will need to budget for all the costs and fees relating to your investment purchase, including your survey fees, mortgage broker’s fees (if any), buy to let property insurance, legal fees and stamp duty land tax. 

Speak to family, friends and colleagues, to see if they can recommend a good conveyancer. You need to have confidence in your conveyancer. A good conveyancer will ensure that the process is as smooth as possible but will also raise all necessary enquiries. The process will involve form filling, document signing, telephone calls and emails.

You will be speaking to your conveyancer a lot during the process. Your conveyancer will be able to reassure you and address any concerns that you have.

When you are purchasing a property it is advisable to make or update your will to ensure any assets in your estate are distributed as you choose.

Ask for a free conveyancing quote by calling our conveyancing team on 0113 320 5000.

Client feedback

I would definitely highly recommend the efficiency & good communication thry have & have had several properties successfully completed with
Mr H
Excellent local solicitors would recommend. You can call in the office car parking available and receptionists very helpful if you need help. Dealt with them before, excellent.
Ian
Winston Solicitors was recommended to me, as this was my first time buying a house and didn’t know what to expect. They made the process very easy and I did not have to worry about any of the process as I got to track it every step of the way. Samantha also kept me updated and any queries were replied to promptly. I will definitely be using again in the future and recommend everyone I know.
Mr Michel
I can’t speak highly enough of Sidraa at Winston Solicitors for her exceptional support throughout my house purchase. From start to finish, she has been absolutely brilliant. Her prompt responses, attention to detail, and professionalism made a stressful process feel manageable and smooth. This is actually the second time I’ve used Winston Solicitors, and once again, they have been great. Consistent, reliable, and professional and Sidraa in particular truly went above and beyond. She was always kind, polite, and incredibly approachable, nothing ever felt like too much trouble. Even when dealing with a particularly difficult chain and the added pressure of a new stamp duty deadline, she worked tirelessly to get everything done on time. She responded to queries even out of hours, always called back when she said she would, and genuinely made me feel like a priority. What really stood out to me was her dedication — despite having preplanned annual leave for Eid, she still tried to keep things moving, which shows how committed she is to her clients. Her communication was clear and consistent, and she made a complex process feel a lot less daunting. I felt fully supported and in safe hands throughout. If you're looking for a solicitor who is professional, caring, and truly exceptional at what she does, Sidraa at Winston Solicitors is the one to go to. I’m incredibly grateful for everything she did and wouldn’t hesitate to work with her again or recommend her to others. - April 2025
I Younas, Leeds
I would really like to thank both Amr and his assistant Joe. Throughout the whole process they kept me informed, nothing was ever too much. I am a first time buyer, this was a very stressful time but both members of staff made me feel at ease that it would get sorted. Thank you so much both!
Y Hinton, Leeds
Leasa and Julie were fantastic at helping us buy and sell our house. They were punctual, and kept us up to date with what was going on. Their online platform was clear to follow. Leasa's email response time was rapid, this was incredibly valuable. - March 2025
J Salthouse, Leeds
Superb service from a knowledgeable and professional team.The sale of my property was as far from straight forward as you could get, yet they handled everything perfectly. This made the process less stressful as i had the confidence in them to get it sorted!
Amy
2nd time using Winstons. 1st time was for a purchase and 2nd time was for a Sale. Sidra and Tom kept me updated at each stage of the process. We're very prompt in their responses and completed both times in a timely manner. Would highly recommend for conveyancing services
Farhana
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