4 year extension to 457 - wow! I thought the max time was 4 years in total have they changed it?

no change, there never was a 4 year max TOTAL, the max term for a 457 IS 4 years, but you can re-apply at any time as long as all relevant criteria is met. In my instance I played the game properley and ensured our application met any stringent audit.

Can't help with the accountant bit but there is a wealth of useful information for UK landlords on www.landlordzone.co.uk . I used to use the forum section all the time. Helps you work out what to look for in a letting agent and spot possible pitfalls before they happen (or at least minimise the damage). As a UK landlord it is very difficult, expensive and slow to evict a tenant, best not to learn from your mistakes.....

Ah, I wondered if extensions were possible, fortunatly we got PR before the 457 ran out.

So are you tossing a coin or drawing straws?

3rd application for 457 successful today - for another two years. Extensions are not possible . I asked and you have to apply for a new 457 visa. I'm on my third 457. Very easy application process and inexpensive. Found the employer whilst in OZ. Easy peasy!!!!

True, its not an extension per se in the official wording...but our application was the same as existing application and same justification. So extended but in official terms its a new 457!!

Mine has been with the same employer and same role.

Here's my UK house kitchen after the tenant set fire to it and the shiny new one after the insurance has finished fixing it. The work was completed yesterday.

Looks very nice, you did OK out of it. Still I would rather not have the stress of tenant burning my kitchen down!

Same here, it was hard going fighting with the insurance co to honour the claim while at the same time settling in here. I could have done without that. Also, my insurance premium has trebled. But it would have been much much worse if I'd had no insurance at all.

Thankfully my managing agent has been fantastic thoughout and did way more than could be reasonably expected of her. Going to send her a Christmas bonus.

Paulry - can we see before and after photos of the tenant please?

A Nepalese family. Now they're in local authority accomodation so they're happy with the outcome as well.

Can I suggest you look up the following site for a completely different idea on what to do with your UK property:-

RENT TO BUY

http://www.nationalpropertygroup.co....-buy/overview#

i'll be happy to point out a few of the advantages of this now, but please feel free to send me a private message if you want more

1) Tenant comes into the property with a view to buying it eventually, and as such pays extra money each month for a deposit. The plan is that after 5 years they have set aside enough to buy property in 5 years time at a pre-agreed price

2) Tenant therefore has a vested interest to look after the property as it is their property, as much as yours (probably theirs more than yours, at least morally if not legally)

3) Buildings Insurance. Tenant is required to take out themselves. Unfortunately, due to terms of the mortgage, you are also required to have landlord buildings insurance also

4) Peace of mind. Completely

5) Interest in. Within 4 days of the boards going up, we had 3 'offers' and had the choice of who to take the tenancy

6) Who wins ? Everyone. You win, the tenant wins, and of course the company wins (and so they should of course), they should have their slice of the pie.

7) Technicalities / Complications. I could not believe how well the documentation was written and easy to understand. I have had the (un) fortunate experience of working with a lawyers for a number of years and it always riles me that they have choosen to write the english language in their way, and everyone else strives to make it simple. Well these guys running the NPG have went out of their way to make the contracts easy to read and understand, and of course most imporantly legally binding. At beginning of process I thought I was going to have to employ my own legal consul to cover my back, but did not do so

8) Australia here we are. We were not willing to let complications with the UK property stand in the way of this move, perhaps being a bit more foolhardy rather than brave. As it transpires we have landed and have complete peace of mind with UK.

Good luck to you in your hunt for insurance, but my suggestion to you and indeed others is to look at this fantastic innovative product, RENT TO BUY.

I used to live in Aldershot and near a lot of the Gurkha families, lovely people, extremely peaceful...but...pathological liars!! They hate confrontation and would say a bare faced lie to you rather than incur further questions from you aout something which they MAY have done wrong. Still, would happliy live with that group again, great family people.

That's very consistent with my estate agent's experience of them, to whom they told several huge porkies. I too have a fair bit of respect for that particular group of people but I'm glad these ones are no longer my tenants.