By Tony Booth

All landlords in Manchester and Salford now need to be licensed under new rules and all properties, including buy-to-lets, in selective areas of the cities.

The measures are intended to ensure landlords maintain high standards of managing their accommodation and to help control the anti-social behaviour of tenants.

Early fears that this new initiative was bound to spread after it was introduced in Salford have already been realised, as Salford's big neighbour - Manchester - has introduced the same measures - expect for Gorton, which will come under the scheme next month.

Watch out, because your area could be next ... and at around £500 a property and with fines imposed at up to £20,000 for non-compliance, it could severely affect your BTL annual yield.