Bowl for Health in Sefton

Over a ⅓ Admit Snooping on Partner to Check They Haven't Been Cheating

MORE than a ⅓ of suspicious Brits have turned detective on their partner to check they haven't been cheating by checking their mobile and Facebook. Snooping social media accounts, looking at a partner's WhatsApp and text messages on their phone or tablet and getting into their emails were the most popular forms of keeping tabs on their partners, new research has revealed. The tech savvy younger generation are much more likely to snoop, with 56% of 16 to 24 year olds and 58% of 25 to 34 year olds admitting they had looked at their partner's devices. 4 in 10 of those who spied on their partner said they would check their phone at least once a week. Shockingly, 1 in 5 men who checked their partner's mobile even admitted to waiting until their partner was asleep to use their finger print to get into their mobile. 2% went to the extreme level of hiring a private detective to catch their partner out. 51% discovered something that made them think that their partner was cheating, with 45% of those finishing with them as a result of what they found. But those questioned couldn't agree on what 'cheating' was; with 60% saying sexting was enough, 28% saying flirting, 14% saying emotionally confiding and 11% saying kisses on the end of text messages constituted betrayal. 6% said that liking somebody else's post on social media showed their partner was being unfaithful. The survey of 2,000 Brits was carried out by family law specialists Hodge Jones and Allen after solicitors noticed more and more people are citing information found on their partner's devices as examples of unreasonable behaviour and adultery for divorce.

Jacqueline Major, Head of Family Law at Hodge Jones and Allen, said:- "We are seeing more and more people who have turned detective on their partner by looking through their devices and social media. As we live our lives increasingly on mobile devices and social media platforms, they have become a mine of information for suspicious partners. But while it may be tempting to have a furtive look, be prepared for the consequences if you dig up nothing and your partner finds out you have breached their privacy in this way. If you do find evidence of inappropriate behaviour, this could be used as grounds of unreasonable behaviour in a divorce, but if you do not and your partner found out that you were looking through their phone that could be used against you as unreasonable behaviour, and it proves your trust in your partner has gone."

Women are most likely to snoop on their partner with 37% admitting to it, while 33% of men said they had checked up on their partner's messages and social media activity. 26% of all those questioned admitted that they know the passwords to their partner's phone while 18% knew their partner's Facebook login. 11% said they thought mobile technology and apps had made cheating easier. Of those who discovered suspicious entries on their partner's devices 20% found flirty messages, 12% found their partner had been sexting pictures, 17% saw their partner was constantly messaging somebody else and 10% said they had uncovered evidence that their partner was having sex with somebody else. A total of 13% became annoyed at finding kisses on texts.  Women are more likely to say something to their partner with 79% who found something confronting their other ½ when they found something suspicious, while 73% of men said something. Ironically, when the tables were turned 25% said they would consider finishing their relationship if they found out that their partner had checked up on them.

Jacqueline Major added:- "Be wary before playing with 5; you never know what you may find and something that may actually be innocuous and innocent can be misconstrued. A false accusation could lead to your relationship falling apart."

Landlords in the North West face lower costs than UK average

THE North West of England has been identified as the ⅓ cheapest Region in Britain to be a landlord, according to specialist mortgage lender, Kent Reliance for Intermediaries (see table below). The research found that the average cost for landlords in the Region (excluding mortgage costs and tax, but including void periods) was ₤2,475 per property per year. This compares to the national average total of ₤3,571 per year, 32.9% of average rental income. These costs have risen by 5.6% in the last two years without factoring in increasing taxes.

London was identified as having the highest average costs for landlords, at ₤6,455 per property. However, the higher rents mean that this equates to 31.3% of landlords' rental income, the lowest cost to rent proportion in the country. The South East was the second most expensive Region, with landlords spending an average of ₤3,656, or 34.2% of rental income, followed closely behind by the East of England with average costs of ₤3,300, or 34.6%.

In the North West, on average ₤555 is currently being spent on maintenance, repair and services, and ₤655 spent on letting agent fees per property. A typical landlord spends ₤298 per property each year in ground rents and service charges. Insurance typically costs ₤149, and legal and accountancy fees ₤107, with administrative and license fees add another ₤64 per year. Voids accounted for an average of ₤369 in the Region.

Within the Region, it was landlords in Trafford that spent the most on their properties with an average of ₤3,928 per year, followed by South Lakeland with ₤3,243. At the other end of the scale, Burnley was found to have the lowest running costs in the Region to be a landlord, with an average spend of ₤1,552.

Through their spending across the country, landlords currently contribute ₤16.1bn to the British economy. However, 36% said they were considering cutting expenditure as a consequence of tax rises and higher running costs.

Adrian Moloney, Sales Director of OneSavings Bank, comments:- "The significant economic contributions landlords make both at a local and national level is often overlooked. They support thousands of jobs through their spending and house a nation that is increasingly reliant on renting. Instead, landlords have faced punitive tax and regulatory changes, at a time when running costs are climbing. Policies that increase the cost and complexity of being a landlord don't benefit tenants; quite the opposite. Property investors will seek to protect their business's margins, whether cutting their spending on elements like property maintenance and improvement, or raising rents. The recent reforms are also deterring new investment, especially from amateur landlords. This does little to tackle the housing market's chronic undersupply of property. Further intervention could prove counterproductive with many landlords still coming to terms with change. A heavy handed version of rent control that prevents them from absorbing rising costs, for instance, could prove to be a tipping point leading to a dwindling supply of rental homes. However, there is a real opportunity to align longer term tenancies to fixed term mortgage products. This would not only provide stability within the sector, but provide a platform for the private rental sector and the Government to work together to create a more positive outcome in the social housing debate."