Hourglass with a house and for sale sign symbolising landlords delaying property sales after the Renters' Rights Act changes.

UK house price growth slows as sales fall 9%

30th July 2026

The UK’s house price growth has slowed to 1.3% as higher mortgage rates and political uncertainty pushed sales agreed 9% below last year’s level, Zoopla reveals. The summer slowdown has been sharper than usual across most of the country. It says that the North East is the only region to buck the trend, with sales […]

Concerned landlord weighs selling a rental property amid rising interest rates and Capital Gains Tax uncertainty.

Realising gains before CGT changes: the new reason landlords are selling

29th July 2026

Ask landlords why they are selling, and the answer used to be regulation. This quarter, the survey tells a different story. The strongest pull towards the exit is now financial, and Capital Gains Tax is right at the top of it. For Q2, the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey expanded its question on why landlords sell, […]

Rent freeze campaign graphic showing frozen rent sign, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner and Generation Rent postcard initiative.

Generation Rent rent freeze campaign targets Angela Rayner

29th July 2026

Private renters are being encouraged to press new Housing Secretary Angela Rayner to bring in a rent freeze with a targeted postcard campaign. Generation Rent has launched a postcard drive asking the government to restrict how much landlords can increase rents. The campaign group says England has not had what it describes as proper rent […]

Sustainable property investment with solar panels, energy-efficient housing and growing green returns

HMO landlords accelerate EPC upgrades

29th July 2026

HMO landlords preparing for tighter energy performance certificate (EPC) rules are already bringing forward improvements, while many are shielding tenants from rising household bills. Research from Paragon Bank found that two-thirds of HMOs owned by landlords they surveyed have an EPC rating of between A and C. Around half of the wider housing stock meets […]

HMRC recovers £104m from landlord tax 'nudge letters'

HMRC recovers £104m from landlord tax ‘nudge letters’

29th July 2026

HM Revenue & Customs recovered £104.3 million in unpaid tax from landlords in 2025/26, the third consecutive year in which the total exceeded £100 million. Landlords made 11,511 voluntary disclosures during the year, the highest number since 2018/19. The average payment was £9,063, down from a record £13,713 in the previous year. The figures, obtained […]

Government rules out Nightingale-style courts as court backlog concerns continue amid housing reform changes.

Government rules out Nightingale-style courts for possession cases

29th July 2026

The government has ruled out Nightingale-style courts to tackle the court backlog, despite reforms causing concern. In a written parliamentary answer, Justice Minister Sarah Sackman denied there was a national backlog for possession cases As previously reported by Property118, Propertymark has called for the creation of specialist housing courts. No national backlog for possession cases […]

Knife cutting a percentage symbol for buy-to-let mortgage rate changes

Buy to let lenders cut rates and one adds bridging

29th July 2026

Among the buy to let lenders revamping their ranges this week are ModaMortgages which has removed application fees from a limited edition range, Buckinghamshire Building Society has repriced specialist products and RAW Capital Partners has entered the bridging market. Meanwhile, a NatWest BTL mortgage has retained its Moneyfacts ‘Best Buy’ status despite a modest rate […]

Leasehold Reform and the Commonhold Question: Evolution or Revolution?

29th July 2026

Article by Katherine Simpson, Partner at Edwin Coe LLP The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (LAFRA) represents one of the most significant changes to residential property law in a generation. But do its most significant provisions, the abolition of the two-year ownership rule and the enhanced availability of right to manage (RTM), reduce the […]

Water dripping from a ceiling fire sprinkler head with surrounding water stains, illustrating a suspected sprinkler leak in a leasehold flat.

Fire safety equipment – who is responsible? The tenant or managing agent?

29th July 2026

Hi, I have a suspected sprinkler slow drip leak in my leasehold flat ceiling. The property developers checked and don’t believe its a roof issue (I’m on the top floor). The managing agent believes it’s my responsibility to pay for the investigation and has claimed that I’m responsible if the sprinklers serve my flat. The […]

Fly-tipped rubbish piled in an alleyway behind rented homes under CCTV surveillance

Town’s landlords face clean-up warning

29th July 2026

Landlords with property in one town are being urged to check the external condition of it and avoid a formal enforcement action if it needs cleaning. Swindon Council is contacting more than 2,000 landlords and private homeowners for its Big Town Centre Clean-Up this summer. Leaflets are being delivered across the town centre asking owners […]

Rising rental costs and stricter tenant checks as UK landlords respond to increasing operating and regulatory expenses.

Landlords tighten tenant checks as costs rise

28th July 2026

Landlords are raising rents and becoming more selective about tenants as operating and regulatory costs climb, according to new research. Some landlords are also putting property improvement work on hold, even while preparing to buy more properties. Handelsbanken surveyed 200 UK property investors, landlords and property management professionals for its fifth annual Property Investor Report. […]

Falling house prices and landlord investment returns illustrated by a house, piggy bank and downward red arrow

Nine in 10 landlords no longer believe property will beat inflation

28th July 2026

For decades, the case for buy to let rested on one quiet assumption: that property values would rise over time. New survey data suggests landlords have stopped believing it. When the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey asked landlords in Q2 what they expected to happen to property values over the next three years, the answers were […]

Hand placing a pound coin above new-build homes, illustrating Right to Buy reforms and social housing investment.

Government urged to boost social homes and restore LHA rates

28th July 2026

A think tank is urging the government to ringfence its £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) for social rented homes. Research by the Resolution Foundation suggests that using the full £39 billion to build council homes for social rent would still leave the government around 5,000 homes a year short of its target […]

Dog and kitten resting together on a sofa, symbolising responsible pet ownership in rental housing

Pet-friendly searches drop as Renters’ Rights Act changes tenant behaviour

28th July 2026

The number of tenants searching for pet-friendly properties has dropped following the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act, according to new data. Findings from Rightmove reveal that searches by prospective tenants for rental properties specifically advertised as allowing pets were down 54% in May compared with the same month last year, and 52% in June […]

Rocket launch illustration showing 1,700% growth in UK landlord limited company registrations since 2000.

Landlord company registrations rocket by 1,700%

28th July 2026

Landlord company registrations rose from 1,882 in 2000 to a record 34,128 in 2025, an increase of more than 1,700%, according to an analysis of Companies House records. Nearly 14,000 more businesses were incorporated during the first five months of 2026, continuing a sharp rise in landlords operating through limited companies. The research by specialist […]

Theatre curtain opening beside a gold question mark, symbolising the announcement of Generation Rent’s new chief executive.

Revealed: New Generation Rent chief executive

28th July 2026

Holly Williamson has been announced as the new chief executive of Generation Rent. Ms Williamson takes over from Ben Twomey, who was chief executive for three years. Her appointment comes at a time when the Renters’ Rights Act is in force, and there is growing discussion around the possibility of rent controls. Bring experience to […]

Students relaxing in shared accommodation with Renters’ Rights Act sign highlighting housing changes

Will Renter’s Rights Act affect student summer retainers and access?

28th July 2026

We let to students and usually give a 50% discount on the rent during July and August, provided they don’t occupy the property during those months. Student landlords will know that July and August are the ‘maintenance months’. The father (who says he is a lawyer) of one tenant has said that under the Renter’s […]

Worker removing a letting agent board outside a student rental home in Birmingham after council enforcement.

Court backs city council’s letting board crackdown

28th July 2026

Letting boards left outside occupied student homes for years are being removed from one city’s streets after a council crackdown was backed by the courts. The signs had effectively become permanent, with officials saying most were advertising the agents rather than the properties. Now Birmingham City Council says it will begin enforcement action following complaints […]

Alternative tenant referencing options including employment, credit, affordability and digital verification for UK landlords.

Government urges landlords to adopt alternative referencing methods as checks tighten

27th July 2026

The government has encouraged landlords to use other available referencing criteria to give them confidence the tenancy is suitable. In a written parliamentary answer, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook encouraged landlords to use alternative referencing where a previous landlord reference is unavailable, following concerns over landlords not providing a tenancy reference until a tenant has served […]

Warning sign and model house symbolising landlords leaving the UK private rented sector amid policy changes.

Same landlords, louder warning, two quarters of data the government won’t hear

27th July 2026

For the first time, the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey has something it never had before: a like-for-like comparison. Two quarters in, the message is not that landlords are in trouble. It is that they have made a decision. When more than 2,000 landlords answered the same questions three months apart, the striking finding was not […]