A Labour proposal to apply National Insurance contributions to rental income could be the ‘final nail in the coffin’ for private landlords, critics say. The move will reshape the UK’s private rented sector with a dwindling property supply and soaring rents. The plan, aimed at addressing a £40 billion public finance shortfall, targets landlords’ ‘unearned […]

Landlord insurance is essential, yet many property investors are unsure what it really covers. Some assume a standard home policy is enough. Others pick the cheapest option and only discover the gaps when a claim is declined. This article explains the core covers, the common pitfalls, and how to structure policies so they protect income […]

One landlord thought their new tenancy was running smoothly until a neighbour spotted strangers with suitcases arriving every few days. A quick online search revealed the flat advertised on Airbnb – without the landlord’s knowledge or consent. The discovery The tenant had created a glossy listing with photos copied from the letting advert. Guests were […]

Areas where landlords might struggle to refinance due to their properties failing to meet lender interest coverage ratio (ICR) standards and potentially limiting their financial options, have been revealed. Specialist lender Octane Capital has uncovered where rental returns have been consistently poor over the past three years. Its research, which examined average yields across Great […]

More than 2,000 empty homes have been brought back into use in Scotland in the past year to help tackle the housing emergency. A report by the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHP) reveals 2,066 homes were brought back into use in 2024/25, and empty homes officers have helped bring a total of 12,955 homes back […]

England’s PRS stayed robust in August, with average monthly rents hitting £1,480 per property, just shy of the record set in July, according to the Goodlord Rental Index. This figure marks the second-highest rent since the index began tracking data in 2019. Despite a slight 1% dip from July’s peak of £1,496, rents are up […]

A London council has announced a new selective licensing scheme has come into force this week and will set landlords out of pocket by nearly £1,000. Lambeth Council has announced the selective licensing scheme is in operation across 23 of Lambeth’s 25 electoral wards, which the council claims is to “tackle anti-social behaviour.” Under the […]

When Refinancing Beats Selling (And When It Doesn’t) Selling can simplify life. Refinancing can improve cash flow without giving up good assets. The smart move is to compare the true net proceeds from a sale with the cash-flow uplift and resilience you could achieve by refinancing and de-gearing to a sensible target LTV. This article […]

Property prices across the UK saw a slight slowdown last month, with annual growth easing to 2.1%, down from 2.4% in July, according to Nationwide’s latest figures. It says the average house price is £271,079, reflecting a modest 0.1% month-on-month decline after seasonal adjustments. This cooling trend matches what Halifax recently noted with an annual […]

Buy-to-let landlords are facing a very different mortgage market in 2025 compared to even a few years ago. While demand for rental property remains strong, lenders have become far more cautious about how they assess whether your rental income can support the mortgage payments. Even seasoned portfolio landlords are finding that affordability tests can block […]

Landlords expect to see gardens a little overgrown between tenancies. What one landlord found, however, was more like a fly-tipping site than a backyard. Household waste, broken furniture and even bags of rotting food were piled against the fence, creating a health hazard and attracting vermin. The discovery The tenant had kept the inside of […]

One in five landlords now holds at least one rental property through a limited company which has boosted the buy to let mortgage sector. That’s according to Pegasus Insight’s latest Landlord Trends research which found that 20% of landlords own properties within a limited company structure. Also, 7% of landlords manage their entire portfolio this […]

The Deposit Protection Service (DPS) has rolled out a fresh initiative called ‘Renting 101’ designed to demystify the renting process for student tenants. There are nine concise videos in the campaign aimed at students and their families. The minute-long clips, shared across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn, cover essential topics. These include […]

We are leaseholders of three flats within a block. Beneath its are some shops. We found out by accident that the previous freeholder had sold off the freehold of our building to a new freeholder without notifying us. We as leaseholders have an interest and would have liked to purchase the freehold which, as I […]

Letting agents are deeply concerned about the impending Renters’ Rights Bill, which is set to create a complex compliance landscape for the private rented sector (PRS). According to Reapit’s Property Outlook Report 2025, the Bill’s regulations, which could become law this autumn, is the top concern for 60% of property professionals. The Bill will scrap […]

Scotland’s property taxes have reached record highs of £714.9 million, increasing by 18.2% over the 12 months from August 2024 to July 2025. That’s according to DJ Alexander, Scotland’s largest letting and estate agent, almost a third of this total, £221.3m (30.9%), came from the Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS), which is paid by second homeowners […]

Young tenants are being warned about a sharp rise in rent scams with scammers increasingly targeting them amid a growing housing crisis. Experts at Tiger.co.uk, a home insurance comparison site, are highlighting critical warning signs for those navigating the property hunt. Their advice is aimed at those aged 18 to 29, who made up 48% […]

It’s all hands on deck for landlords looking to sell, as September promises to be the “peak month” to sell property. Just one week away, buyers are already pushing to snap up buy-to-let houses and landlord property portfolios in the rush to complete before Christmas and the Budget. But why? Put simply, the Autumn Budget, […]

The vast majority of landlords won’t recognise the sector from a survey carried out by a law firm which alleges that ‘millions of tenants are living in fear of eviction’. The firm, Duncan Lewis Solicitors, also says that tenants endure unsafe housing conditions and some are being asked for sexual favours or unpaid labour in […]

The Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, has come under fire after allegedly ‘dodging’ £40,000 in stamp duty on an £800,000 seaside flat in Hove, East Sussex, by declaring it her primary residence. According to The Times, Ms Rayner removed her name from the deeds of her Greater Manchester home weeks before purchasing the Hove property, […]

I have just obtained an EPC C rating for a small (75 sqm) three-bedroom pre-war semi-detached house in a London borough. It scraped a 70C score, and the certificate gives a potential score of 79, which is 2 points below a B rating. The steps I could take “to save energy” are set out below, […]