Mystic Mortar’s Landlord Horoscope Edition: Friday 3 October 2025 Welcome, star-gazers and key-holders, to another week where the skies sprinkle both promise and puzzles across your landlord journey. Gather close, for the stars whisper secrets of charm, caution and opportunity in the property realm. This week, the Sun in Libra joins Mercury and Venus, making […]

The Scottish Housing Bill has passed stage three and is expected to gain Royal Assent within weeks. The news has prompted a mixed reaction, with the Scottish Conservatives arguing the bill will do nothing to tackle the housing emergency in Scotland. Under the bill, ministers will have the power to implement a system of long-term […]

Letting agents could see their earnings plummet by more than a quarter when the Renters’ Rights Bill takes effect, one firm says. According to Goodlord, contract renewals currently generate 27% of typical agency income. However, the proposed elimination of fixed-term tenancies under the Renters’ Rights Bill threatens to wipe out this substantial revenue stream entirely. […]

House prices increased by 0.5% in September, as price growth remained steady, according to the Nationwide House Price Index. The data shows, on an annual basis, the average house price rose by 2.2%, up from a 2.1% annual growth rate in August. The average UK house price now stands at £271,005. Ongoing uncertainties in the […]

Landlords across England and Wales are continuing to benefit from strong returns, with most regions reporting annual improvements in yields and only two areas experiencing slight falls. That’s according to Fleet Mortgages’ Q3 2025 Buy to Let Rental Barometer which reveals that the North East leads the way with yields averaging 9%. It’s followed by […]

A letting agency claims landlords are not leaving the private rented sector but rather adapting to changes. The Leaders Roman Group (LRG) report finds that 60% of landlords intend to maintain their portfolios, while 22% are considering exiting the market. LRG says these decisions are driven by rising operating costs rather than a lack of […]

Nearly six in 10 landlords (57%) operate without any after-hours support for maintenance, management or urgent tenant issues, research reveals. The findings from property management firm Adiuvo found that only a third (33%) of landlords have comprehensive out-of-hours support in place. A further 10% rely on limited cover restricted to specific times, leaving a large […]

HM Land Registry is urging landlords to sign up to its free property alerts service after a surge in property scams. According to the Land Registry, the service has already prevented more than £59 million worth of fraudulent transactions. The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is also urging landlords to sign up to the service […]

I bought my first BTL in a corner of SE London in September 2012 for £132,500. It was a repossession and in a terrible mess, but the mess was superficial and I soon had it done up with a new kitchen and a new bathroom. The mortgage was £79,500 (60% LTV), and with various fees […]

This piece is part of our International Bizarre Landlord Stories series. Today’s story was first reported in the United States. Most landlords expect wear and tear from tenants, but one American landlord returned to their property only to find the entire downstairs had been stripped of furniture, carpets, and even interior doors. The tenants had […]

Despite Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook claiming the Renters’ Rights Bill is “fit for purpose”, a report by an influential committee tells a different story. In answer to a written question about the impact the Renters’ Rights Bill will have on the supply of private rental properties, Mr Pennycook denied the bill would have a harmful […]

If you’re building wealth through property, then I’d guess your plan is to pass that wealth on to your family? If so, then you need to pay attention, now. There is a massive threat coming and it can’t be ignored.  From 6 April 2027, the government is changing the rules on inheritance tax (IHT) and […]

London boroughs are spending more than £5 million a day on temporary accommodation to house the homeless. Analysis by London Councils reveals the amount spent on placing homeless families in temporary accommodation in the capital has risen by 42% since last year, compared to a 16% increase across the rest of England. London Councils is […]

Despite the number of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) growing in England, regional disparities reveal a dramatic decline in certain locations. Research by HMO management platform COHO reveal there are an estimated 472,823 HMO properties across England after an annual increase of 2.3%. However, in other parts of the country, HMO numbers have collapsed by […]

Dear all, hope all of you are keeping well and many thanks for your time with this post. The purpose of my question is to get any feedback or opinions from Property118 readers, as I am lost at the moment and struggling financially. I got a warrant for possession from Staines County Court dated 23.09.2025. […]

A firm has warned of a less predictable rental market ahead of the Renters’ Rights Bill becoming law. Goodlord’s latest Rental Index shows the market cooled in September after a record-breaking summer. While rents typically fall at this time of year, Goodlord warns the trend could change in the future with the Renters’ Rights Bill. […]

My previous letting agent found the current tenant in 2018 and managed the property until 2021. During that time, the agent collected the rent from the tenant but subsequently disappeared. Unfortunately, they only left me with the first and last pages of the tenancy agreement, and the Prescribed Information (PI) was not included. However, the […]

This piece is part of our International Bizarre Landlord Stories series. Today’s story was first reported in the United Kingdom. Some landlords have walked into properties to find damage, unpaid rent, or even strange pets. Few expect to discover their home completely converted into a large-scale cannabis operation. Yet this is exactly what happened in […]

If you were looking for a sign on whether or not to downsize or double down on your property portfolio, recent news has provided mixed messages on how landlords might be affected by the Renters’ Rights Bill. For many landlords, it’s time to sell, and for good reason: “London tenants are seeing rents fall, data […]

One of the quickest ways to undermine trust in politics is the feeling that those at the top are playing by a different set of rules. We’ve all seen examples of this creeping “them and us” culture, and one of the clearest cases is the Pensions Increase (Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC) Regulations 2013 […]

We have a situation to resolve where a tenant we have issued with a Section 21 is going to court, and there is the possibility of a custodial sentence. Without any experience in this direction, we are unsure what we can do. If he’s given a jail sentence, when does it begin, the same day […]