Page 11 – Property118
Landlord rejecting advance rent payments under new Renters’ Rights Act rules for UK tenants

Renters’ Rights Act could leave tenants with fewer options

21st May 2026

Landlords look set to bring in tougher tenant checks as new Renters’ Rights Act rules ban advance rent payments of more than one month. Research from LRG found that fewer than a third of landlords are fully aware of the restriction, while 43% know the rules have changed but remain unsure of the details. A […]

Crowd outside London rental developments with To Let sign as tenant demand rises under the Renters’ Rights Act

London lettings demand and supply rise

21st May 2026

Landlords in London entered the new Renters’ Rights Act regime with supply above last year and tenant demand rising into spring. Foxtons’ Lettings Market Index for April shows new listings were 3.7% higher year on year, although they fell 6% compared with March after the early spring peak. The figures provide the final market snapshot […]

UK rental prices rise 3.5% with to let sign and upward trend graphic

UK rents rise 3.5% as house prices stall – ONS

21st May 2026

The average UK private rent was £1,381 in April after a 3.5% annual increase, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals. It says that annual rent growth edged up from 3.4% in March, with rents rising across all four UK nations. In England, average monthly rent reached £1,438 in April, up 3.5% or £48 from […]

Residents reviewing plans outside a modern apartment building illustrating the shift from leasehold to commonhold ownership.

A direct comparison between leasehold and commonhold

21st May 2026

Commonhold is an alternative form of property ownership to freehold and leasehold. Whilst commonhold has existed since 2002, it has proved to be hugely unpopular, with only 20 commonhold buildings currently existing in England and Wales. Perhaps the greatest issue with commonhold, however, is a lack of understanding. Not all mortgage lenders, for example, will […]

Collapsing house sale symbolising failed UK property transactions and wasted moving costs

Collapsed house moves cost the UK £2bn

21st May 2026

Landlords watching the sales market face another warning sign, with failed house moves now estimated to be costing the UK economy almost £2bn a year. Research from the Open Property Data Association found that 58% of property transactions collapse after an offer has been accepted. The findings point to a home-buying process in which buyers […]

£££ CASHFLOW £££

20th May 2026

What if your existing rental property portfolio could generate up to 50% more cashflow, without increasing rents or buying more property? Many landlords have been telling us recently they “don’t know what to do for the best“. The reasons most often cited are; increasing compliance, taxation, and thoughts about retirement, succession planning and inheritance tax. […]

Gauge showing rental market pressure beside a sold property sign and Renters’ Rights Act 2026 book

Landlord sell-off before Renters’ Rights Act leaves rental market under pressure

20th May 2026

Ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act coming into effect, landlords sold up as rental demand continued to outstrip supply, according to a new survey. Propertymark’s Housing Insight report found that concerns over the incoming regulation prompted many landlords to exit the market before the changes took effect. The industry body warned that reduced supply is […]

Rental home EPC rating graphic urging landlords to upgrade before the 2030 deadline

Landlords told to prepare early for EPC C 2030 upgrades

20th May 2026

A firm has warned landlords to act now rather than later to meet the EPC C 2030 deadline. Glevum Windows says that with the Renters’ Rights Act now in force, landlords should start preparing upgrades without delay. According to BTL lender The Mortgage Works, only one in three landlords (33%) has a clear understanding of […]

Dog looking out apartment window after tenant requests permission to keep a pet in a no-pets building

How should I respond to a pet request in a no-pets tenancy?

20th May 2026

Hello all, we have just received a request for a pet (dog) in our apartment block. The tenant has been with us for less than a year, and their original contract stated ‘No Pets’. We have a complete block of 14 flats, which has carpeted hallways and zero amenity space. The closest green space is […]

Social Housing Bill presented in Parliament with housing developments and families symbolising affordable housing reform

Social Housing Bill aims to boost supply but Shelter warns government must go further

20th May 2026

The government has unveiled the Social Housing Bill to Parliament, but one charity claims it does not go far enough. The bill aims to incentivise the building of more social homes and protect social housing tenants. However, while Shelter has welcomed the bill, the housing charity says the government must do more, calling for 90,000 […]

Buy to let mortgage rates cut as landlords weigh refinancing options

Landlords get new buy to let mortgage rate cuts

20th May 2026

Landlords facing higher refinancing costs have been given fresh buy to let options after three lenders announced rate cuts and product launches. Leeds Building Society has reduced rates across its buy to let mortgage ranges, with cuts of up to 0.22%. Its BTL five-year fixed rate, running to 31 August 2031, has been cut from […]

Selective licensing approved stamp beside large 3D lettering symbolising landlords overturning council licence conditions

Landlords win as selective licensing rules are amended

20th May 2026

In a victory for landlords, a letting agent has successfully overturned unreasonable selective licensing conditions imposed by Charnwood borough council. AST Lettings Ltd brought a First-tier Tribunal case against the council, challenging burdensome selective licensing conditions on behalf of two of their landlords in the area. Following the ruling, the council has agreed to amend […]

Angela Rayner outside HMRC offices as a missile labelled “HMRC Penalty” flies past, symbolising avoided fines

Experts question why Angela Rayner avoided stamp duty penalty

20th May 2026

The stamp duty scandal involving Angela Rayner has prompted questions from industry experts over how she was able to avoid a financial penalty. Ms Rayner resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary after admitting she failed to pay the correct amount of stamp duty on her flat in Hove. However, last week Ms Rayner […]

Queue of prospective tenants outside homes for rent in a UK residential street amid housing shortages

Tenant demand is rising as home supply falls – RICS

20th May 2026

Tenant demand continues to rise while the supply of available homes for rent remains is falling, the latest RICS UK Residential Survey reveals. The survey found tenant demand rose to a net balance of +14%, while landlord instructions remained negative at -17%. A net balance of +25% of respondents also say they expect rents to […]

BlackRock isn’t buying your street. The truth is actually far more disturbing.

19th May 2026

There’s a growing narrative that giant institutions like BlackRock are buying up Britain’s suburban housing stock and pushing ordinary renters out of the market, but the reality is more complicated, and arguably more worrying. The large institutional funds are not the slightest bit interested in your average three-bedroom semi, ex-council flats, or the ageing Victorian […]

Stressed landlord facing court action over missing rental compliance documents and blocked possession claim

Miss one of these 7 documents and a court can block your possession claim

19th May 2026

Since 1 May 2026, Section 21 no longer exists. Every possession claim in England now runs through Section 8, and every Section 8 claim requires a specific legal ground. But here is the part that too few landlords have internalised: courts have the power to refuse possession if your compliance paperwork is not in order. […]

Selling with tenants in place may be easier than you think

19th May 2026

One of the most common reasons landlords postpone selling is simple: “I can’t sell yet, the property is tenanted.” That assumption keeps many owners stuck for months, sometimes years, but in reality, a tenanted property does not automatically prevent a sale. In some cases, it can even broaden the pool of potential buyers. The key is understanding […]

NEW Property118 readers poll: early responses reveal a familiar pattern

19th May 2026

Last month, we quietly introduced a short reader’s poll. It takes less than a minute to complete, and whilst responses are still at an early stage, the initial results are already pointing to something many experienced landlords will recognise in their own situation. Before we get into that, you can access the poll here: https://www.property118.com/property118-monthy-reader-poll/ […]

: Buy-to-let property at a crossroads under Making Tax Digital changes for UK landlords

Forget the RRA for a moment. Time to get out?

19th May 2026

Making Tax Digital will affect landlords, especially those who have other self employments and not using an accountant. Will have to do five self-assessment tax returns a year from this 2026 tax return (2025-26 tax year), depending on income. The income band drops each year – 2026 return (25-26 tax year) needs +£50k income from […]

Digital property management platform supporting Build-to-Rent and portfolio landlords

NRLA introduces new platform for portfolio and BtR landlords

19th May 2026

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is teaming up with a real estate advisors to launch NRLA Living to support portfolio and Build-to-Rent landlords. The organisation announced the launch of NRLA Living at the UKREiiF conference alongside agents Bidwells. Ben Beadle, the chief executive of the NRLA, said: “The private rented sector is undergoing once-in-a-generation […]

Scales balancing rent controls against rising rents in London property market scene

Charity urges balanced rent controls to tackle rising rents

19th May 2026

A charity is calling for rent controls to be introduced in a balanced way to mitigate unwanted consequences. A report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation reveals that if rent increases were capped at the Consumer Price Index (CPI) within tenancies, and CPI + 2% between tenancies, renters would save £1,200 by 2030. However, industry experts […]