A council is urging residents, landlords and tenants to share their views on a proposed additional licensing scheme. The proposed Additional Licensing Scheme targets small Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), where three or more individuals from different households share facilities like kitchens and bathrooms. The scheme will, Woking Borough Council claims, raise living conditions in […]

A coalition of housing campaigners is appealing to England’s mayors to push for authority over rent controls for private tenants to help alleviate cost of living issues. The Homes for Us alliance, comprising 20 charities, trade unions and grassroots organisations, has written to regional mayors, urging them to press the government for rent control powers. […]

Scotland’s housing sector has seen a major downturn, with an 11% reduction in all-sector housebuilding starts and a 4% drop in completions between the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25. In the 12 months to March, the Scottish government’s data reveals that only 15,053 new homes were started, and 19,288 were completed, reflecting a marked decline […]

Tenants wanting a shared house with a usable garden will find that will be a challenge in many regions, research reveals. According to the HMO management platform Coho, only 48.9% of HMO rooms are in homes with a usable garden. That leaves many tenants without access to private outdoor areas for relaxation or practical tasks […]

If you’re a landlord, chances are you’ve heard of Awaab’s Law. And if you haven’t, now’s the time to pay attention. This isn’t just another government guideline or a tweak to how repairs are handled. Awaab’s Law is a groundbreaking moment in UK housing — and it’s going to have a huge impact. It’s not […]

An MP has accused landlords of keeping taxpayers’ money while failing to meet basic property standards. In a Work and Pensions Committee session for the Local Housing Allowance, Florence Eshalomi discussed the condition of private rented properties and how standards must be improved. The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) acknowledged there are bad landlords in […]

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme must provide more financial incentives to landlords or they will simply sell up, claims an industry body. Propertymark has responded to the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero consultation Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which offers grants to landlords and homeowners to replace gas boilers with heat pumps. The consultation has new […]

Buy to let mortgage providers Molo and ModaMortgages have unveiled new pricing structures and products aimed at boosting affordability for UK and expat landlords. Also, Nationwide has unveiled a new product for first-time buyers offering 95% LTV on new builds. Molo, a lender catering to UK and overseas property investors, has reduced fixed rates across […]

The buy to let mortgage sector has hit a new high for product availability climbing to a record 4,144 deals – the highest since November 2011. According to Moneyfactscompare.co.uk, this surge is accompanied by a big drop in borrowing costs, with the average two-year fixed rate dipping below 5% for the first time since September […]

Northumberland, West Midlands and County Durham are home to some of England’s biggest postcode house price premiums, outshining even the affluent markets of Surrey and Buckinghamshire, research reveals. The analysis from estate agency Yopa of recent sold price data pinpoints postcodes where property values far exceed their county’s average. Topping the list is London’s W1 […]

Hi all, The tenant moved in during 2023 and paid rent without issue for 20 months. However, as the property is a one-bedroom and their family grew, it became overcrowded, so I issued a Section 21 notice. The tenant has not paid rent since February. I submitted a direct payment request to DWP in May, […]

A push to boost the energy efficiency of British homes is at risk of collapse due to insufficient funding and systemic flaws in the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) framework. That’s the verdict of Mark Bailey, a partner at chartered surveyors and auctioneers Landwood Group who also wants cash help for landlords. He said: “Without financial […]

London’s prime lettings market is experiencing an upswing, driven by tax uncertainty and shifting investor behaviour, according to Knight Frank’s latest findings. While the number of tenancies started in prime central London above £1,000 per week rose by 7% in the year to May, sales of properties above £2 million saw a 4% decline over […]

The government has intervened to delay a planned mass switch-off of the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters which are used by 314,000 households. The signal was due to be switched off on 30 June but with thousands of homes, including lots of rented properties, still waiting for conversion meant they would not be able to […]

Making Tax Digital (MTD) could cost landlords hundreds of pounds and add nothing more than “an extra layer of bureaucracy,” experts warn. According to The Telegraph, nearly one million landlords and freelancers may face up to £480 in additional costs just to comply with the new rules. The controversial scheme, which applies to Income Tax […]

The Renters’ Rights Bill is unlikely to secure Royal Assent before Parliament’s summer recess on 22 July, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) says. With the House of Lords set to scrutinise the legislation over three sittings from 1 to 15 July, the NRLA is intensifying efforts to address significant flaws that could render the […]

A fresh brand dedicated to buy to let financing and empowering property investors across the UK has been launched by OSB Group called Rely. The firm says the new offering will strengthen the private rented sector by combining industry know-how, enthusiasm and adaptability to assist landlords. Rely will be helping novice landlords with a single […]

A city is claiming that its selective licensing scheme has led to ‘significant improvements’ in its private rented sector in the 15 months since it was launched. And another council has unveiled a new selective licence scheme in its borough for private landlords. Peterborough City Council says it processed more than 7,000 licence applications and […]

A shocking 474% increase in complaints about substandard living conditions in social housing has sparked urgent calls for a stronger private rented sector. Industry body Propertymark points to the alarming figure in the Housing Ombudsman’s ‘Spotlight Report: Repairing Trust’, which compares data from 2024/25 to 2019/20 to expose deep-rooted issues in the maintenance of social […]

We’re pleased to announce that FG Connect, a respected market research company, has engaged Property118 to assist in their latest market research project. They’re looking to speak with UK-based commercial landlords who own retail or office premises. This is a great opportunity to share your experience, shape future property insurance services, and get £200 compensation […]

Are there any other landlords who are fed up with the narrative that we are swimming in wealth, ready to splash out thousands on energy performance certificate (EPC) upgrades? This is a tired trope that needs debunking especially since tenant advocacy groups like Generation Rent claim landlords can ‘easily afford’ the costly upgrades required to […]