A London council claims it will fine landlords more than £30,000 and allow tenants to reclaim up to 12 months’ rent if landlords fail to obtain the correct property licences. Wandsworth Council has announced a new selective licensing scheme and an additional licensing scheme for HMOs, with landlords able to apply for the required licences […]

The number of new House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licences approved across Great Britain fell by 6% in 2024, research reveals. According to Searchland’s latest data, local planning authorities issued 25,445 licences in 2023, but this figure dropped to 23,947 last year, a reduction of 1,498. Despite the national downturn, certain regions bucked the trend. […]

Private landlords in Scotland face a big overhaul of energy efficiency requirements, with new proposals mandating that all privately rented homes achieve a minimum standard based on a revised Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) by the end of 2033. The Scottish Government’s consultation, released recently, outlines a phased approach, requiring new tenancies to comply from April […]

Labour will miss its goal of delivering 1.5 million new homes by 2028/29, with property experts Savills forecasting just 840,000 completions over the next five years. The big gap highlights challenges in boosting demand and overcoming construction constraints, despite recent planning reforms. According to Savills, the supply of consented land is expected to rise due […]

The government has refused to release the Justice Impact Test for the Renters’ Rights Bill, a crucial document detailing the legislation’s potential impact on the courts and tribunals. The decision has sparked concerns about openness in the legislative process. The news comes after Reapit, a property industry technology provider, sought access to the assessment through […]

My team and I work with so many property investors and developers, and the continual feedback I get is that getting finance for deals is getting harder. Bridging finance can be a blessing and a curse. It’s a means to an end, but not without the considerable costs and stressful deadlines. Now imagine you could […]

The flatshare market is experiencing a rise in available rooms, with January 2025 marking the highest month for advertisements in four years, according to SpareRoom. The flatsharing platform says that despite this growth, concerns linger among small landlords over the Renters’ Rights Bill – with many unprepared for the upcoming changes. From January to April […]

Belfast has emerged as the leading location for property investors in the UK, according to a new analysis. It’s been carried out by Northern Irish estate agent, John Minnis, and its forecast highlights five regions poised for exceptional returns in the PRS. The Belfast metropolitan area benefits from persistent demand surpassing available properties. That’s driven […]

The UK’s housing market is navigating turbulent waters following a sharp 28% drop in transactions in April 2025, an analysis from Knight Frank reveals. It says the turmoil was triggered by stamp duty rules that cut the nil rate band and increased the surcharge for additional properties. According to Tom Bill, the head of UK […]

Great Britain’s property market saw a big lift in agreed sales in May, marking the most active month since 2021 – and the highest since March 2022. According to Rightmove’s latest data, the surge reflects improved conditions, with home-movers undeterred by the recent stamp duty increase. Nationwide, the number of sales agreed rose by 6% […]

Landlords, if you’re ready to sell your HMO properties, don’t wait. A reputable fund purchaser is looking to make quick acquisitions and they’re interested in your properties right now! This fund is actively seeking HMOs and PBSA’s (up to 60 bed units) across the UK’s top university towns, with a focus on quickly deploying capital. […]

The UK’s increasing population and immigration levels are piling pressure on the private rented sector, the boss of Paragon Bank says. And rather than seeing landlords leave the PRS for various reasons, the government should be encouraging landlords to invest. Nigel Terrington, the company’s chief executive, told The Times that the shortage of landlords is […]

Like many landlords, there’s not a lot that gets me hot under the collar anymore after years of being victimised and ridiculed but two things this week deserve closer attention. Private landlords are being squeezed dry by councils wielding selective licensing schemes like a blunt weapon. Fees, such as Leicester City Council’s eye-watering £1,290 per […]

Hello, We have an Annual General Meeting (AGM) coming up and possibly 2 (more recent appointees) likely to resign as forthcoming building works might mean some actual input (eg getting redecoration quotes; liaising with fire alarm installation contractor; being the Fire Safety “Responsible Person” to weekly test fire alarm etc etc) and one selling their […]

A London council is pushing forward with a controversial new selective licensing scheme, despite previously continuing to process applications months after the original scheme had expired. Hackney Council has proposed implementing a new selective licensing scheme in 17 council areas, which could affect more than 26,000 properties. The council also plans to introduce an additional […]

The Scottish Housing Bill has passed stage two of scrutiny by a cross-party committee of MSPs. More than 600 amendments were proposed, one of the highest totals for any legislation in the Scottish Parliament’s history. One of the amendments agreed during stage two will allow rents in rent control areas to rise in line with […]

The UK’s house prices saw a slight drop of 0.4% in May, following a modest 0.3% rise in April, according to Halifax. The average property price now stands at £296,648, down by £1,150 from £297,798 last month. Despite this dip, the housing market has remained largely stable throughout 2025, with prices only 0.2% lower since […]

Pepper Money has unveiled a new House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) mortgage product for both limited companies and individual landlords. It’s available for existing HMO houses with up to six bedrooms. The move follows Pepper Money’s re-entry into the buy to let last month. It says the HMO mortgage is designed to address a gap […]

Hello, I’m hoping for some advice or a steer in the right direction. I own a first-floor flat with a BTL mortgage in a converted residential property where I have a share of freehold with the ground floor flat. For a few years, the previous owner had an agreement where they got buildings insurance for […]

London’s PRS is experiencing a boost in available properties, providing tenants with greater choice and potentially less competition. According to a study by Benham and Reeves, there are 40,067 rental homes currently listed across the capital. Of these, 16,116 properties, that’s around 40%, have become available in the past 30 days, indicating a fresh influx […]

The government’s ambitions to boost the energy efficiency of private rented homes are ‘unrealistic’, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) warns. Current proposals suggest that landlords may have less than two years to improve more than 2.5 million properties to meet a minimum energy efficiency rating of C. The plan outlines that this standard will […]