Page 12 – Property118
Business partners shaking hands beneath Making Tax Digital branding and digital tax documents

Making Tax Digital not for Partnerships?

19th May 2026

Good Morning All, I have just spent the Morning contemplating Making Tax Digital to find some very vague comments regarding partnerships. I duly phoned HMRC, who, to my amazement, answered within 10 minutes. They confirmed that anyone in a partnership does NOT have to comply with MTD yet! It seemed too good to be true… […]

Map of UK regions showing rising northern house prices and falling southern property values

North-South house price divide widens as stock surges

19th May 2026

Rising capital gains in northern regions are contrasting with house price corrections across southern areas as new property listing values reach a monthly average of £378,304. Rightmove’s figures show this 1.2% increase in May outpaces the 1% 10-year seasonal average, despite a broader annual decline of 0.3% since May 2025. House prices rose by 2.7% […]

Cheetah carrying a sack labelled “rents” racing up a rising graph above London homes

Rents rose before Renters’ Rights Act took effect

19th May 2026

Landlords saw rents rise at their fastest pace in 11 months in April, the final month before the Renters’ Rights Act became law. Hamptons says a tenant moving into a newly let home in Great Britain paid an average of £1,396, up 1.9% on a year earlier. It was the fifth month in a row […]

Calendar showing June 2026 beside a tenancy agreement and Welsh flag, highlighting upcoming landlord law changes in Wales.

Welsh landlords must update contracts by June 2026

19th May 2026

Welsh landlords have been urged to prepare ahead of a new law change under the Renters’ Rights Act or face financial consequences. From 1 June 2026, it will become unlawful for landlords in Wales to discriminate against tenants who have children or receive benefits. However, Propertymark has warned the new rules could create additional administrative […]

Council enforcement fine notice being delivered through a landlord’s letterbox without prior warning

Landlords face immediate fines as councils shift enforcement approach

18th May 2026

A landlord expert has warned councils no longer need to warn landlords before they fine them. Phil Turtle, director of Landlord Licensing & Defence, has warned that councils across the country are moving straight to formal enforcement. Landlords could also face a financial penalty of up to £7,000 for minor breaches and £40,000 for the […]

Fair rents concept illustrated with rising rent costs, house model and upward arrow over stacked coins

Call for ‘fair rents’ system as prices rise in a ‘national phenomenon’

18th May 2026

Private landlords face renewed pressure over rent controls after research found private rents are rising by between 6% and 9% a year in every region of England. The New Economics Foundation (NEF) says rent rises are now a ‘national phenomenon’, with the lowest income private tenants spending 48.5% of their income on rent. Its report […]

Tenant holding a compensation claim form in a mould-damaged flat with visible black mould on walls

Tenant wants compensation for mould?

18th May 2026

Hi, I am after a bit of advice, please, from the Property118 community. I have a flat which is managed by a letting agent, and a while ago there was mould in the flat, which the handyman sorted, but warned that the same thing would happen if the windows aren’t opened. Well, this did happen […]

Falling UK house prices illustrated by downward trend graph over residential street with homes for sale

House price growth across Britain has turned negative

18th May 2026

Landlords weighing up whether to buy, sell or refinance now face a housing market where average monthly price growth has moved into negative territory for only the second time in a decade. Research by Yopa found that average house prices across Britain have fallen by 0.22% a month so far in 2026, compared with growth […]

Landlord selling a rental property to another investor in the UK housing market

Landlords buying from landlords hits the highest level since 2016

18th May 2026

Landlords are increasingly buying previously let homes from other landlords and the transactions accounted for 13.3% of all home purchases across Great Britain between January and April. The data from Hamptons says this is up 9.9% on the same period last year. That’s the highest share recorded since the start of 2016, when the second […]

Tenant facing homelessness seeks free legal advice near court

Tenants could face homelessness without free legal advice – The Law Society

18th May 2026

The Law Society has called for tenants to receive free legal advice and warned they could face homelessness. The independent body claims 41% of the population in England and Wales do not have a housing legal aid provider in their area. The Law Society says that with the Renters’ Rights Act now in force, tenants […]

Landlord being pushed out the door by an EPC C rating symbol, illustrating pressure from energy efficiency rules.

EPC C targets push landlords towards the exit

18th May 2026

Nearly a quarter of landlords plan to sell or reduce their property portfolio due to EPC C targets, according to a new survey. Research by Goodlord suggests that, following the King’s Speech announcement of an Energy Independence Bill, many landlords are now weighing up the cost of upgrading properties to meet EPC C targets. The […]

Satirical illustration of a wealthy cat landlord in London beside cash and a Renters’ Rights Bill document

Renters’ Rights Act – Just a coverup?

18th May 2026

The Renters’ Rights Act, what a joke. Who is this in favour of? Not the renters, that’s for sure. I had a 3-year tenancy which still had 12 months to go, so of course I felt safe. However, the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act has totally destroyed my security. Now, my landlord has been […]

Giant “Renters Rights Act” block looming over Sheffield city centre skyline to illustrate rental market pressure

England’s city centres face Renters’ Rights Act pressure

18th May 2026

Sheffield city centre is set to face the sharpest pressure from the Renters’ Rights Act, with a new analysis putting the private rented sector at 77% of all homes in the S1 postcode. Inventory Base analysed housing stock at postcode district level to identify where the Act is likely to have the greatest operational effect […]

UK terraced homes with for sale and sold signs highlighting realistic house pricing

Almost half of homes listed never sell – Zoopla

18th May 2026

Almost half of homes in the UK (44%) have failed to sell in the last three years, according to new research. Data from Zoopla reveals the average home sold for 3.5% below the asking price in Q1 2026, equivalent to £18,800 less than the original asking price. The property portal says realistic pricing remains critical […]

Knight in crusader armour holding a sword, symbolising landlords battling rising PRS pressures and regulation.

Why economic illiteracy is the greatest danger facing landlords

15th May 2026

The private rented sector in the UK is currently facing an existential threat, not from market forces, but from a persistent, dangerous economic illiteracy taking root in local and central government. As England’s landlords cautiously navigate the complex compliance requirements of the Renters’ Rights Act, a new breed of politician has emerged in the recent […]

Landlord arranging a washing machine repair in a rental property during a tenancy dispute over appliance responsibilities.

Appliance repairs for landlords?

15th May 2026

Hello, I would like to hear other landlords views on appliance repairs. Contractually, my new ASTs state I am not liable for repairs although it doesn’t state the tenant is, what do other landlords do? My ASTs used to have under ‘landlord obligations’: 9.4 Repair To keep in repair and proper working order all mechanical […]

Cloud obscuring a tenant’s face with the word “Protection” symbolising Renters’ Rights Act awareness

Renters unaware of Renters’ Rights Act protections

15th May 2026

While it’s been headline news since 1 May, it appears that one in three tenants still don’t know anything about how the Renters’ Rights Act impacts them. Research from Propoly found that 36% of tenants have little or no knowledge of the Act, despite the legislation bringing major changes to tenant protections and landlord responsibilities. […]

Liverpool empty homes grant scheme promoting investment in renovating vacant properties for affordable housing

Council offers cash to improve homes for rent

15th May 2026

Landlords and property owners with long-term empty homes in one city could receive up to £20,000 to bring properties back into use for tenants. It’s part a three-pronged housing strategy that could see selective licensing being extended from 2027. Liverpool City Council is also proposing to carry out compulsory purchasing and the enforced sale of […]

Buy to let mortgage arrears fall as possessions edge up in latest UK Finance data

Buy to let mortgage arrears fall 24% year-on-year

15th May 2026

UK Finance data reveals that 8,960 buy to let mortgages were in arrears in the first quarter, a fall of 6% on the previous quarter and 24% lower than a year ago. Arrears now account for 0.47% of all BTL mortgages. Possessions moved the other way with 810 BTL mortgaged properties were taken into possession […]

Tenant leaving a rental property carrying boxes and a suitcase beside the word “CHOOSE”

Most private renters exit tenancies by choice NOT eviction

15th May 2026

The majority of renters (63%) end their tenancy by choice, rather than due to eviction, according to new figures from the English Housing Survey. The data published by the government and collected before the Renters’ Rights Act came into force covers 2024-2025, a full year before the Act came into effect. The data reveals the […]