A government minister has stressed the importance of ventilation in homes in maintaining good indoor air quality. Homelessness Minister Florence Eshalomi says private landlords’ homes must be fit for human habitation, with Awaab’s Law set to extend to the private rented sector in 2027. This comes alongside the Decent Homes Standard in 2035. Effective ventilation […]

A council says it is pressing ahead with new planning controls for HMOs even though its bid to bring in additional landlord licensing has been paused. From February 2027, an Article 4 Direction will mean planning permission is required for all new HMOs. Telford and Wrekin Council says the move will give it more control […]

When a large investor commits money to hundreds of rental homes in one location, I want to understand the thinking behind it. Who is expected to live there, what will attract them, and how might the development change the market for properties already in the area?Those are useful questions whether you own two properties or […]

Landlords considering how to respond to a proposed licensing scheme should take a look at Telford. The council has paused plans for additional licensing of smaller houses in multiple occupation following a legal challenge by landlords, and I think the wider sector can learn something useful from that. In its statement published on 15 September, […]

I have prepared a detailed report to help the Eastern Landlords Association scrutinise Norwich City Council’s proposed licensing schemes. Having worked through the supporting papers, I believe there are specific questions the council needs to answer before requiring thousands of landlords to pay for a new licensing regime. Norfolk matters to me personally. My family, […]

An email arrived this week from a Property118 member who had once managed thirteen properties. They now have just one, and they were replying to our invitation to try the new inheritance and portfolio resilience assessment. With no children and most of the properties already sold, they did not think an assessment about keeping a […]

The Bank of England has decided to hold interest rates at 3.75%, despite persistent high inflation. Inflation rose to 3.1%, while the US Federal Reserve yesterday also raised interest rates for the first time in years. In a divided vote, the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 6-3 to keep the Bank Rate […]

Is your property listed with an estate agent but taking months and months to sell? Perhaps you’ve had viewings but no serious offers. Maybe arranging access with tenants is proving difficult, or the type of buyers coming through the door simply aren’t interested in purchasing a tenanted buy-to-let. Maybe you already have vacant possession and […]

The Green Party’s policy to abolish landlords has been branded “nonsense” after a second senior party leader was revealed to be a landlord. Co-deputy leader Rachel Millward is the latest Green Party figure to be outed as a landlord, following fellow co-deputy leader Mothin Ali, who was revealed as a landlord last week. This is […]

The government claims the Renters’ Rights Act addresses overt discriminatory practices used by landlords and letting agents. In a written parliamentary answer, housing minister Matthew Pennycook said the act gives councils strong enforcement powers to tackle rental discrimination. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, it is illegal for landlords and letting agents to discriminate against prospective […]

An industry body has warned that a council’s approach to housing enforcement must be proportionate and evidence-based. Propertymark has responded to Bath and North East Somerset Council’s consultation on a tougher housing services enforcement and financial penalty policy. Under the proposed policy, housing fines could increase by up to 50% where the council identifies aggravating […]

Buy to let purchase mortgage searches fell 22% year on year in August, while searches for landlord remortgages dropped 8%. Twenty7tec recorded 70,452 buy to let purchase searches and 161,157 remortgage searches during the month. Combined, they totalled 231,609, down 12% from August last year. Both categories recorded 14% fewer searches than in July. Residential […]

Article by Vanessa Griffiths, ALEP Member The government’s consultation on leasehold enfranchisement valuation rates, at its most basic level,  focuses on a choice between two percentages. But it is about so much more, in fact it potentially changes who makes one of the most important judgements in an enfranchisement valuation. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform […]

Average private rent growth has climbed to its highest level since December 2025, with the average UK monthly rent reaching £1,400 in August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals. The annual increase edged up to 3.8%, from 3.7% in July, with London leading the charge. In England, the average monthly rent reached £1,459, which […]

Landlords whose properties are turned into cannabis farms can face repair bills running into hundreds of thousands of pounds, an insurer has warned. Zurich UK has investigated 17 cannabis farm-related claims worth a combined £9.4 million since January 2022. Damage has included dangerous electrical alterations, water from irrigation systems, damp, mould and structural changes made […]

Landlords considering lower-cost areas for investment have been given a northern-dominated list of locations where house prices and housing supply are rising. Research by conveyancing firm Muve puts County Durham first among 313 areas, with an average property price of £138,767 and annual growth of 4.7%. New-build activity in the county increased by 39.1% over […]

If you own a rental property in England, a new registration requirement is approaching. The government’s “Register your rental property” service is due to launch on 15 December 2026, with different regions joining in stages and an annual charge of £65 for each property. That sounds straightforward until you start asking the questions that matter […]

Alongside the confirmation of the landlord registration service, the government announced on 9 September 2026 that responsibility for deciding challenges to rent increases in England will transfer from the First-tier Tribunal to HMRC’s Valuation Office. According to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the aim is for challenges to be determined faster and […]

A landlord who wanted to increase a tenant’s rent instead ended up with a lower figure than the renter was already paying after the case reached the First-tier Tribunal. The London tenant had been paying £2,066 a month when the landlord sought £2,475. The tribunal determined the rent at £1,950 after a replacement section 13 […]

A council is stepping up its hunt for unlicensed HMOs while making clear that compliant landlords are not the target of its enforcement work. It will use council tax records, planning information, complaints and intelligence from partner agencies to identify properties which may be operating without the required licence. The move follows concerns from residents […]

Mortgage brokers are seeing more landlords consider holiday lets as changes affecting traditional buy to let reshape investment decisions. And it is not just newcomers, with the research pointing to experienced and professional landlords among those reassessing their portfolios. Cumberland Building Society’s inaugural Holiday Let Index found that 88% of brokers had seen an increase […]