Cracked house exterior with a high thermometer during a UK heatwave, highlighting the need for landlords to prepare rental properties.

Heatwave mounts pressure on rental properties as landlords urged to prepare

13th July 2026

With the UK’s heatwave set to continue, estate agents are urging landlords and tenants to take action as homes heat up with the scorching temperatures. Estate agents are calling on landlords to check ventilation and airflow systems and for tenants to use fans safely and efficiently. The news comes as London Mayor Sadiq Khan unveiled […]

Illustration of rising UK rental costs with a house labelled “Rent” growing from stacked coins above terraced homes.

Renters face rising costs as rents climb again

13th July 2026

Rents continue to rise across the UK as renters struggle with affordability, according to new data. Figures by SpareRoom reveal renting a room in the UK now costs £761 per month on average, a 0.5% increase on the previous year. Across the UK, rents have risen almost 7% in the past three years. Year-on-year rent […]

Older couple viewing a rental property, illustrating the rise in pensioners renting in retirement.

Surge in pensioners renting expected as homeownership declines

13th July 2026

One in three pensioners could be renting by 2044 as falling homeownership leaves more retirees facing housing costs in later life, according to a new report. Research from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) warns the number of pensioners renting is set to more than triple over the next […]

Shared ownership home with sign highlighting subletting rights for properties affected by building safety issues.

Government clarifies subletting rules for shared owners facing building safety issues

13th July 2026

The government has claimed shared owners who are unable to sell their homes due to building safety issues should be allowed to sublet their properties. Shared ownership leaseholders are people who have bought a share of their home through a shared ownership scheme while paying rent on the remaining share owned by a housing provider. […]

Hourglass with a house and for sale sign symbolising landlords delaying property sales after the Renters' Rights Act changes.

Landlord sales slow as 12-month re-letting ban makes selling more difficult

13th July 2026

For the first time in seven years, landlord purchases exceeded landlord sales as 12-month re-letting ban deters landlords from selling, according to new research. Data from Hamptons reveals the share of homes listed for sale that were previously rented dropped to 9.2% nationally in June, down from 11.3% last year and below the 2021-2022 peak. […]

RESULTS of the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey (Q2 2026)

10th July 2026

2,096 landlords completed our second quarterly Property118 landlord survey. If you were one of them, Thank You. Following the record-breaking response to our Q1 survey earlier this year, this second quarter gives us something we have never had before: a like-for-like comparison. For the first time we can show not just what landlords think, but […]

Buy to let mortgage rates being reduced by major UK lenders including Paragon, Landbay, Shawbrook, Coventry and Accord.

More landlord lenders cut their buy to let mortgage rates

10th July 2026

Paragon Bank, Landbay, Shawbrook, Coventry for intermediaries and Accord Mortgages have all announced changes across landlord or property investor ranges. The changes cover Bank Base Rate trackers, five-year fixes, commercial bridging and limited company buy to let products. Paragon Bank has expanded its BTL Bank Base Rate tracker range with new two-year options and a […]

The government claim Making Tax Digital works “well for those who need it”, despite ongoing criticism over the scheme. The controversial scheme came into force in April this year, with landlords earning more than £50,000 required to keep digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC using authorised MTD-compliant software. Landlords earning between £30,000 and £50,000 will join the scheme in April 2027. Can apply for an exemption In a written parliamentary question, Liberal Democrat MP James MacCleary asked: “what assessment has the government made of the potential impact of Making Tax Digital on those over-70?” In response, Labour MP Dan Tomlinson said: “The government has worked with taxpayers, representative bodies and software developers to ensure Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax works well for those who need to use it. “The government has worked with the software industry to ensure a wide range of options are available to suit different needs and budgets, including low-cost and free software, supporting those with the simplest affairs. Many products are designed for users who manage their own tax affairs or those new to digital tools. “Where a taxpayer cannot use MTD for Income Tax, for example due to age or disability, they can apply for exemption from the MTD requirements.” No advantage to Making Tax Digital As previously reported by Property118, despite the government claiming Making Tax Digital will help landlords, an accountant says this is not the case. Simon Misiewicz previously told Property118: “There’s no real benefit beyond maybe streamlining some of the work you already do, does it help with tax returns and submissions? The truth is, I can’t see how. “There’s no advantage for the individual in submitting quarterly returns, because HMRC doesn’t do anything with them until the end of the year. You don’t pay your taxes any earlier, and there is no real cash-flow benefit for the government”. The government admitted in the Making Tax Digital impact assessment that landlords earning £50,000 could incur an average transitional cost of £285 and an average annual additional cost of £115.

It’s me again getting in a state about MTD?

10th July 2026

I’ve been thrown into a flat spin once again after reading that those poor sods who are already caught up in the MTD sh*tsh*w are fast approaching their first submission date and, knowing that will be me too in 2027, I was reminded that I have done nothing about getting myself ready for it I […]

Government housing data and eviction notice illustrating analysis of the Renters' Rights Act before reforms took effect.

Government data challenges its own eviction claims

10th July 2026

The government’s own housing data has raised questions about the political case used to justify sweeping reform of the private rented sector. The latest English Housing Survey covers the period before the Renters’ Rights Act’s main tenancy changes came into force on 1 May 2026. It is now the official pre-Act benchmark for the sector. […]

Concerned private renters discussing the Renters’ Rights Act and tenant rights reforms in England.

Most renters are unaware of the Renters’ Rights Act

10th July 2026

Research reveals that 69% of private renters in England have either never heard of the Renters’ Rights Act or are don’t know what it means. The TDS Charitable Foundation’s survey was carried out before the Act’s implementation began on 1 May. Only 32% said they had heard of the legislation and understood at least some […]

UK rental affordability improving as London skyline and regional housing market trends are illustrated

London and the North West see rental affordability improve – Propertymark

10th July 2026

Landlords are seeing rent levels move in different directions across the UK, while the salary needed to secure an average-priced home has fallen in most regions over the past year. Propertymark says London recorded one of the sharpest affordability shifts in June, despite rents rising month-on-month. The representative annual salary needed to secure the average-priced […]

Magnifying glass over Airbnb listings with social housing investigation files, illustrating the crackdown on illegal subletting.

Councils to use Airbnb data to catch illegal social housing sublets

10th July 2026

The government has announced a crackdown on social housing fraud, with offenders facing fines and up to two years in prison. Under a first-of-its-kind data-sharing agreement between Airbnb and the Cabinet Office, people illegally subletting social housing through the platform will be identified and could be evicted from their properties. The news comes as the […]

Map of England highlighting the widening North–South stamp duty divide and regional house price differences.

Stamp duty divide grows between buyers in the South and the North

10th July 2026

The North and South stamp duty divide is widening, with fewer than one in ten buyers in the North paying stamp duty, according to new research. Data from Zoopla reveals that nearly 80% of London first-time buyers pay stamp duty, compared with fewer than one in ten across the North of England. Stamp duty is […]

Prospective flatmate viewing a shared rental home as rising rents push higher earners into flatsharing.

Rising rents drive higher earners into flatshares – SpareRoom

10th July 2026

Wage gaps in flatshares intensify as rising rents force higher earners to house share, according to new data. Figures from SpareRoom reveal that one in five (20%) UK flatmates estimate that the pay gap between the highest- and lowest-earning person in their household is more than £20,000, while almost one in 10 (9%) believe the […]

Shield protecting the UK justice system as the Renters’ Rights Act impacts courts and tribunals.

Government defends court readiness amid warnings over Renters’ Rights Act strain

9th July 2026

The government claim the justice system “is well prepared” to handle the Renters’ Rights Act. In answer to a written parliamentary question, housing minister Matthew Pennycook claims the government is providing funding to the courts. As previously reported by Property118, industry experts have warned that the act could overwhelm the court system. Justice system will […]

Review of guarantor agreements following the Renters’ Rights Act changes for landlords

Government tells landlords to review existing guarantor agreements

9th July 2026

The government is urging landlords to review guarantor agreements that were put in place before the Renters’ Rights Act came into force. In updated guidance on the fees landlords can charge as part of a tenancy, the government is advising landlords to check existing guarantor agreements following the changes introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act. […]

Construction site with housing development, regional map and postcode lottery graphic illustrating Labour’s council housebuilding challenges.

Andy Burnham’s council housebuilding plan risks ‘postcode lottery’

9th July 2026

Landlords watching Labour’s next housing move may find the private rented sector is still expected to absorb pressure where council housebuilding falls short. An analysis by specialist lender Together claims potential PM Andy Burnham‘s plan for the biggest council housebuilding programme since the post-war period risks becoming a ‘postcode lottery’. That’s because publicly owned brownfield […]

Welsh EPC C target graphic showing energy rating, housing, rising costs and the Welsh flag

Welsh MPs warn EPC C targets could push up rents as landlords face upgrade costs

9th July 2026

Welsh MPs have warned EPC C targets could put further pressure on landlords, with concerns that the cost of energy-efficiency upgrades could be passed on to tenants through higher rents. The government has announced that all private rented homes in England and Wales will need to meet EPC C targets by 2030. However, there are […]

UK rental prices rising after the Renters’ Rights Act, illustrated with London skyline and increasing rent stacks.

London leads rental growth as rents continue to climb

9th July 2026

Rents continue to rise across the UK following the Renters’ Rights Act, new research reveals. HomeLet’s rental index reveals the average monthly rent across the UK reached £1,353 in June 2026, up 1.0% from £1,340 in May. The news comes as the Renters’ Rights Act came into force on 1 May. Pricing has become more […]

Prospective tenants view rental homes as fewer landlords enter the private rented sector amid rising demand.

PRS sees housing supply squeeze as tenant demand rises – RICS

9th July 2026

There’s more evidence of fewer landlords offering homes in the PRS with a drop in landlord instructions, despite tenant demand rising. The latest RICS UK Residential Survey for June 2026 shows tenant demand in the lettings market rose to a headline net balance of +18%, the strongest reading since May 2025. However, landlord instructions remained […]