Landlords in Croydon will be unable to apply for two new property licences until the day the schemes come into force, prompting warnings about confusion and possible legal exposure. Croydon Council has postponed the start of its additional HMO and selective licensing schemes from 1 September to 25 September 2026. However, the council’s application system […]

Guarantor reliance for tenants has doubled in the last 18 months as landlords look for greater financial security. Data from HomeLet reveals the share of accepted applications requiring a guarantor has risen from around 9% in January 2025 to 18.4% in July 2026, with almost one in five lets now agreed with a guarantor in […]

Landlords looking to fix their borrowing costs are being offered lower mortgage pricing across standard, specialist and large portfolio products. Paragon Bank has cut fixed rates by 15 basis points across its Core and Tailored ranges, with pricing starting from 3.40%. United Trust Bank (UTB) has reduced two-year fixed rates by up to 50 basis […]

Landlords considering their next property purchase or sale face a housing market where weak house price growth and higher mortgage costs continue to restrict activity. Nationwide said UK house prices increased by 1.6% in the year to August, compared with 1.4% in July. Prices rose by 0.2% month on month after seasonal adjustments, following a […]

A Welsh government scheme that guarantees landlords an income while councils manage their properties is set to close to new homes at the end of this year, the National Residential Landlords’ Association says. Launched in January 2022, the programme allows landlords to lease properties to local authorities for between five and 20 years, with councils […]

The Building Safety Act 2022 has a reputation as tower-block law, and most landlords with a couple of houses or a handful of flats have filed it under someone else’s problem. That instinct is half right. The Act’s heaviest machinery really is aimed at high-rises and the people who run them. But parts of the […]

Landlords offering a home to rent with a well-kept garden could have an advantage when attracting tenants, as outdoor space is absent from almost two-thirds of advertised rentals in major UK cities. Research by CIA Landlords found that only 36.2% of the 72,930 homes examined included a garden. Leeds recorded the lowest proportion at 25.7%, […]

When landlords first speak to us about selling, one of the biggest questions is understandably price. Landlord Sales Agency doesn’t promise every seller the highest possible theoretical value for their property. Instead, we agree the amount they are happy to receive and use the equity above that figure to create a sale: finding the right […]

The declared expenses of the UK’s individual landlords and partnerships jumped 11% in a year while their total property income barely moved, new HMRC figures reveal. Allowable property expenses reached £34.75 billion in 2024/25, compared with declared income of £58.99 billion. The income figure was virtually unchanged from £59 billion in the previous tax year. […]

The Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database “must not be viewed as an administrative register” but as a tool to empower tenants, a group of organisations has claimed. In a letter to Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook, the Renters’ Reform Coalition and 30 other organisations have urged the government to expand the PRS Database to include more […]

Landlord tax reform should be used to encourage investment and increase the supply of homes to rent, according to new proposals for the private rented sector from the National Residential Landlords’ Association (NRLA). The 17-page plan calls for changes to Capital Gains Tax rules, energy efficiency incentives and the restoration of Local Housing Allowance rates. […]

Landlords who have not signed up for Making Tax Digital (MTD) may soon find that HMRC has done it for them. The tax authority is beginning automatic registration from this month, in stages, for people it believes should already be using MTD for Income Tax. The rules have applied since 6 April to sole traders […]

As the start of the academic year approaches, industry experts are warning the Renters’ Rights Act has disrupted the student rental market. Speaking to the Financial Times (FT), lettings experts warn that restrictions on requiring rent upfront have created barriers for international students. As previously reported by Property118, the Renters’ Rights Act replaced most private […]

More American renters are moving to the UK for cheaper rents since President Trump took office, according to new research. Goodlord analysed more than 300,000 tenancy agreements signed over the past two years, comparing the findings with data from 2023 and 2024. Goodlord claims a combination of President Trump’s controversial political agenda and the opportunity […]

One of the most dangerous phrases in property investing is: “It’s always worked for me.” After more than 30 years investing in property, I’ve learnt that the market never stands still. Interest rates and finance change, legislation and tax evolve, tenant expectations shift and, as a result, the opportunities available to investors change too. Yet […]

The strongest growth in asking prices is in commuter towns around Glasgow and Manchester, according to Rightmove. Data from the property portal reveals that ten of the 15 fastest-growing hotspots are located around the two cities. However, asking prices in London have fallen year-on-year. Asking prices are rising strongly According to the data, 11 of […]

Councils refused 1,203 HMO planning applications in 2025. In 2021, the figure was 590. There is an important caveat. The number of applications being decided also increased sharply, from 1,848 to 3,454 across the same 144 English councils. Therefore, councils have not suddenly become twice as likely to refuse an HMO application. The approval rate […]

Landlords could become liable for an annual property tax under proposals that would replace council tax and stamp duty with a charge paid by owners. The Prime Minister Andy Burnham is facing pressure from Labour figures and left-leaning think tanks to consider the overhaul, although he has said major reform is not imminent. The model […]

Landlords may now be asked to approve plug-in solar panels at rented homes after the devices became legal across Great Britain this week. The government says the panels can be used from 27 August and could cut household electricity bills by up to £110 a year. The devices can be placed in outdoor areas or […]

Hello all. I am a landlord with many properties in Nottingham. I am going through the process of getting the EPC ratings to a C before the 2030 deadline. I have looked at the plug-in solar panels which are becoming available soon. Have any of the readers of Property118 found out if and how they impact […]

The UK’s largest not-for-profit accreditation scheme for lettings and management agents is calling for tougher enforcement after one firm was accused of failing to return deposits to more than 100 tenants. Safeagent made the demand after the allegations were reported by BBC News and it acknowledged the workload facing trading standards officers responsible for enforcing […]