Page 2 – Property118
Landlord being interviewed on camera in a London apartment about housing policy changes

BBC London request help from landlords

8th April 2026

Dear Property118 readers, I am researching a piece for BBC London on the upcoming Renters’ Rights Act and would like to speak to several landlords about what the changes will mean for them. We would specifically like to focus on landlords in London, as that is our broadcast patch and it might lead to a […]

Red arrow pointing down over a house and a British pound sign

House prices dip in March as annual growth also slows

8th April 2026

House prices fell by 0.5% last month, reversing a 0.3% rise in February and leaving the average property value at £299,677, Halifax reveals. Its data also shows that annual growth slowed down to 0.8%, down from 1.2% in March. Regional house price differences remain and these are more pronounced, with stronger gains recorded outside southern […]

Buy-to-let mortgage deals illustrated with houses, coins, and percentage symbol representing landlord lending options.

HTB, NatWest and Coventry unveil new buy to let deals

8th April 2026

Hampshire Trust Bank has launched a new buy to let range with rates starting at 5.54%, setting out a tiered structure that separates simpler cases from more complex lending. The new ‘Flow’ proposition sits alongside Core and Bespoke within the lender’s specialist mortgages offer, with pricing and engagement tied more closely to deal size and […]

Shield graphic highlighting offences by criminal landlords amid tougher enforcement and low fine collection rates

Government pressed on enforcement against criminal landlords

8th April 2026

The government have hinted at stronger enforcement against criminal landlords as research reveals councils collect just 25% of landlord fines. In answer to a written question, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook says the government will continue to engage with councils to strengthen enforcement in the private rented sector. The news comes ahead of the Renters’ Rights […]

Nearly 1 in 5 landlords planning to exit the market entirely

8th April 2026

A more concerning signal is now emerging from the UK private rented sector, and it goes beyond portfolio adjustments. According to the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey Q1 2026, a significant proportion of landlords are not simply reducing their exposure, they are considering leaving the market altogether. Based on 2,380 completed responses, nearly one in five […]

What tenants may not realise about the changing landlord landscape

8th April 2026

From a tenant’s perspective, the rental market often feels simple. Availability, affordability and security of tenure tend to dominate the conversation. What sits behind those factors is less visible, and that’s where a massive shift is taking place. The number of landlords is not just influenced by demand from tenants, it is shaped by decisions made […]

Tenant starts fight with management?

8th April 2026

My rental tenant of eight years has got herself into a nasty fight with the managing agent of the development. The dispute concerns the new electronic gates of this gated development, which management says she deliberately damaged and was observed doing so. Apparently, this happened back in January, but I was only contacted about it […]

Landlords facing rows of rental houses with “To Let” signs while question marks hover overhead

Is this government worse than useless for tracking landlord numbers?

8th April 2026

The government has admitted it doesn’t collect data on landlord numbers exiting the market. This most basic of counters, neglected, the one that points to whether renters have the basic right to home availability. The most worrying thing is that when it’s brought to their attention, they dismiss it. This blatant course to failure is […]

England’s rents rise 2.4% ahead of reform

8th April 2026

Rents in England rose 2.4% year-on-year in March, while monthly increases remained limited as the market moves towards Renters’ Rights Act implementation. The latest Goodlord Rental Index puts average rents at £1,212 in March, up from £1,184 a year earlier. That annual rise, which reflects agreed rents, is higher than February’s 2%, but still well […]

Dart hitting EPC C target on a dartboard, symbolising many homes failing energy efficiency standards

Half of homes in England and Wales fail EPC C targets

8th April 2026

Owner-occupied homes have worse EPC ratings than private rented homes, according to new data. Figures from EPCGuide, which analysed 29.2 million domestic EPC certificates including private rented properties, reveal that over 16 million homes fall below the EPC C threshold. The news comes as the government have announced all private rented properties will need to […]

Tenants with pets face rental rejection as landlord enforces no-pets policy in court setting

Tenants can challenge pet refusals in court ahead of Ombudsman

7th April 2026

The government has admitted it has not carried out an impact assessment for tenants challenging pet refusals ahead of the Ombudsman coming into effect. However, in response to a written question, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook confirmed that tenants will be able to challenge their landlord in court if they believe a refusal to allow a […]

Infographic showing 83% of England’s housing growth (1996–2013) came from the private rented sector

83% of housing growth came from private landlords

7th April 2026

The overlooked statistic from England’s housing data that could reshape the policy debate. Housing debates in Britain often start from a familiar assumption; that the growth of the private rented sector reduced housing supply by diverting homes away from first-time buyers, but one statistic tells a very different story. Between 1996 and 2013, the number […]

East London housing growth highlighted with rising prices and investment trends across boroughs

East London boroughs top decade of house price growth

7th April 2026

East London boroughs have delivered the strongest long-term house price growth in the capital over the past decade, with Redbridge, Havering and Barking and Dagenham leading on annual gains. Foxtons has analysed government data to find that average house prices across London have increased by around 1.4% a year over the last 10 years. However, […]

Map of England and Wales with rising arrows and coins illustrating increasing rental yields

Rental yields rise across England and Wales to 8.1%

7th April 2026

Rental yields rose across every region of England and Wales over the past year, pushing the national average to 8.1% in the first three months of 2026. According to Fleet Mortgages, comparing the first quarter with the same period last year, shows yields up 0.7% annually and 0.4% on the quarter. The North East again […]

Scottish Parliament building with a crossed-out PRS symbol highlighting calls to reduce private renting

Tenant group calls for abolition of Scotland’s PRS ahead of elections

7th April 2026

With the Scottish elections taking place next month, a tenant group is calling on the next government to reduce the size of the private rented sector. Living Rent has launched its 2026 Holyrood manifesto with pledges such as a ban on landlords serving as elected representatives. As previously reported by Property118, one landlord organisation has […]

Landlord facing diverging paths with exit sign and rental properties in background

Landlord exodus slows but uncertainty remains

7th April 2026

Fewer landlords are actively selling up than last autumn, but a big chunk is still exiting or weighing up leaving the sector, research reveals. According to lettings platform Goodlord, 72% of landlords are neither buying nor selling. Instead, activity has stalled as many wait for the Renters’ Rights Act to take effect on 1 May […]

Landlords now 8x more likely to reduce portfolios than expand

7th April 2026

A clear shift is emerging in the UK private rented sector, and it is not subtle. According to the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey Q1 2026, landlords are now significantly more likely to reduce their portfolios than grow them, pointing to a structural change in the direction of the market. Based on 2,380 completed responses, covering a […]

Hands signing a tenancy agreement with keys on the document, highlighting uncertainty over tenant move-out dates.

AST versus licence in rent to rent agreement?

7th April 2026

Hello, I have several properties on a Rent to Rent agreement with a Property Management company. In view of the Renters’ Rights Act, they have asked their landlords (including me, but I know several of the others) to sign a new agreement which enables them to take room occupiers on under a licence rather than […]

Renters’ Rights Act and the 12 months relet ban?

7th April 2026

Hi, I’ve just read through the details again… If you evict a tenant post 1st May using ground 1 as a family member needs to move in, but then they find work elsewhere, for example, then move out, as it stands you still cant relet if this is within the banned period. I wondered if […]