Tenant demand rose again in March even as the housing market lost momentum, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) says. Its member survey for March shows that lettings demand edged up to 10%, but landlord instructions stayed at -25%. Members are also highlighting that rents will continue rising over the short term. Buyer enquiries […]

A new compliance tool has been launched as landlords face a 31 May deadline to prove tenants have received the Renters’ Rights Act information sheet. Failing to give the tenant the relevant information would see the landlord being hit with a £7,000 fine per tenancy where receipt cannot be evidenced. The document, published on 20 […]

As the Renters’ Rights Act edges closer to coming into force, many landlords are deciding now is the time to sell. However, one organisation is urging letting agents to help prevent landlords from selling up by evolving and adapting their approach. Agent Rainmaker says it’s time for letting agencies to step up and help support […]

A striking demographic pattern has emerged from the latest UK landlord data, and it raises important questions about the future of the private rented sector. According to the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey Q1 2026, the overwhelming majority of landlords are now aged 56 and above, with very limited representation from younger investors. Based on 2,380 […]

A legal expert has accused councils of using “bureaucracy as a weapon to generate enforcement revenue” after a landlord was fined £5,000 for ticking the wrong box on a Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) form. Phil Turtle from Landlord Licensing & Defence is warning landlords that minor application errors could cost them thousands of pounds […]

Hi all, I’m currently in the process of remortgaging a leasehold flat and have run into an issue following the lender’s valuation. The property is an office-to-residential conversion (completed around 10 years ago) in a block of flats. The valuer has down-valued the property to £0, stating that they require a Structural Engineer or Building […]

The government’s consultation on Home Buying and Selling reform is a step in the right direction. It recognises what every estate agent and conveyancer already knows: property sales take too long and fall through too often resulting in considerable frustration and abortive costs. I welcome the ambition to shorten the 120-day average transaction time by […]

Since late 2023, HMRC has argued that financing the withdrawal of a positive capital account balance prior to incorporation of a business is a notifiable tax avoidance scheme under DOTAS legislation. From our perspective, this makes no sense because that practice is supported by highly regarded industry textbook guidance published by Lexis Nexis, which says […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

For lenders operating in the buy-to-let market, the most important shift is not interest rates or product design; it is behaviour. The landlord base is no longer acting in the same way it did even a few years ago. Growth is no longer the default, expansion is no longer assumed and in many cases, it […]

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 […]

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 […]