Page 26 – Property118
Stack of legal documents beside a judge’s gavel with a warning symbol, representing court delays and housing law pressure

NRLA urges clarity as Renters’ Rights Act could overwhelm courts

19th January 2026

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has warned court capacity could be overwhelmed by the Renters’ Rights Act. In a letter to the Justice Select Committee, NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle pointed out that landlords are having to wait weeks for court hearings to regain possession of their properties. With three months to go until […]

Woman tangled in red tape symbolizing landlords trapped by taxes and regulations

We are feeling SO trapped?

19th January 2026

We had planned to sell our 4 BTLs when we retired in 2015, but time seems to have slipped by, and we are still trapped with 3 of them. Two of them have been tenanted by the same people since 2006, and the third is currently vacant. With all the nasty stuff coming down the […]

Cartoon house jumping with pound sign and 2.8% figure symbolising rising UK house prices in January

January house prices jump 2.8% as buyer confidence returns

19th January 2026

The average asking price of newly listed homes jumped to £368,031 in January, marking a 2.8% rise from December and the biggest January increase ever recorded. According to Rightmove, the £9,893 monthly increase is also the strongest rise seen in any month since June 2015. National prices are now 0.5% above levels seen a year […]

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Coventry launches EPC buy to let deals as TMW cuts rates

19th January 2026

Coventry for Intermediaries has rolled out a new range of buy to let products aimed at landlords investing in energy-efficient homes, offering lower pricing for properties with stronger EPC scores. The new deals are open to both individual and limited company landlords and apply to homes rated A, B or C. The lender says the […]

Illustration showing rising rental yields with stacked coins and plants in front of a house labelled rent

Rental yields rise again across England and Wales

19th January 2026

Rental yields across England and Wales improved in the final quarter of 2025, extending gains seen earlier in the year, data shows. Fleet Mortgages says its research shows that the strength of the yields reinforces the appeal of buy to let investment. The lender’s Q4 Rental Barometer shows average returns rising on both an annual […]

Falling UK rents illustrated by pound symbols dropping around the word “Rents” against a blue sky

Falling rents set a new record as landlord investment drops

19th January 2026

Rents across Great Britain ended 2025 lower than where they began for the first time on record, as softer demand, easing pressures in London and falling investor activity reshaped the lettings market. The findings from Hamptons found that newly agreed rents dropped by 0.7%, marking the first full calendar year decline since its Lettings Index […]

Buy-to-let mortgage market analysis displayed on a laptop as activity trends are examined

Buy to let mortgage searches fall by a fifth

19th January 2026

Mortgage activity cooled sharply in December as the year closed, yet figures suggest the market finished 2025 in a firmer position than earlier in the autumn, according to the latest data from Twenty7tec. Buy to let searches dropped 23.06% month on month to 189,902 as advisers and borrowers stepped back over the festive period. However, […]

UK house prices forecast to rise in 2026, shown with pound sign, upward arrow and Scottish flag

Scotland tops Zoopla’s 2026 house price forecast

19th January 2026

Zoopla is forecasting that the average UK house price will rise by 1.5% in 2026. It points to Scotland and Northern England for offering the strongest growth prospects fuelled by affordability and demand. The property portal’s analysis shows Scottish markets dominating the national rankings, taking nine of the top 10 positions. Motherwell leads the table, […]

BTL Mortgage Blog featured image showing a house, key, calculator, percentage sign and pound coins on a teal background.

Product Transfers vs Remortgages – Which Is Better for Landlords?

19th January 2026

When a buy-to-let mortgage deal comes to an end, landlords face a key decision: should they do a product transfer with their current lender, or a full remortgage to another lender? Both options have advantages and drawbacks. In 2026, with affordability tests still challenging and rates shifting, understanding the trade-offs can save landlords time, money […]

Knight-themed Landlord Crusader logo symbolizing landlord advocacy

Landlords: Should I stay or should I sell?

16th January 2026

The Clash song ‘Should I stay or should I go’ should become the anthem for landlords everywhere because the chasm between Britain’s private landlords and the Westminster bubble has never been wider. On one side stand millions of ordinary people, often pensioners, self-employed workers or families, who have shouldered the nation’s housing burden for decades. […]

Now hiring graphic with people icons highlighting recruitment linked to selective licensing enforcement

Council underestimates the scale of selective licensing and hires extra staff

16th January 2026

A council has admitted it underestimated how many privately rented homes would need a licence under its new selective licensing scheme, forcing it to recruit two more staff members. The authority introduced selective licensing across five areas of its district last September, originally estimating that 1,221 homes would fall within the scheme. That figure was […]

Percentage symbol and downward arrow on stacked coins illustrating falling buy to let mortgage rates

BTL lenders step up rate cuts and incentives as competition intensifies

16th January 2026

More buy to let lenders are lowering their rates and offers as competition heats up. This week, LendInvest Mortgages has revealed it has completed a £17.3m bridging facility to fund the bulk purchase of 50 residential homes across Hampshire and Dorset. It says this transaction underlines renewed appetite for complex portfolio transactions. The funding supported […]

Hand stopping falling blocks beside a wooden house and family figures, symbolising protecting domestic abuse victims’ housing in Scotland

Social landlords gain powers to protect abuse victims

16th January 2026

Social landlords in Scotland are set to gain new powers to keep domestic abuse victims safely in their homes under regulations put before Parliament. The changes will allow landlords, rather than victims, to take legal action to remove an abuser from a tenancy and place it in the survivor’s name. If approved, the regulations will […]

Financial penalty notice with glasses and pencil, illustrating council enforcement action against unlicensed rental properties

Council claims civil financial penalties harder to enforce on rogue landlords

16th January 2026

A council admits it has only issued three civil financial penalties of up to £30,000 for unlicensed properties and no rent repayment orders. Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council claims civil financial penalties are difficult to enforce and recover. The news comes after Bradford Council claimed financial penalties are not enough to tackle rogue landlords, as it […]

Graphic showing selective licensing paused or opposed, with a crossed-out gavel and pause symbol beside legal documents

Landlords’ association warns council’s selective licensing plan is ‘unlawful’

16th January 2026

A landlord association has urged a council to pause its upcoming selective licensing scheme, branding it “unlawful” and claiming evidence was withheld during the consultation process. The Eastern Landlords Association has written to Housing Secretary Steve Reed and Great Yarmouth Borough Council, warning it is prepared to launch legal action. The association has received backing […]

Cartoon of a worried landlord holding a liability notice as a contractor uncovers asbestos in the ceiling and a worker in protective gear stands by

Freeholder failure to complete asbestos declaration on form LPE?

16th January 2026

I recently purchased a leasehold flat. During the process, the freeholder incorrectly completed the Leaseholder Property Enquiry(LPE) form, stating asbestos was not present. In fact, it has been established by survey/laboratory confirmation that it exists in an archway that I am financially responsible for. My beef is that by entering n/a on the form LPE, […]

Reduced house for sale sign beside a model home stacked on coins, symbolising discounted property prices in January

January house price cuts lure buyers

16th January 2026

More than a third of homes for sale across England are being marketed at reduced asking prices, offering scope for buyers wanting early-year savings before the market tightens. An analysis from Benham and Reeves shows 37% of current listings have already been cut, creating a pool of potential January deals. Yet the flow of fresh […]

House silhouette with stacked coins and tax blocks symbolising higher property income taxes and pressure on landlords

MPs clash over property income tax amid warnings it will hurt landlords and tenants

15th January 2026

A Conservative MP claims Labour’s decision to raise tax rates on property income will hurt renters and reduce rental supply. The Autumn Budget increased tax rates on dividends, property, and savings income by 2 percentage points. In a Parliamentary debate on the 2026-2027 income tax charge, the Conservatives argued that many landlords are ordinary people […]

Landlord behind prison bars symbolising tougher sentencing for unlawful eviction and tenant harassment

More landlords face prison for eviction and harassment offences

15th January 2026

Landlords are facing the prospect of stiffer sentencing when charged with the unlawful eviction and unlawful harassment of tenants. The Sentencing Council has unveiled a public consultation that appears to suggest that not enough landlords are currently being imprisoned for the offences. Council chair, Lady Justice May, said: “Housing offences such as unlawful eviction can […]

Protest-style signs highlighting new Scottish council tax bands for homes valued over £1 million

Scottish Budget sparks housing tax backlash

15th January 2026

Scotland’s finance and local government secretary, Shona Robison, has set out the Scottish Budget 2026-27, unveiling housing measures that have drawn criticism from across the property sector. The plans include two new council tax bands for homes valued above £1m, scheduled to take effect from April 2028. Ministers also confirmed the existing Land and Buildings […]