A council has claimed civil penalties are not enough to tackle ‘rogue’ landlords as it issues its first banning order. Bradford council says financial penalties “are not always effective in preventing further breaches” and the landlord banning order is for someone who is considered a serial offender due to a long history of convictions. Penalty notices […]

Landlords are being encouraged to finalise their self-assessment earlier, ahead of Making Tax Digital, which could leave them having to file as many as 10 tax returns. A story in The Telegraph warns hundreds of landlords will be required to report quarterly returns to HMRC under Making Tax Digital, with the transition period meaning many […]

For landlords, refinancing is a core part of portfolio management. But one element that often catches people out is the early repayment charge (ERC). These penalties can cost thousands if you remortgage or redeem a loan during the fixed or discounted period. In 2026, with landlords refinancing more frequently to manage costs and release equity, […]

London has overtaken the North East as the region where home sellers are most likely to sell for less than they paid, Hamptons says. The estate agency said it marks a big shift in the housing market’s balance between North and South. Its analysis shows 14.8% of London homeowners sold at a loss last year, […]

Tomorrow’s Scottish Budget must provide meaningful support across the entire housing market, including help for landlords, if the country is to make progress on its declared housing emergency, one sector expert says. The chief executive of DJ Alexander Ltd said that with the second anniversary of the housing emergency approaching in May, current policy settings […]

An organisation has launched a mass email campaign calling on MPs to deliver justice for leaseholders. The National Leasehold Campaign (NLC) says leaseholders’ patience is “wearing thin” after the government failed to publish the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill by the end of 2025, despite previously promising to do so. The draft bill is […]

Labour’s plan to ban upward-only rent reviews in commercial leases will cost commercial landlords billions of pounds, claims an expert. A story in The Telegraph has former Treasury economist Martin Beck warning the government’s plan will lead to a 15% property price slump and billions of pounds of losses for commercial landlords. Last year, the […]

High street banks prefer straightforward lending – single buy to let properties, long leases, and simple borrower profiles. But the reality for many landlords is far more complex. HMOs, short leases, mixed-use properties, and portfolio restructuring often fall outside mainstream criteria. This is where NACFB brokers add real value, solving problems that banks won’t touch. […]

Well, colour me shocked but the Guardian newspaper has managed to impress me. Sort of. It published an interesting article, called ‘Are UK buy-to-let landlords dying out – and should we care?’ and it takes a fair and balanced view of what’s happening in the PRS. The comments were turned off, naturally, but it highlights […]

The government has confirmed councils will be able to act against unenforceable clauses in tenancy agreements under the Renters’ Rights Act. From 1 May 2026, all fixed-term tenancies will be banned and turn into periodic tenancies. The government also warn landlords must provide prescribed information, a summary of tenancy and deposit details, or face a […]

Legislation to help tenants in Scotland has backfired as the number of rural rental properties records a dramatic drop. Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) research reveals a decline in availability of private rental homes was recorded in 14 predominantly rural local authority areas between 2022 and 2025. SLE warns the Scottish government rent controls and […]

2026 could see hundreds more selective licensing schemes introduced as the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force, prop-tech firm Kamma warns. Last year marked a record-breaking period for selective licensing, with 49 schemes announced. Kamma says London has been the worst affected, with 28 of the capital’s 32 boroughs now operating selective licensing schemes. London […]

With the first element of the Renters’ Rights Act already in force, a senior property sector figure is warning letting agents not to wait until May before acting. That’s when most of the Act’s headline reforms are scheduled to begin, though councils are already rolling out expanded investigative and enforcement powers. It’s the move to […]

Fleet Mortgages has rolled out a fresh set of remortgage deals offering cashback, while also cutting rates across much of its buy to let (BTL) range. The lender has launched new two- and five-year remortgage products at 75% loan-to-value for standard, limited company and HMO or MUFB borrowers. Each comes with cashback of between £500 […]

The Renters’ Rights Act runs the risk of rewarding the unscrupulous and penalising responsible landlords, claims a Conservative councillor. Writing in Conservative Home, Surrey County Councillor Jonathan Hulley warned that the Act could disrupt the rental market, with smaller landlords potentially leaving the private rented sector. Mr Hulley argued the Conservatives’ plan to wait until […]

The government has quietly updated its official guidance on what landlords and letting agents can charge during a tenancy, adding new detail on how council tax and TV licence payments should be handled. Changes have been made to the ‘Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy‘ section of the guidance for landlords and […]

Specialist buy to let lenders have rolled out a fresh round of product changes, cutting pricing, widening criteria and lifting loan to value limits as they compete for landlord business. Pepper Money has moved first with rate reductions and a significant tweak to its HMO range by cutting pricing by up to 25bps on two-year […]

The private rented sector ended 2025 with a smaller than expected rise in rents as they grew by 2% year on year. That’s according to the Goodlord rental index which also shows there’s a clear slowdown from the momentum seen earlier in 2025. Even though demand is traditionally weak in winter, the monthly average fall […]

Despite ever-growing stories about landlords in the private rented sector quitting in the face of higher costs and growing legislation, one property sector leader says now is a great time to be a landlord. Allison Thompson, the national lettings managing director at Leaders, says the picture on the ground differs from the gloomy narrative often […]

UK house prices fell for a second consecutive month in December, delivering a softer end to the year for the housing market, Halifax says. Prices dropped by -0.6% during the month, following a -0.1% decline in November, taking the average property value to £297,755. That’s £1,789 lower than a month earlier and the lowest level […]

I have two leasehold flats in a block of 4 converted flats, the freeholder owns the other two. The police attended one of his flats to arrest the tenant, but the police decided to kick the main front door in to gain access. They sent someone out to board it up, and no one could […]