The government has ruled out Nightingale-style courts to tackle the court backlog, despite reforms causing concern. In a written parliamentary answer, Justice Minister Sarah Sackman denied there was a national backlog for possession cases As previously reported by Property118, Propertymark has called for the creation of specialist housing courts. No national backlog for possession cases […]

Among the buy to let lenders revamping their ranges this week are ModaMortgages which has removed application fees from a limited edition range, Buckinghamshire Building Society has repriced specialist products and RAW Capital Partners has entered the bridging market. Meanwhile, a NatWest BTL mortgage has retained its Moneyfacts ‘Best Buy’ status despite a modest rate […]

Article by Katherine Simpson, Partner at Edwin Coe LLP The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (LAFRA) represents one of the most significant changes to residential property law in a generation. But do its most significant provisions, the abolition of the two-year ownership rule and the enhanced availability of right to manage (RTM), reduce the […]

Hi, I have a suspected sprinkler slow drip leak in my leasehold flat ceiling. The property developers checked and don’t believe its a roof issue (I’m on the top floor). The managing agent believes it’s my responsibility to pay for the investigation and has claimed that I’m responsible if the sprinklers serve my flat. The […]

Landlords with property in one town are being urged to check the external condition of it and avoid a formal enforcement action if it needs cleaning. Swindon Council is contacting more than 2,000 landlords and private homeowners for its Big Town Centre Clean-Up this summer. Leaflets are being delivered across the town centre asking owners […]

Landlords are raising rents and becoming more selective about tenants as operating and regulatory costs climb, according to new research. Some landlords are also putting property improvement work on hold, even while preparing to buy more properties. Handelsbanken surveyed 200 UK property investors, landlords and property management professionals for its fifth annual Property Investor Report. […]

For decades, the case for buy to let rested on one quiet assumption: that property values would rise over time. New survey data suggests landlords have stopped believing it. When the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey asked landlords in Q2 what they expected to happen to property values over the next three years, the answers were […]

A think tank is urging the government to ringfence its £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) for social rented homes. Research by the Resolution Foundation suggests that using the full £39 billion to build council homes for social rent would still leave the government around 5,000 homes a year short of its target […]

The number of tenants searching for pet-friendly properties has dropped following the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act, according to new data. Findings from Rightmove reveal that searches by prospective tenants for rental properties specifically advertised as allowing pets were down 54% in May compared with the same month last year, and 52% in June […]

Landlord company registrations rose from 1,882 in 2000 to a record 34,128 in 2025, an increase of more than 1,700%, according to an analysis of Companies House records. Nearly 14,000 more businesses were incorporated during the first five months of 2026, continuing a sharp rise in landlords operating through limited companies. The research by specialist […]

Holly Williamson has been announced as the new chief executive of Generation Rent. Ms Williamson takes over from Ben Twomey, who was chief executive for three years. Her appointment comes at a time when the Renters’ Rights Act is in force, and there is growing discussion around the possibility of rent controls. Bring experience to […]

We let to students and usually give a 50% discount on the rent during July and August, provided they don’t occupy the property during those months. Student landlords will know that July and August are the ‘maintenance months’. The father (who says he is a lawyer) of one tenant has said that under the Renter’s […]

Letting boards left outside occupied student homes for years are being removed from one city’s streets after a council crackdown was backed by the courts. The signs had effectively become permanent, with officials saying most were advertising the agents rather than the properties. Now Birmingham City Council says it will begin enforcement action following complaints […]

The government has encouraged landlords to use other available referencing criteria to give them confidence the tenancy is suitable. In a written parliamentary answer, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook encouraged landlords to use alternative referencing where a previous landlord reference is unavailable, following concerns over landlords not providing a tenancy reference until a tenant has served […]

If they’d love to own the home they already live in, don’t assume it’s the end of the conversation if they can’t afford the deposit or think getting a mortgage will be impossible. That’s just where the hard work begins. One simple question. Lots of complicated answers. Where we come in. We’ve spent years helping […]

For the first time, the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey has something it never had before: a like-for-like comparison. Two quarters in, the message is not that landlords are in trouble. It is that they have made a decision. When more than 2,000 landlords answered the same questions three months apart, the striking finding was not […]

Landlords who own leasehold flats have until 11.59 pm on 21 October 2026 to influence the rates that may determine how much they pay to extend their leases, buy their freeholds or remove ground-rent liabilities under the Government’s new valuation system. Update, 6 October 2026: The government has extended the consultation deadline by four weeks. […]

Despite Prime Minister Andy Burnham saying rent controls were being considered for England’s landlords, the new Housing Secretary Angela Rayner says a rent freeze will not be brought in. Speaking on BBC Breakfast, she said the idea was not being pursued amid concerns that the measures could damage the private rented sector. She said: “I […]

Manchester has seen stronger house price growth, following Andy Burnham becoming Prime Minister. Data by Benham and Reeves, using the government’s UK House Price Index, compares London Mayor Sadiq Khan and former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s average house price movements, residential sales volumes and new housing completions. The news comes as the Office for National […]

Almost every landlord has changed the way they operate following the recent Renters’ Rights Act reforms, while more than a third are considering leaving the sector altogether, according to Aviva. Its research found that 94% of landlords had altered their business practices with changes ranging from spending on properties to rewriting agreements and reviewing entire […]

Landlords with qualifying income above £50,000 have nearly two weeks to submit their first Making Tax Digital (MTD) quarterly update. HM Revenue and Customs says more than 864,000 landlords and sole traders are within the scope of the new digital tax requirement. The first filing deadline falls on 7 August 2026. The update must include […]