A Labour MP is calling on the government to introduce rent controls to curb welfare spending. Margaret Mullane, MP for Dagenham and Rainham, writes in LabourList that rent controls are needed to tackle soaring rents. However, industry experts warn that rent controls do more harm than good. Driving councils to brink of collapse Ms Mullane […]

House prices are ticking up slowly as political uncertainty continues to cause a slowdown, according to the Nationwide house price index. The data shows UK annual house price growth picked up to 2.2% in June, rising from 1.7% in May. House prices across UK regions also saw broadly positive growth. Market has softened a little […]

News surrounding Keir Starmer’s resignation and speculation over whether Andy Burnham could become the next Prime Minister have left many landlords asking what comes next. Discussions about Andy Burnham’s previously proposed land tax paid by property owners rather than tenants that could see landlords paying 0.96% of their property value annually have reignited concerns across […]

The government claims the courts have “sufficient capacity to manage the impact of the Renters’ Rights Act”. The act came into force on 1 May this year and, with the abolition of Section 21, landlords must now rely on Section 8 notices and specific grounds to regain possession. As previously reported by Property118, industry experts […]

On 23 June 2026, the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) was significantly reformed under the Renters Rights Act 2025. Most landlords are unaware the changes have happened. That needs to change urgently, because the penalty for a Category 1 hazard has now risen to £7,000 per hazard under section 6A of the Housing […]

The government claims that rent prices are affected by various factors amid scrutiny over proposed EPC targets could push rents up. In a written parliamentary question, Green MP Hannah Spencer asked what assessment the government has made of new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) in the private rented sector on private rent inflation. Under the […]

There has been a huge amount in the press about the “feudal” system of leasehold and how the government’s revitalised commonhold will fix all of the problems associated with long leasehold ownership. But will those buying into or converting to commonhold find that the old adage “be careful what you wish for” applies to them? […]

Property management in 2026 often feels less like managing block properties and more like reconstructing events from scattered evidence. Most property professionals will recognise the conversation: “Was that on email?” “Did the contractor call?” “Who updated the tenant?” “Was that the latest quote?” “I know I saw it somewhere…” The interesting thing is that the […]

Northern Ireland is emerging as a rental investment hotspot for landlords, according to new research. Research by John Minnis estate agents suggests that, as landlords in England continue to exit the market, Northern Ireland is seeing strong rental demand and growing investor interest. The news comes as Propertymark backs stronger landlord register rules in Northern […]

For many landlords, the biggest challenge today is not simply improving rental yields. It is finding investments that still produce attractive returns whilst making commercial sense in an increasingly demanding regulatory and tax environment. That is one reason why semi-commercial property has been attracting growing attention, and why today’s announcement from specialist lender LendInvest is […]

Another Labour minister has been accused of applying “one rule for them and another for everyone else” after making a 900% profit on a council house purchased under the Right to Buy scheme. Despite the government moving to tighten restrictions on Right to Buy, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has been accused of hypocrisy after it […]

The government has hinted that fees collected from the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database will be used to fund council enforcement. In a written Parliamentary question, housing minister Matthew Pennycook confirmed the government is strengthening council enforcement powers under the Renters’ Rights Act. The news comes as councils now have the power to issue on-the-spot […]

Landlords in Wales could face fines of up to £5,000 if they miss the renewal date on their Rent Smart Wales licence. The National Residential Landlords Association is urging licence holders to check their accounts as many approach, or may already have passed, their second renewal deadline. Rent Smart Wales launched on 23 November 2015, […]

As the Vagrancy law is being repealed today, anyone has the right to sleep rough and beg. So, to me, I wonder, as this will be a legally allowed thing to do, how can a properly justified eviction be illegal? How can a council tell a tenant not to move out and intentionally make themselves […]

Sales have fallen and mortgage rates have risen as political uncertainty continues to weigh on the housing market, according to a new report. Zoopla’s house price index shows that sales agreed are 7% lower in June, while three in five homes listed for sale since January are still on the market. The property portal warns […]

The government has announced that the Vagrancy Act will be repealed from today. The Vagrancy Act 1824 is a nearly 200-year-old law that makes it a criminal offence to sleep rough or beg in England and Wales. The government say repealing the Act is a vital step towards ending a system that has failed to […]

Since the Renters’ Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026, a lot of the guarantor conversation on here has focused on one fear. Now that fixed terms are gone and every tenancy is periodic, is the guarantor locked in for life? It is a fair worry. But in my work on tenancy and […]

The private rented sector is changing at a pace few landlords have experienced before. Landlords are being asked to accept pets they might previously have refused. The government is warning against blanket policies affecting benefit claimants. Councils are preparing to issue significant fines for compliance failures. Ministers have had to correct guidance issued only weeks […]

The government has claimed that tribunal-determined rents will protect tenants from falling into rent arrears. In a Parliamentary written question, Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed asked whether landlords should be required to notify councils and the Department for Work and Pensions when a First-tier Tribunal finds a tenant has been overcharged rent. The government has announced […]

Landlords selling tenant-occupied homes to London councils could be evicting existing renters to make way for households needing temporary accommodation. An investigation by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has found that 11 London authorities do not record whether tenants were required to leave properties before councils bought them with vacant possession. The website MyLondon […]

Almost ten years have passed since the Axe the Tenant Tax campaign sought permission to challenge Section 24 by way of judicial review. The campaign attracted considerable support from landlords across the country and was represented by leading counsel. The argument was straightforward. Individual landlords were being denied relief for finance costs while companies continued […]