Property sales team securing a reliable sale for a landlord after previous mortgage-related failures

Busy landlords need more than a buyer — They need a team that delivers

5th October 2026

A busy landlord in Kent had already accepted two offers through other estate agents. Both sales fell through when the buyers could not secure mortgages. Months of waiting had brought her no closer to selling. Pulled in several directions, she did not have the time or energy to untangle the problems herself. She needed more […]

£16m legal support fund offering free eviction advice to renters in England and Wales

Tenants get access to £16m fund for free eviction legal advice

5th October 2026

Renters facing eviction will get earlier access to free legal advice through a £16m government fund covering England and Wales. Help will also be available for benefit disputes, problem debt and family breakdown, with support offered online as well as in person. The government’s Legal Support Grant will fund 48 frontline organisations to assist thousands […]

Joint tenancy and room-by-room signs illustrating student landlords’ choice of letting models

Joint tenancy or room-by-room? Student landlords need to look again

5th October 2026

Five students rent a house together. Four are happy, the rent is being paid and they want to stay. The fifth decides to leave and gives notice. Under a joint periodic tenancy, that notice can end the tenancy for all five. That isn’t a new principle of landlord and tenant law. One joint tenant has […]

Rising stacks of pound coins and rental homes illustrate increasing UK rents

Average rents rise £888 a year

5th October 2026

Tenants face an extra £888 a year in rent after Britain’s monthly average rose by 4.9% in September compared with a year earlier. However, the East of England bucked the increase, with rents falling slightly over the same period. Goodlord’s latest index puts the average monthly rent at £1,581, up from £1,507 in September 2025. […]

Inheritance passed between generations with cash and valuables, representing wealth used for buy-to-let investment

Inheritance boom could create more landlords

5th October 2026

An inheritance boom could create a new generation of landlords as wealth passes between generations, according to one firm. John Minnis estate agents say that for homeowners receiving a substantial sum, buying a property to let could become one of their options. It points to Resolution Foundation research which shows that around 670,000 adults received […]

Landlord database with £65 fee tag and £20 notes illustrating rising rental sector costs

NRLA warns of landlord database ‘rip off’ cost

5th October 2026

England’s planned landlord database is set to cost the private rented sector at least £327 million a year, with tenants ultimately footing the bill, the NRLA warns. The government will begin rolling out the database in December as part of its Renters’ Rights Act, but Landlords will be charged to submit much of the same […]

Cracked council notices marked “FAIL” in front of a house, representing serious social housing failings

Two councils fail tenants over housing standards

5th October 2026

Two councils have been found to be seriously failing their tenants, with one also criticised for failing to tell the housing regulator promptly about its significant problems. Repairs and safety were among the concerns at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, while Thanet District Council fell short on housing conditions and tackling anti-social behaviour. Both received […]

Private tenants queue to enter social housing as demand for affordable homes rises in England.

More private tenants in England want social housing

5th October 2026

Three in 10 private tenants in England would prefer to live in social housing, which is up from 21% a year earlier. Among those aged 65 or over, that preference rises to almost half. The TDS Charitable Foundation’s national survey of more than 2,000 private tenants found that 47% of this age group would choose […]

The invisible cage keeping landlords from the life they worked for

4th October 2026

For nearly four decades, I helped landlords build their wealth, while most of my time is now spent helping them work out how to enjoy it. Behind the questions about selling properties and paying tax lies a much bigger question about whether they can give themselves permission to live differently and put a practical plan […]

Knight in crusader armour holding a sword, symbolising landlords battling rising PRS pressures and regulation.

Labour wants the keys to YOUR landlord properties

2nd October 2026

Well, the cat is well and truly out of the bag. Burnham’s tears during his party conference speech should be saved for the country’s landlords when the details of targeting sub-standard homes will see councils having the power to compulsory purchase them from the landlord. I know lots of people, including landlords, are turned off […]

Home Office Right to Rent Guides published

2nd October 2026

The Home Office has now published its updated Right to Rent guidance for landlords Landlord’s guide to right to rent checks – GOV.UK Right to rent immigration checks: landlords’ code of practice – GOV.UK This guidance applies to right to rent checks conducted on or after 1 October 2026. Previous versions are available through the […]

Hourglass showing a 6% rate above rental homes, illustrating refinancing pressure for landlords

30-year gilt yield passed 6%: stress-test your portfolio before your fix ends

2nd October 2026

For landlords with fixed rates ending in the next six to 18 months, the useful response to market volatility is to establish what each property can afford, what refinancing would cost and when decisions need to be made. Britain’s 30-year government bond yield moved above 6% on 1 October 2026, reaching its highest level since […]

Bolt cutters breaking “3 Year Rent Cap” text to illustrate Green Party proposals to limit private rent rises

Greens call for ’emergency brake’ three-year rent cap

2nd October 2026

Private rent rises must be capped at 2% or less for three years to stop ‘the scandalous cost of private rents’ under proposals made by Green Party leader Zack Polanski. The move would see landlords being restricted to whichever is lowest out of inflation, wage growth or 2%. The Greens’ party conference in Brighton heard […]

Stacks of £50 notes above a rent upfront sign representing advance rent payments by private tenants

Government revises figures on private renters paying rent upfront

2nd October 2026

The government has corrected its own data to reveal that more than one million private rented households paid rent in advance alongside a deposit in 2024–25. The government updated the English Housing Survey 2024–25 on 30 September because the previous data referred to rent in advance paid during households’ previous tenancies rather than their current […]

Renters’ Rights Act document beside rising pound coins as landlords leave the rental market

Renters’ Rights Act sparks landlord exodus as rents rise

2nd October 2026

Tenants are facing the fallout from the Renters’ Rights Act, with landlords leaving the market and rents rising, according to new research. SpareRoom claims, since the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, room rents have reached record highs, while supply has dwindled. Data from SpareRoom shows that 78% of landlords in England have no confidence […]

Landlords are being offered lower buy to let tracker rates and the freedom to leave some deals without early repayment charges from lenders. Five-year tracker mortgages are also being added to the options available to borrowers seeking an alternative to a fixed rate. YBS Commercial Mortgages has introduced a five-year BTL tracker at 4.90%, comprising Bank Base Rate plus 1.15%, available up to 75% loan to value with a 2% arrangement fee. Its equivalent deal for large multi-unit freehold blocks costs 5.14%, or Base Rate plus 1.39%, with the same borrowing limit and fee. The lender's managing director, Angela Norman, said: "Broker feedback has consistently highlighted a desire for a wider range of tracker options, particularly for landlords seeking greater product flexibility over a longer period. “Our new tracker products address that demand directly, giving investors more choice and value alongside traditional fixed rate and shorter-term options." Tracker exit charges Meanwhile, LendInvest has removed early repayment charges across its buy to let tracker range, allowing borrowers to refinance, repay or leave during the initial term without an exit penalty. The lender has also cut initial pay rates throughout the range, which it says will improve affordability assessments under interest coverage ratio checks. Maximum loan to value limits have risen from 70% to 75% for holiday lets, small multi-unit freehold blocks and large houses in multiple occupation. A dedicated tracker range for large multi-unit freehold blocks has also been introduced for portfolio landlords. Commercial mortgage discounts Atom bank has simplified its commercial mortgage pricing, reducing the number of price points per product to limit potential rate movements during an application. Discounts total up to 0.70%, depending on loan size, with the largest reductions applying to borrowing between £800,000 and £2m. The bank continues to offer discounts of up to 0.25% for properties with an EPC rating of B or above and applications with debt service coverage or interest coverage ratios of 200%. Its enhanced broker procuration fee of 1.75% has been extended to applications submitted before 31 March 2027.

Buy to let tracker rates cut as lenders expand choice

2nd October 2026

Landlords are being offered lower buy to let tracker rates and the freedom to leave some deals without early repayment charges from lenders. Five-year tracker mortgages are also being added to the options available to borrowers seeking an alternative to a fixed rate. YBS Commercial Mortgages has introduced a five-year BTL tracker at 4.90%, comprising […]

Dog and cat at a rental property entrance beside a pet CV, illustrating pet-friendly tenancies

Letting agents urged to take case-by-case approach to pets

2nd October 2026

An industry body has issued guidance to letting agents on renting with pets and recommends tenants provide a pet CV. Propertymark has published guidance as the Renters’ Rights Act gives private renters the right to request a pet, with landlords and letting agents unable to refuse requests unreasonably. The guidance comes as the government has […]

New-build housing development highlighting Labour’s 1.5 million homes target

New-build shortage puts pressure on government’s 1.5m homes target

2nd October 2026

Despite the Labour government’s plan to build 1.5 million homes by the end of this Parliament, new-build properties currently account for just 8.1% of all homes for sale across Great Britain. Data from UK Property Development Limited reveals that new-builds make up just 8.1% of homes currently on the market, leaving buyers with a relatively […]

Person facing homelessness beside homes as a landlord offers housing support

Landlords urged to help Crisis house homeless people

2nd October 2026

Landlords are being asked to provide homes for people facing homelessness, with free help to find tenants and keep tenancies going. The support can include rent guarantee insurance, although this is offered when needed. Homelessness charity Crisis is seeking landlords willing to let properties through its tenant matching service. Last year, it helped 750 people […]

Scottish eviction rules increase wrongful termination compensation to up to 36 months’ rent

Scottish landlords warned over new rules and fines of up to 36 months’ rent

2nd October 2026

Landlords and letting agents in Scotland are being urged to prepare, as tenants can claim up to 36 months’ rent if their tenancy is wrongfully terminated. New housing rules coming into force on 6 October will significantly increase compensation available to tenants through the First-tier Tribunal, from three to 36 months’ rent. The changes will […]

Tenant referencing file secured with chains and a padlock, highlighting stricter checks under the Renters’ Rights Act

Tenant referencing is getting tougher but are we going too far?

2nd October 2026

Tenant referencing is getting tougher under the Renters’ Rights Act, and I can understand why. One of the biggest things I hear from landlords now is fairly simple: if a tenancy goes wrong, getting the property back is no longer as straightforward as it once was. Since 1st May, Section 21 is gone, so landlords […]