Page 3 – Property118
Property118 landlord survey results graphic showing rising trends, charts, and UK rental market data

RESULTS of the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey (Q1 2026)

2nd April 2026

2,380 landlords completed our recent Property118 landlord survey. If you were one of them, Thank You; it’s by far the UK’s largest landlord sentiment survey, EVER! We have published the high-level results below, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. As always, the devil is in the detail. The raw data captured will […]

Landlords to tighten tenant checks before Renters’ Rights Act

2nd April 2026

Landlords are tightening tenant screening ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force on 1 May, with nearly seven in 10 planning more stringent checks to manage eviction risk. Paragon Bank’s survey of 500 landlords shows 69% intend to introduce more in-depth vetting of prospective tenants. Another 70% say they will be more selective […]

Crossed-out pound symbol in an empty room representing limits of financial penalties on vacant homes

Financial penalties won’t solve empty homes crisis – Propertymark

2nd April 2026

More than 300,000 homes across the country have been left empty for more than six months, prompting an industry body to call on the government and councils to take action. Propertymark has published a policy paper outlining how the government can address empty properties and bring them back into use. The industry body warns that […]

What’s the true cost for landlords to get properties to EPC C by 2030?

2nd April 2026

I’ve been digging into the EPC open data register to work out what the EPC C 2030 deadline actually means in practice for a typical small portfolio. Not the headline figures from government consultations, the actual numbers from real EPC certificates in real postcodes. Thought it might be useful to share what I found, because […]

Rising UK rents illustrated by upward steps and “To Let” signs as Renters’ Rights Act approaches

Rents tick up as Renters’ Rights Act deadline approaches

2nd April 2026

Rents have increased for the first time in five months as the Renters’ Rights Act edges closer to becoming law, according to new data. The latest figures from the HomeLet Rental Index show that average UK rents rose to £1,311 in March 2026, a 0.8% increase month‑on‑month from £1,301 in February. After four consecutive months […]

Landlords turn to incorporation as Renters’ Rights Act approaches

2nd April 2026

Buy-to-let incorporation is set to boom ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force, claims software company. Data by Propoly reveals the number of companies being set up to hold buy-to-let properties has increased every year since 2015, with annual increases of up to 35.9%. The company says for many landlords, with the Renters’ […]

Scottish renters should get last two months’ rent-free if evicted – Generation Rent

2nd April 2026

Generation Rent is calling on all political parties in Scotland to back its manifesto pledge that Scottish renters should receive the last two months’ rent free as compensation in cases of no-fault evictions. Ahead of the Scottish elections in May, the tenant group has launched its Standing Up for Renters in Scotland manifesto, urging parties […]

Worried elderly woman with a walking stick looking at cash on a table, illustrating pensioner poverty and housing costs

Charity calls for action to support older private renters as LHA rates remain frozen

2nd April 2026

A charity is urging the government to unfreeze Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates after research reveals an increase in pensioners living in poverty. New data by the government reveals the number of pensioners living in poverty in the UK increased by 200,000 in just one year. Independent Age says the government should do more to […]

Letting board crossed out on residential street highlighting restrictions on rental signage in Nottingham

Nottingham confirms permanent letting board ban

2nd April 2026

Permanent restrictions on letting boards in parts of Nottingham have been confirmed after government approval, bringing an end to years of temporary controls in areas with high student housing. The Secretary of State has agreed that existing planning rules on ‘To let’ boards will now remain in place indefinitely, following a public consultation last year. […]

What does a balanced tenancy agreement actually look like?

2nd April 2026

I have been reflecting recently on how tenancy agreements are evolving, and I keep coming back to the same question: What does “balance” actually look like today? On paper, a tenancy agreement is still a contract between two parties; one provides a property, the other pays to live in it, with both sides agreeing to certain […]

Scottish housebuilding slump illustrated by a falling arrow over new homes under construction

Scotland’s housing crisis deepens as housebuilding plummets

2nd April 2026

Housebuilding in Scotland has reached record lows, with the Scottish government off target on its promise to build 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, according to new figures. Data published by the Scottish government reveals that the private sector completed fewer homes in 2025 than in any year since 2017 and started fewer homes than in […]

Giant ant outside a holiday home illustrates the risk of spring ant infestations for short-term let owners

Are holiday home owners prepared as ant infestations spike earlier than ever?

2nd April 2026

A holiday home insurer issues “Duty of Care” warning to short-term let owners ahead of the April booking surge. Holiday home owners are being urged to ant-proof their properties immediately following a significant 31% year-on-year increase in pest-related searches. As the Great British Staycation season kicks off this Easter, experts warn that a failure to […]

Silhouetted parent and child holding hands in a tunnel with hazard symbol, representing housing insecurity

Council row almost leaves tenant and child homeless with more tenants to be evicted

1st April 2026

A dispute over Gas Safety rules and selective licensing nearly left a parent and child without a home but more tenants are facing Section 21 notices. The landlord, Mick Roberts, says he is fed up with struggling to get Nottingham City Council employees to understand housing law. He says the situation escalated after council officers […]

Rising buy-to-let costs driving rent increases with upward chart and housing imagery

Plea for government to help ease growing landlord costs

1st April 2026

The government is being urged to intervene and help landlords as buy to let borrowing costs rise, adding fresh pressure to rents and landlord finances. The National Residential Landlords Association points to an analysis from Moneyfactscompare.co.uk which found that landlords are paying an average £1,100 more a year than in January. That’s down to market […]

Blue sand flowing through a glass hourglass symbolising timing in property sales decisions

Landlords selling now are getting better prices. Here’s why timing is everything

1st April 2026

Something is shifting in the property market and, luckily for us, it isn’t another drove of bad news. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. While most of the noise is about rising costs, tightening regulation and an uncertain economic backdrop, cue the landlords quietly getting on with things in the background to squeeze the most […]

UK house price growth concept with pound symbol and rising bar chart over model home

UK house prices rise in March – Nationwide

1st April 2026

Annual UK house price growth reached 2.2% in March, up from 1% in February with values also rising 0.9% month on month, Nationwide reveals. The average price climbed to £277,186 in March from £273,176 the previous month. Robert Gardner, the lender’s chief economist, said: “The pickup in house price growth suggests that the market had […]

Flooded suburban homes with EPC rating blocks above roofs highlighting climate risk to energy-efficient properties

Energy-efficient homes face rising flood and subsidence risk

1st April 2026

Nearly 9.5 million energy-efficient homes are projected to face flooding or subsidence risk by 2055, an analysis reveals. Property data firm TwentyCi found that homes with stronger EPC ratings appear more exposed to long-term environmental risks than less efficient stock. It says that 37% of homes sit at EPC D, with a further 35% at […]

Countdown timer highlighting one month until Renters' Rights Act changes take effect

Countdown to the Renters’ Rights Act deadline begins

1st April 2026

Landlords and letting agents have one month to prepare for the first phase of the Renters’ Rights Act, with Propertymark warning that compliance failures could carry financial penalties. The Act, the biggest overhaul to the PRS in decades, takes effect on 1 May 2026 and will be introduced in three phases. To start with are […]

Falling coins and £7,000 fine notice symbolising penalties under Renters' Rights Act changes

Renters’ Rights Act enforcement split into breaches and offences

1st April 2026

From 1st May 2026, enforcement of the new Renters’ Rights Act measures will be split into two categories of breaches and offences. A local authority will be able to impose fines on you, letting agents or anyone acting on your behalf (other than a qualified legal representative) and could be given a financial penalty of […]

Pug wearing a sign reading “I will rent” illustrating challenges in finding pet-friendly rental housing

Pet-friendly rented home listings fall 39% before RRA’s implementation

1st April 2026

Pet-friendly rented home listings across England have fallen sharply in early 2026, as landlords apparently increasingly reject advertising these homes. Research from Inventory Base shows a 39% drop since January, ahead of May’s implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act. Now, just 5,839 homes are advertised as allowing pets, out of a total 98,964 properties currently […]

Landlords and agents giving thumbs up with “75% Renters Rights Act” text and to-let signs behind

75% of landlords aware of Renters’ Rights Act

1st April 2026

Three-quarters of landlords are now aware of the Renters’ Rights Act as the first phase of the legislation approaches its implementation from 1 May, researchers have found. The figures from Pegasus Insight’s Landlord Trends survey show that 75% of landlords say they are aware of the reforms, a rise of 8% on the previous quarter. […]