A tenant group has claimed a council has “failed to put its money where its mouth is” by not doing enough to tackle rogue landlords. A story by Edinburgh Live says Living Rent has hit out at Edinburgh council for not allocating funding in its latest budget for enforcement in the private rented sector (PRS). […]

Property118 is publishing this analysis because the private rented sector is shrinking in plain sight, and the people who pay the price first are tenants. Property118 has long argued that landlord confidence is not an abstract concept; it is the fuel that keeps rental supply flowing. Remove confidence and participation falls. When participation falls, supply […]

Landlords are facing eviction costs that could reach £3,000 when Section 21 is abolished with May’s Renters’ Rights Act, the Daily Telegraph has revealed. Estate agency Martyn Gerrard said the move to Section 8 claims will expose landlords to court fees, solicitor bills and lost rent during delays. The Act will remove ‘no-fault’ notices and […]

Party conference season is in full swing. At the time of writing, the Scottish Tories and Liberal Democrats have both had theirs, as have the Greens, and Scottish Labour are currently in progress in Paisley. This being an election year, the conferences are of more importance than usual, as they are key events at which […]

A councillor has claimed rent controls must be introduced to stop renters from “being plunged into economic hardship.” Green councillor Alex Mace put forward a motion to Worcester City Council calling for rent controls to be introduced in the city. Cllr Mace said that while the Renters’ Rights Act will strengthen renters’ rights, it does […]

With only a month to go until Making Tax Digital, landlords are feeling more prepared than sole traders, claims a new report. A report by accounting firm Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting reveals four in five landlords (80%) feel prepared for Making Tax Digital compared to 64% of sole traders. Under the controversial scheme, from […]

The British Property Federation (BPF) is urging the Chancellor to use the Spring Statement to reinstate Multiple Dwellings Relief, arguing the move would unlock stalled schemes and increase Treasury receipts. Doing so would, the organisation claims, help the government meets its housing targets. The BPF says the abolition of MDR in 2024 removed a bulk […]

Rough sleeping and homelessness figures reach record highs as charities calls for the government to unfreeze Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates. According to government figures, an estimated 4,793 people slept rough on a single night in Autumn 2025, the highest since records began. The figures also reveal the number of households seeking council support for […]

A record-breaking £16.9 billion in capital gains tax (CGT) revenue was claimed by HMRC in January, according to The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Simply Business says the CGT surge is down to a mass exodus of landlords leaving the private rented sector. The news comes as HMRC property transactions for January revealed a drop […]

Our friend Keir has been having lunch with Larry Fink of Blackrock. Keir wants to improve housing, and Blackrock and Blackstone have lots of other people’s money to invest He wants to build lots of houses, and Larry has lots of other people’s money. Interestingly the Donald, in his State of the Union address, wants […]

Landlords with leasehold flats are now facing average service charge bills above £200 a month for the first time, research reveals. The findings from Hamptons highlight the fresh pressure to margins and selling prospects of these properties. The agency says flat leaseholders in England and Wales paid an average £2,405 a year in 2025, or […]

It sounds too good to be true, yet despite the recent headlines and barrages of bad news, landlords are selling, and more than that, they’re selling fast for the right prices. We’ve all seen the way the market is heading: properties stuck, unable to sell, landlords wanting unrealistic listing prices, which all compounds to a […]

The government admits it has not carried out an impact assessment on how the abolition of fixed-term tenancies will affect rental supply. In a written question, Liberal Democrat MP Dr Roz Savage asked what assessment had been made of removing fixed-term tenancies under the Renters’ Rights Act, including the impact on certainty for landlords seeking […]

Reform UK’s pledge to repeal the Renters’ Rights Act and John Lewis exiting its much-trumpeted build to rent fiasco shows what happens when housing policy fantasy meets harsh market reality. But then we are run by politicians and civil servants without any real-world experience. So, every bonkers idea they dream up will be a huge […]

A council has been accused of setting a “worrying precedent” over plans to propose large fines for rule-breaking landlords housing vulnerable tenants, a story in The Telegraph claims. Bristol City Council has proposed in a consultation that landlords who breach safety standards when housing vulnerable tenants would face a 20% premium added to the financial […]

A Labour-run council is hiring extra staff to tackle selective licensing and the Renters’ Rights Act. Liverpool City Council has announced plans to expand its enforcement team, with seven new staff joining immediately and a further 27 officers set to be appointed over the coming financial year. The council says this means there will be […]

Landlords are very aware of the upcoming Renters’ Rights Act, but uncertainty persists around how the framework will operate once in force. The survey by Paragon Bank found awareness of the new law at 98%. However, 73% of landlords said they remain unsure about parts of the legislation, or most of it. Only 26% consider […]

I am planning on making use of an approaching void period in one of my properties to work on improving ‘u-values’, by applying internal wall insulation systems (IWI) – along with some other easy EPC wins, such as swapping GLS lights for LEDs & switching to Smart TRVs. As I possess the necessary skill sets […]

John Lewis is shutting down its housebuilding arm and abandoning plans to deliver 1,000 rental homes across three sites. The firm is blaming higher borrowing and construction costs since the venture was launched in 2020. The employee-owned retailer said the decision also covers an exit from property management when four residential building contracts expire. Resources […]

Landlords and tenants will be able to access hundreds of pounds in grant funding for electric vehicle (EV) charging points under new government plans. Until March 2027, renters and landlords can claim up to half the cost of installing a charger, worth up to £500, as the scheme is extended for a final year. The […]

Potentially exempt transfer insurance (gift inter vivos policies), protect your family during the seven-year inheritance tax risk period following a gift. Most landlords have some understanding of the seven-year rule for IHT purposes. What far fewer appreciate is the financial exposure their family faces during those seven years. This exposure is not theoretical; it arises […]