Hello, my name is Melissa Lawford, and I’m the economics correspondent at The Telegraph. I’m writing an essay about what a potential housing market downturn will mean for the wider UK economy. I’m particularly keen to speak to buy-to-let landlords who are trying to exit the market but who are having trouble selling their homes. […]

Landlords are now housing a generation of young families for longer, as the number of children living in privately rented homes has tripled since the turn of the century. The Resolution Foundation said 3.2 million children were living in the private rented sector (PRS) in 2024-25. That compares with 1.1 million in 2000-01, with one […]

The Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) committee has scrutinised the government’s draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, saying it needs to go further. In response to the bill, the committee welcomed protections for leaseholders but warned that key recommendations previously made by the Law Commission are missing from the draft legislation. The findings come […]

First-time buyers are searching for homes priced £10,000 above last year’s level, even as fewer of them are making enquiries, Zoopla figures show. In London, the average home targeted by a first-time buyer has crossed £500,000 for the first time, reaching £502,250. That’s despite average prices across the capital remaining unchanged year on year. The […]

Renters with poor credit records, unpredictable earnings or having nobody willing to act as a rent guarantor could face a tougher search for a home, the NRLA says. It has carried out research which found that 78% of landlords said the Renters’ Rights Act was likely to make them more selective when choosing tenants. The […]

Nearly 867,000 households in England’s private rented sector include someone aged 55 or over, as rising demand coincides with a shrinking supply of homes, according to a new report. Research from Propertymark reveals demand for housing suitable for older people will continue to increase over the next decade as the population ages. The industry body […]

The government has confirmed it is working with councils to support the use of information from the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database in carrying out enforcement action against landlords. In response to a parliamentary written question, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage said the database will collect a range of information as part […]

Leaseholders are being forced to gamble as campaigners urge the government to act now. The National Leasehold Campaign (NLC) says the latest figures on leasehold dwellings show leaseholders are facing a “cliff edge”. The NLC is calling on the government to cap ground rent at £250 immediately, rather than waiting two years, and to accelerate […]

House prices are rising in most parts of Britain, but the latest figures show London moving in the opposite direction. The e.surv House Price Index for April puts the average house price at £327,800, up 1.7% year on year. Prices rose by 0.2% over the month and 0.3% over the quarter, with the strongest annual […]

The housing sector has reacted to the Scottish government’s new cabinet after it scrapped the standalone housing secretary post. Shirley-Anne Somerville was appointed Housing and Social Justice Secretary after John Swinney was re-elected as First Minister. A housing charity has criticised the SNP’s decision to merge the housing brief into a wider portfolio, arguing that […]

An industry body has urged letting agents to review outdated online content to remain compliant with the Renters’ Rights Act. Propertymark says that with the first phase of the Renters’ Rights Act now in force, agents should audit all published consumer information, legal statements, terms and conditions, and guidance hosted on their websites. The industry […]

Landlords arranging larger loans, borrowing for improvement work or buying through a limited company have new buy to let products and revised finance routes to consider. Buckinghamshire Building Society, Paragon Bank and ModaMortgages have each announced changes to their landlord ranges, while Moneyfactscompare.co.uk has selected a reduced-rate Leeds Building Society five-year fix in its latest […]

Labour Party leader hopeful Andy Burnham has been accused of hypocrisy over reports that he lets a London flat that was partly bought with MPs’ expenses cash. The Makerfield by-election candidate bought the two-bedroom former council flat in Kennington in 2005, according to The Sun on Sunday. It reports that its value has since doubled […]

Several landlords in Dorset have hit out at the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force, describing it as a “sledgehammer to crack a nut”. Speaking to the Bournemouth Daily Echo, landlords raised concerns about the legislation, particularly the abolition of Section 21, saying it will make it harder to remove troublesome tenants. The news come […]

Landlords with larger portfolios are still looking to buy despite the Renters’ Rights Act, higher costs and uncertainty over the economy, research reveals. Handelsbanken’s fifth annual Property Investor Report found that 84% of professional property investors plan to increase their holdings over the next year. That’s up from 54% in last year’s survey. The report, […]

The government has claimed councils “should take a proactive approach to enforcement” under the Renters’ Rights Act. In a written parliamentary answer, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, said the government aims to establish a “sustainable funding system for enforcement”. The news comes after a landlord expert warned that councils no longer need […]

Never in the history of rental property has so much damage been done by so few to so many. It is now evident it’s not just bad landlords that are being impacted, but all landlords and all tenants, literally millions of people. By treating landlords as serious criminals for not sending a four-page letter to […]

Landlords facing heavier compliance duties under the Renters’ Rights Act are expected to drive further demand for professional property management. Rushbrook & Rathbone says the property management sector is already expanding, with the number of operational businesses rising by 2.8% over the past year. Its analysis of the latest VAT and PAYE enterprise data shows […]

Hello everyone, The Renters’ Rights Act changes are causing havoc as student tenancies fall in with the academic year. If someone gives notice, the whole house is deemed to have given notice. We have had cases where 4 people are going through anxiety because the 5th has given notice. If the whole house gives notice […]

According to Zoopla, almost half of properties listed for sale never actually sell. Their advice is simple: realistic pricing remains critical for sellers looking to secure a sale in a competitive market. Too many landlords are given optimistic valuations based on best-case vacant possession value — without being told the hidden cost of achieving it. […]

Landlords weighing up remortgages, sales or new purchases could see mortgage costs rise this year thanks to a looming bonds market clash, one property expert predicts. That is being fuelled by concerns around the policy agenda of a potential new government. Tom Bill, the head of UK residential research at Knight Frank, says higher borrowing […]