Page 31 – Property118
Older man sitting beneath a sketched house marked Shelter, symbolising homelessness and the housing crisis

Shelter CEO wants to work with private landlords

3rd February 2026

Shelter’s new chief executive hints she is willing to work with private landlords to tackle the housing crisis. In an interview with Inside Housing, Sarah Elliott says she has had a constructive meeting with the chief executive of a landlord association. Ms Elliott became the head of Shelter in September last year, after Polly Neate […]

Reduced rent sign outside UK terraced houses with a downward arrow symbolising falling rental prices

UK rents fall again as market cools ahead of Renters’ Rights Act

3rd February 2026

UK rents slipped for a second month in a row in January, adding to signs that rapid growth may finally be running out of steam as the Renters’ Rights Act moves closer. The latest HomeLet Rental Index shows the average UK rent eased to £1,302 in January 2026, down 1.1% month-on-month from £1,317 in December. […]

Welsh flag over a street scene as people with suitcases walk past an exit sign, symbolising housing pressures in Wales

Welsh politicians clash over housing crisis as landlords exit

3rd February 2026

A Welsh Conservative MS has slammed the Welsh government for legislation that has driven landlords out of the market and forced people into temporary accommodation. During a Senedd debate on housing, Plaid Cymru MS Siân Gwenllian warned that Wales is facing a housing crisis, with many people stuck in temporary accommodation. However, Welsh Conservative MS […]

Sign stating “No shares, no voting rights” outside a residential street, highlighting loss of resident control

Management company removed shareholders and votes?

3rd February 2026

Hi, would like some advice. A small development’s residents pay a rent charge for communal areas (garden, fences, lights, etc.). The company was set up with shareholders, with every resident having one share and voting rights. There have been lots of issues with the company not following proper procedures. I have now found out that […]

UK map with a location pin showing pound coins and notes, representing rising property prices in affordable areas

Affordable areas drive strongest house price growth in 2025

3rd February 2026

Lower-priced parts of the country recorded the strongest rises in property asking prices last year as buyers continued to chase affordability, Rightmove reveals. Its analysis of millions of listings, enquiries and transactions shows that areas with cheaper homes consistently outperformed higher-value markets in 2025. Of the 50 local areas with the fastest growth in asking […]

Energy efficiency rating arrow rising on a damp-stained wall, reflecting improved EPC scores and ongoing housing quality issues in England.

Energy efficiency improves across England’s homes but damp and mould persist

3rd February 2026

The energy efficiency of housing stock in England has improved, according to the latest English Housing Survey. Despite an improvement in energy efficiency, the survey claims damp and mould are most prevalent in the private rented sector. Propertymark says the government must provide practical support for landlords, as all private rented properties will need to […]

Scottish flag flying over new housing development under construction with exempt signage

Scotland could exempt BTR and mid-market rent from rent caps

3rd February 2026

The Scottish government has laid secondary legislation to exempt build-to-rent and mid-market rent homes from private rented sector rent controls. The move is aimed at unlocking stalled investment and accelerating new housing delivery. The regulations, introduced under the Housing (Scotland) Act, follow almost two years of amendments to the original Bill, which was passed in […]

Calendar and stamp duty bag illustrating annual rent thresholds and tax risk under periodic tenancies

Tenants face stamp duty bills under periodic tenancies – Financial Times

2nd February 2026

The government is apparently working on a fix to an anomaly in the Renters’ Rights Act that could see huge numbers of tenants paying stamp duty. According to the Financial Times, under current tax rules, an indefinite or periodic tenancy requires a stamp duty land tax calculation each year. Liability is triggered once cumulative rent […]

Landlord holding a rent arrears sign outside a house with an eviction notice displayed

Selling a HMO property with tenant in arrears?

2nd February 2026

I am in the process of evicting an HMO tenant and have been told that even if we get a possession order, it can take a year, and he’s already 5 months behind on his rent. If only the arrears were the worst bit! With that in mind, I have a couple of questions: If […]

Digital courtroom gavel and law books symbolising online possession claims and court reform

Government urged to provide clarity on digitised court system for landlords

2nd February 2026

The government claims a digitised court system will help landlords, as warnings suggest the Renters’ Rights Act could overwhelm the courts. In answer to a written question, Labour’s Baroness Levitt said a digital service will help landlords file possession claims. However, many industry experts have warned the government has not given clarity on how the […]

Wooden house with stacked coins and rising arrow symbolizing UK house price growth

House prices rise 0.3% in January – Nationwide

2nd February 2026

Annual house prices grew 1% in January, with values rising 0.3% on a month-on-month basis after seasonal adjustment. According to Nationwide, the modest uplift marks a reversal from December, when yearly growth slowed to 0.6%. The average house price, on a non-adjusted basis, is £270,873, slightly below the £271,068 recorded a month earlier. Robert Gardner, […]

Damp and mould spreading across a wall in temporary accommodation, highlighting unsafe living conditions for tenants

Damp and mould remain major issues in temporary accommodation

2nd February 2026

A third of temporary accommodation is deemed inappropriate and poses a risk to tenants, with more than half showing signs of damp and mould, according to new data. Findings by Switch Management reveal that, despite Awaab’s Law coming into force last year for social housing, local authorities are still struggling to deal with damp and […]

Mixed-age adults sharing food and drinks in a living room, reflecting the rise of older flatsharers

High rents drive rise in older flatsharers

2nd February 2026

Older flatsharers are becoming more prominent in the flatshare market, as younger renters are priced out by high rents, according to new research. Data from SpareRoom reveals under-25s account for just over a quarter (26%) of the flatshare market, down from almost a third (32%) a decade ago. Meanwhile, renters aged 45 and over now […]

First-time buyer hurdling a house labelled property tax, symbolising barriers to homeownership

Property tax hurdle still blocks first-time buyers

2nd February 2026

Stabilising house prices and falling mortgage rates are beginning to restore confidence among aspiring homeowners, but property tax remains a significant obstacle, Propertymark says. The industry body says forecasts pointing to modest house price growth in 2026, combined with easing borrowing costs, suggest the housing market is moving away from recent volatility. For first-time buyers […]

cissors cutting a percentage symbol over stacked cash and a model house, symbolising buy to let mortgage rate cuts

Buy to let lenders extend offers and cut rates across new products

2nd February 2026

Paragon Bank has moved to bolster its new build buy to let proposition, extending the validity of mortgage offers and unveiling a redesigned broker portal. The lender has increased the standard offer period for landlords purchasing new build properties to six months, double the previous timeframe. Borrowers can also request a further three month extension, […]

Confident landlord wearing a red superhero mask and cape, symbolising taking control and selling property with Landlord Sales Agency.

Fed up of the bad news? Landlords: If you want to sell and get out, we can help you

30th January 2026

Whether you’re an accidental landlord with a single property, or an owner with 100 properties, we’re all in the same boat. And I don’t just mean bored of the constant barrage of bad news. This year is challenging. There’s no denying it. With the Renters’ Rights Act coming into play, plus new tax penalties and […]

Knight-themed Landlord Crusader logo symbolizing landlord advocacy

Decent Homes by 2035? There won’t be any small landlords left by then

30th January 2026

Just another day and another government hammer blow to private landlords. Confirmation that all private (and social) landlords must bring their properties up to the Decent Homes Standard (DHS) by 2035. Yes, it might only be a decade away and Generation Rent has called out the government for ‘dragging their feet’. It insists that millions […]

Rumble with the Agents returns to London in 2026 in support of North London Hospice

Rumble with the Agents returns to London in 2026 in support of North London Hospice

30th January 2026

Paul Shamplina’s much-loved charity boxing event, Rumble with the Agents, is set to return to London on Thursday 11 June 2026, bringing together the property industry for another unforgettable night of white-collar boxing, networking and fundraising, this time in aid of North London Hospice. Now entering its 11th year in London, Rumble with the Agents has firmly established itself […]

Interactive map showing UK regions with sold homes and international buyers, highlighting overseas property ownership

More than 200,000 UK homes owned by overseas buyers

30th January 2026

There are 202,568 homes in the UK that are now registered to owners based outside the country, research reveals. The findings from Enness Global show that the total has barely shifted over the past 12 months, rising by just 0.02%. The data also offers a snapshot of where foreign ownership is concentrated, and which nationalities dominate […]

London terraced houses with To Rent signs, Big Ben and the London Eye in the background

London’s rental supply rebounds as tenant competition cools

30th January 2026

Tenant competition in London’s lettings market eased at the end of last year as a pickup in available homes to rent began to rebalance conditions for renters and landlords alike. New figures from Foxtons show that market competitiveness in December rose by almost 20% compared with November. That’s based on the number of new renters […]