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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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’ […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

Most landlords do not think of insurance as a savings strategy; they see it as a cost. A necessary one perhaps, but still a cost. That instinct is understandable, because most forms of insurance are designed to protect against events that may never happen – e.g. buildings insurance, liability cover, rent guarantee, etc. – you […]

At midday on 31st March 2026, Property118 launched what is expected to become the UK’s largest recurring landlord sentiment survey, reaching 47,886 members across its network (by invitation only). The objective is simple, but long overdue: to give landlords a clear, consistent voice, backed by real data, rather than anecdote. For years, policy debates have […]