The government has announced a crackdown on social housing fraud, with offenders facing fines and up to two years in prison. Under a first-of-its-kind data-sharing agreement between Airbnb and the Cabinet Office, people illegally subletting social housing through the platform will be identified and could be evicted from their properties. The news comes as the […]

The North and South stamp duty divide is widening, with fewer than one in ten buyers in the North paying stamp duty, according to new research. Data from Zoopla reveals that nearly 80% of London first-time buyers pay stamp duty, compared with fewer than one in ten across the North of England. Stamp duty is […]

Wage gaps in flatshares intensify as rising rents force higher earners to house share, according to new data. Figures from SpareRoom reveal that one in five (20%) UK flatmates estimate that the pay gap between the highest- and lowest-earning person in their household is more than £20,000, while almost one in 10 (9%) believe the […]

There is a lot of conflicting noise around the private rented sector at the moment. Some say landlords leaving is creating a shortage of rental properties. Others say the sector is simply changing, with smaller landlords being replaced by larger, more commercially run operators. The one thing that is crystal clear is landlords with small […]

The government claim the justice system “is well prepared” to handle the Renters’ Rights Act. In answer to a written parliamentary question, housing minister Matthew Pennycook claims the government is providing funding to the courts. As previously reported by Property118, industry experts have warned that the act could overwhelm the court system. Justice system will […]

The government is urging landlords to review guarantor agreements that were put in place before the Renters’ Rights Act came into force. In updated guidance on the fees landlords can charge as part of a tenancy, the government is advising landlords to check existing guarantor agreements following the changes introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act. […]

Landlords watching Labour’s next housing move may find the private rented sector is still expected to absorb pressure where council housebuilding falls short. An analysis by specialist lender Together claims potential PM Andy Burnham‘s plan for the biggest council housebuilding programme since the post-war period risks becoming a ‘postcode lottery’. That’s because publicly owned brownfield […]

Welsh MPs have warned EPC C targets could put further pressure on landlords, with concerns that the cost of energy-efficiency upgrades could be passed on to tenants through higher rents. The government has announced that all private rented homes in England and Wales will need to meet EPC C targets by 2030. However, there are […]

Rents continue to rise across the UK following the Renters’ Rights Act, new research reveals. HomeLet’s rental index reveals the average monthly rent across the UK reached £1,353 in June 2026, up 1.0% from £1,340 in May. The news comes as the Renters’ Rights Act came into force on 1 May. Pricing has become more […]

There’s more evidence of fewer landlords offering homes in the PRS with a drop in landlord instructions, despite tenant demand rising. The latest RICS UK Residential Survey for June 2026 shows tenant demand in the lettings market rose to a headline net balance of +18%, the strongest reading since May 2025. However, landlord instructions remained […]

The government hints tenants could be awarded compensation of £25,000 under the PRS Ombudsman Scheme. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, the PRS Ombudsman scheme will provide quick, fair, impartial and binding resolution for tenants’ complaints about their landlord. However, as previously reported by Property118, Peers have warned the scheme could drive landlords out of the […]

The government claims it’s better “to spend taxpayer’s cash building new homes than subsidising buy to let landlords”. In a speech to the Lloyds Social Housing Forum, Housing Secretary Steve Reed claimed Right to Buy has led to taxpayers subsidising private landlords by paying housing benefit on homes that taxpayers also paid to build. The […]

The Lloyds house price index, formerly the Halifax index, shows the average UK property price rose by 0.2% in June to £299,330, after a 0.2% fall in May. Annual price growth also moved up slightly, from +0.5% in May to +0.6% in June, while prices over the latest quarter were down -0.4%. The increase was […]

Buy to let tracker mortgages are back on the agenda for landlords weighing up whether to stay flexible rather than lock into another fixed rate. Landbay has launched five new BTL product transfer tracker products across its Core and Specialist buy to let ranges, with no early repayment charges on any of the new deals. […]

As the private rented sector increasingly heads towards professionalisation, there’s a growing need for better portfolio and specialist buy to let lending. Research from Pegasus Insight says the average landlord portfolio has risen to 7.3 properties as more investors look to boost their portfolio size. The firm’s latest Landlord Trends report also found that 21% […]

The build-to-rent sector is showing no signs of slowing, with new research pointing to continued expansion. Data from Zero Deposit suggests investment in the sector remains strong, as it continues to draw in investors and fuel demand for purpose-built student accommodation. Property management firm Touchstone says the sector is set to keep growing, especially now […]

Less than 2% of private rented homes are affordable to people on housing benefit, as charities call on the government to unfreeze Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates. Data from Zoopla reveals that fewer than two in 100 private rental properties listed across Britain (1.9%) are now affordable for people receiving housing benefit. The average gap […]

Most landlords understand that the abolition of Section 21 has fundamentally changed the possession process. What many don’t yet appreciate is that another challenge may become increasingly common as more landlords rely on Section 8 grounds for possession: disability discrimination. According to barrister Sonia Rai, speaking with Paul Shamplina of Landlord Action, in the article […]

The Mayor of London has announced measures to tackle overheating in homes. Sadiq Khan has unveiled the Heat Ready London plan, which will require new-build homes to be designed to reduce the risk of overheating The news comes as landlords will need to meet EPC C targets by 2030. One million homes at risk of […]

The head of a landlord association has hit back at the accusation of “greedy landlords clinging on to tenants’ money” through deposits. An article in the Big Issue by Generation Rent claims landlords can make “unreasonable deductions to encourage renters to settle so they can get back at least some of their money sooner.” However, […]

Mandatory right to rent checks for registered digital verification will come into force on 1 October. The government has announced that secondary legislation introduced this week will make it mandatory for landlords who opt to carry out Right to Rent checks electronically to use a registered digital verification provider (RtR DVSP). Right to Rent rules […]