I am trying to understand the precise scope of section 213 Housing Act 2004 as amended by section 184 Localism Act 2011. Section 213 (1) requires that any tenancy deposit paid in connection with a shorthold tenancy must be dealt with in accordance with an authorised scheme. Section 212 (8) defines a tenancy deposit as […]

Many landlords assume buyers are mainly interested in city-centre flats, trendy postcodes or high-yield investor stock. That can be true in certain pockets, yet across parts of the North West, another pattern is holding firm: well-located family homes continue to attract stronger interest than many owners expect. For landlords considering a sale, that could well be […]

For many years, owning rental property in London felt almost self-explanatory due to strong long-term capital growth, global demand, prestige locations etc., etc. There was a sense that simply holding on would eventually be rewarded, and for many landlords, it was, yet now, a growing number of owners are asking a different question: Does this property […]

Many landlords begin the selling process with one number in mind. Usually, it is the highest figure they have seen online, heard from a neighbour or hoped the property might achieve in stronger market conditions. That is understandable, but right now, in the current market, there is a widening gap between hopeful pricing and effective pricing, and […]

It is easy to assume that if the wider property market feels mixed, buyers disappear, but that is rarely true. What usually changes is not whether buyers exist, but which properties they are prepared to compete for. Across parts of Birmingham, that remains highly relevant for landlords considering a sale in 2026, because while some stock […]

Did you see the recent Sky News coverage that linked to Property118? It was about landlords rushing to serve Section 21 notices before the 1 May changes. When a significant legal change is approaching, it is only natural that some landlords will focus on what can still be done before the new rules take effect, […]

The Shadow Housing Secretary has said he has received a Section 21 notice, blaming Labour’s housing reforms for prompting landlords to sell up. Speaking at a London Housing Conference, James Cleverly said the notice was issued after his landlord decided to sell the property. He also warned that the Renters’ Rights Act will do more […]

Here we go again, I thought, when reading about Great Yarmouth council on Property118 claiming that there is ‘little evidence’ that selective licensing leads to increased rents. The council is introducing selective licensing across a range of wards and streets, covering 5,000 homes, that’s around 60% of the borough, at a cost of £694 per […]

For years, many landlords assumed that portfolio success meant one thing: keep buying, keep holding, keep growing. That approach worked well for a long time. For some, it still does, yet across the North West and Midlands in particular, a new trend is emerging. Despite what the headlines say, many experienced landlords are not rushing […]

Nearly 400,000 company directors aged under 28 are now running UK-registered businesses, with property investment forming part of a model where younger entrepreneurs rent in one place while buying elsewhere to let. The analysis of Companies House data by Hiscox identifies 393,531 active Generation Z directors in 2025. Growth has averaged 78% a year, with […]

Ahead of the Scottish elections, a housing charity says parties’ plans to end the housing emergency could hold the key to power at Holyrood. A poll by Shelter Scotland found more than half of voters in Scotland (57%) would consider switching their regional ballot vote if another party offered clear policies they supported to tackle […]

More than half of homes across England and Wales fall into lower energy efficiency bands, with 55% of properties rated D or below, research reveals. The data highlights the distribution of EPC scores ahead of planned changes to how energy performance in homes is measured. Emperor Paint found the figures from the Department for Levelling […]

The government has confirmed that tenants remain responsible for reporting changes for Universal Credit. In a written question, the government confirmed that while information from landlords can trigger checks and investigations, the tenant should still report any change in circumstances themselves through the system. The news comes as a government pilot allowing councils to use […]

Demand still continues to outstrip supply as landlords lose confidence in the government, according to a new report. Propertymark’s Housing Insight report reveals a number of member agents are worried about the upcoming Renters’ Rights Act, with more single property landlords leaving the market. The news comes as the government has published guidance for tenants […]

A consistent theme running through the latest landlord data is the growing influence of regulatory and structural pressure on decision-making. According to the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey Q1 2026, a majority of landlords are now choosing to reduce their exposure to the sector rather than expand within it. Based on 2,380 completed responses, 57% of landlords […]

Many landlords assume progress comes from owning more properties. More doors, more rent days, more long-term growth. Sometimes that is true, yet there are also moments when progress comes from owning fewer, better assets. That idea is often resisted at first, but it deserves attention because one well-judged sale can sometimes improve a portfolio more than […]

A common misconception is that if the wider market feels uncertain, buyers disappear altogether, yet that is rarely how property markets work. What usually happens instead is that demand becomes more selective. Across parts of the North West, buyers remain active, but they are choosier than they were during easier years. For landlords considering a sale, […]

Among landlords, few beliefs are more deeply rooted than this: Pay down debt and risk falls. It might sound sensible,  and in some circumstances, it might be sensible, yet like many simple truths, it can become misleading when applied too broadly because once borrowing becomes modest, a different form of risk often grows quietly in the […]

There is a conversation we have surprisingly often with landlords who appear wealthy on paper but feel underwhelmed in real life. They often own several properties and have modest borrowing, and may have built more than £1m of net equity over time, yet annual disposable income can remain stubbornly ordinary, and sometimes far more ordinary […]

Many landlords spent decades building portfolios with one clear objective in mind: security. Added to that, they got into Buy-To-Let because they believed it would provide additional income, long-term growth, and something tangible to rely upon later in life. For many, that worked, yet an awkward truth often appears as retirement approaches, which is that […]

There comes a point for many landlords when the real issue is no longer yield, capital growth or tax; it is energy. The phone calls, the repairs, the paperwork, the tenant queries, the compliance changes, and so the list goes on. Then there is the mental load of knowing that even when nothing is wrong, […]