Temporary accommodation is often described as a short-term solution. In practice, it has become one of the fastest-growing costs in the entire housing system. Across England alone, councils are now spending around £2.8 billion a year on temporary accommodation. Just a few years earlier, the total was far lower. In simple terms, spending has more than […]

The Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database will help tackle illegal subletting, claims the government. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, all landlords must register in the database, which will include information about their properties that tenants can access. As previously reported by Property118, one in five landlords discovered their property was being sublet on platforms such […]

The London Assembly Housing Committee has warned that low awareness of the Renters’ Rights Act among London renters could undermine reforms. The committee reports that more than 65% of renters in the capital have either not heard of the Act or do not understand what it means for them. The committee is calling on London […]

Demand continues to outstrip supply as landlords leave the market due to the Renters’ Rights Act, claims a new report. Propertymark’s Housing Insight report reveals the number of registrations per member branch has jumped to 87, with the average number of applicants per member branch sitting at seven people per property. The news comes as […]

Landlords with short-term lets in Wales face added compliance costs and tighter advertising rules after new legislation introducing a national register and licensing system cleared the Senedd. The Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Bill means that all providers of visitor accommodation, including self-catering properties, will be required to register and obtain […]

Tenants across London are dealing with a tightening supply, with only a small share of homes available to let as the Renters’ Rights Act approaches. Research from Benham and Reeves puts the number at 34,776 homes currently listed from an estimated private rented stock of 1,188,368. That leaves just 2.9% of properties on the market […]

A simple question posted in the HMO Group on Facebook this week triggered a response that will feel familiar to many landlords. “Anyone else got a lot of empty rooms? Market seems dead.” Within hours, more than 100 landlords had replied. Some were blunt. “Worst it’s been in 10 years.” “Rooms taking months to fill.” […]

Public trust rarely rests on one source. This week, attention has turned to Shelter’s Trustpilot profile, where the charity is currently rated “Poor”. On its own, that number proves very little because review platforms often attract unhappy users first, and volumes can be limited. However, it would be a mistake to dismiss it out of […]

Is the portfolio behaving this way because it has to, or because it has never been examined in a different way?

Is the equity within the portfolio simply sitting there? Should it be playing a more active role?

The Bank of England has kept interest rates at 3.75% due to the economic impact of the war in Iran. The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) all voted unanimously to hold interest rates, citing the conflict in the Middle East as a key factor. This coincides with the US Federal Reserve’s decision to […]

The Green Party claims that “rent controls can work,” despite evidence suggesting otherwise. Speaking at the New Economics Foundation, Green Party leader Zach Polanski claimed rent caps would help tenants facing rising rents. He also called for the abolition of the right-to-buy scheme. Rent controls can work In the speech, Mr Polanski said: “Spiralling rents […]

The government claim they want to minimise the administrative requirements on landlords with the upcoming Private Rented Sector Database. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, all landlords will need to sign up for the database, which will include information about their properties that tenants can access. The government has not given a definitive timeline for when […]

Letting agents are being urged to act early to avoid operational and financial disruption by helping landlords facing compliance demands under the Renters’ Rights Act. Agent Rainmaker’s Sally Lawson says the scale of change rivals the Tenant Fee Ban introduced more than a decade ago. She said: “The Renters’ Rights Act is coming, and it’s […]

Students say they feel less safe in their private landlord homes than they do in purpose-built student accommodation, a survey has found. Purpose-built housing provider Here! Students surveyed 600 students to learn how safe tenants feel depending on where they live. Three in four residents in PBSA said they feel safe, but that figure drops […]

Landlords and block managers are facing widespread non-compliance across purpose-built flats, with audit data showing how frequently fire safety standards are being missed. Figures released from Fire and Rescue Service inspections and analysed by Drax Technology show that 45% of audited buildings failed to meet required standards. That equates to 1,923 out of 4,257 blocks […]

Landlord online search activity tied to the Renters’ Rights Act has climbed in recent months as May’s implementation date draws closer. An analysis from Dwelly, based on Google search trends, shows a clear increase in queries over the past three months when compared with the previous quarter. The lettings agency acquisition platform says searches for […]

Hello, I have two properties where I have served S21 notices ahead of 1/5/26 when the Renters’ Rights Act comes into effect. Both tenants have requested an extension of tenancy. One is OK, because he wants to extend to end of June and I have until end of July in which to apply to the […]

As a private landlord managing our own portfolio, we are finding it increasingly difficult to support tenants who rely on Universal Credit. The core issue is that private landlords do not have access to a landlord portal, which is available only to social landlords. As a result, we are unable to upload rent arrears statements, […]

What happens to the income that the portfolio currently generates? How easily can that income be replaced with the same level of reliability?

Is borrowing still being viewed purely as a cost, or also as a strategic tool? Does the portfolio’s existing equity create options that were not available during the early years?