Scottish eviction rules increase wrongful termination compensation to up to 36 months’ rent

Scottish landlords warned over new rules and fines of up to 36 months’ rent

2nd October 2026

Landlords and letting agents in Scotland are being urged to prepare, as tenants can claim up to 36 months’ rent if their tenancy is wrongfully terminated. New housing rules coming into force on 6 October will significantly increase compensation available to tenants through the First-tier Tribunal, from three to 36 months’ rent. The changes will […]

Tenant referencing file secured with chains and a padlock, highlighting stricter checks under the Renters’ Rights Act

Tenant referencing is getting tougher but are we going too far?

2nd October 2026

Tenant referencing is getting tougher under the Renters’ Rights Act, and I can understand why. One of the biggest things I hear from landlords now is fairly simple: if a tenancy goes wrong, getting the property back is no longer as straightforward as it once was. Since 1st May, Section 21 is gone, so landlords […]

Broken Right to Rent sign above a for sale board, reflecting growing compliance pressures on landlords

Right to Rent changes: The final straw for landlords thinking of selling?

1st October 2026

New Right to Rent rules take effect today, and for landlords already questioning their future in the rental market, they may feel like one more thing to manage. Landlords in England who choose to use a digital verification service for eligible checks must now use a registered provider. The revised Home Office guidance also makes […]

Hourglass showing a three-week rental void as tenants leave a property

Landlord voids now exceed three weeks in England

1st October 2026

Landlords in England now face an average wait of more than three weeks between tenants, with voids lengthening for the third consecutive year. Each gap leaves an estimated £1,097 hole in rent income, according to research by property management firm Rushbrook. The average period without a tenant reached 23.2 days in 2026, compared with 17.5 […]

Crowds of tenants queue for rental homes as London housing supply tightens

Tenant demand rises as supply falls

1st October 2026

London has 10% fewer homes to rent than a year ago, yet enquiries from prospective tenants have risen by 7%, according to Rightmove. Studios and one-bedroom properties are attracting the fastest growth in demand, despite advertised rents averaging £1,904 a month. Across Great Britain, tenant enquiries remain 2% below last year’s levels. However, the number […]

Student tenants weigh signing early against waiting six months to preserve a landlord’s Ground 4A rights.

Ground 4A or sign early? Student landlords have a choice to make

1st October 2026

For years, student landlords have competed to secure next year’s tenants early. In some university towns, properties for the following September are being advertised before Christmas. A good group views a house, likes it and wants to sign. The landlord is equally happy to get next year’s letting secured. The Renters’ Rights Act creates a […]

UK homes with pound price tags illustrating September’s fall in house prices

House prices fell in September – Nationwide

1st October 2026

UK house prices fell by 0.2% in September, reversing August’s rise, Nationwide reveals. The average price dropped from £275,465 to £274,251, with annual growth halving from 1.6% to 0.8%. That’s weakest rate since December 2025. Meanwhile, four regions recorded annual price falls in the third quarter, with East Anglia seeing the largest decline at 0.7%. […]

Welsh landlords climb housing blocks toward a red dragon, symbolising investment challenges in the rental sector.

Welsh government urged to support landlords in upcoming Budget

1st October 2026

The Welsh government must support investment in the private rented sector and avoid further regulation in the upcoming Welsh Budget. Propertymark has responded to the Senedd’s consultation ahead of the publication of its Draft Budget on 17 November 2026. The industry body is calling on the Welsh government to increase housing supply and provide financial […]

Smartphone identity check beside a UK passport and Digital Right to Rent service record

Lettings platform updates its Right to Rent checks

1st October 2026

Goodlord has updated its digital Right to Rent service ahead of new rules taking effect for England’s landlords from today (1 October). Under the new code, checks through unregistered digital providers will no longer offer a statutory defence against civil penalties. The rules require digital checks to be carried out through a registered Digital Verification […]

British Gas HomeCare appointments repeatedly cancelled while a heating engineer works on a hot water system

Can I hire a plumber if British Gas keeps delaying repairs?

1st October 2026

Hello, I’ve been having a lot of issues lately with British Gas and looking to see if anyone’s managed to get around their wall of useless customer service. My tenants (a family with young kids) have been left with a leaking hot water cylinder. BG came out, confirmed it’s dead and needs replacing, and then […]

Tenant referencing checks highlighted as landlords assess applicants after the rent in advance ban.

Landlords place growing importance on tenant referencing

1st October 2026

More than one million County Court Judgments (CCJs) were registered in England and Wales last year, as more than half of landlords say tenant referencing has become more important following the ban on rent in advance. Research by LRG reveals that tenant referencing has never been more important for landlords, with Section 21 abolished and […]

Crumbling Scotland house symbol beside a construction site illustrating the sharp decline in housebuilding

Scotland’s housing emergency deepens as housebuilding falls to record low

1st October 2026

Housebuilding in Scotland has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, with the number of homes completed at its lowest level since 2015 and new starts at their lowest level since 2013. New data released by the Scottish government shows that housebuilding activity in Scotland has slowed, with fewer social and new-build homes being […]

Council warning over a poorly maintained rental property as tougher action against landlords is proposed.

Andy Burnham pledges crackdown on poor-quality PRS homes

30th September 2026

The Prime Minister has warned landlords who rent out the “worst-quality homes” will be given warnings and could ultimately face having their properties taken over by councils. Speaking at the Labour Party conference, Andy Burnham also said he would reform Right to Buy and tackle the empty homes crisis. The comments come as the government […]

Sloth hugging a pound symbol beside UK homes for sale, illustrating a slowing property market

Property sales fall as house price growth slows

30th September 2026

Higher mortgage rates have helped drive a 9% annual fall in sales agreed across the UK, according to Zoopla’s latest House Price Index. Also, a quarter of homes listed for sale in September have already been on the market within the past year. The index reveals that annual growth in property prices has slowed to […]

UK Budget briefcase beneath rising rents lettering made from pound notes

Landlords warn Budget costs will push up rents

30th September 2026

Nearly two-thirds of landlords say they will put rents up to recover losses from tax and regulatory changes, research reveals. According to Pegasus Insight, tenants could face tighter scrutiny too, with landlords reporting that the changes will affect whom they are prepared to let to. Ahead of the Budget on 28 October, the research firm […]

Graduation cap, coins and house keys representing student property investment and landlord yields

Cheaper student cities lead landlord yields

30th September 2026

Middlesbrough leads the student property market for potential landlord returns, with an average gross advertised yield of 24.3%. That’s according to Accommodation for Students research which found the town also appeared among the cheapest places for students to live in its previous affordability research. Across England and Wales, the average gross advertised yield was 8.4%. […]

Damp and mould in a Scottish rental property ahead of Awaab’s Law taking effect

Scottish landlords urged to prepare for Awaab’s Law

30th September 2026

Propertymark has urged landlords and letting agents in Scotland to prepare for Awaab’s Law, which comes into force in just a week. From October 6, landlords will be required to address damp and mould within strict timeframes. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, Awaab’s Law will also be extended to the private rented sector in England. […]

For sale signs, tightening belt and coins illustrate rental supply shortages and affordability pressures

Rental supply tightens as affordability pressures mount

30th September 2026

Demand continues to outstrip supply, with fears the Renters’ Rights Act’s 12-month re-letting ban could further squeeze the rental market. Propertymark’s Housing Insight report shows an average of nine applicants competing for every property available across member branches. Affordability pressures are also pushing more tenants into rental arrears. Decline in supply According to the data, […]

Property agent licence and pound fee tag illustrating new leasehold regulation and fee caps

Property agents face new licensing rules as government targets excessive fees

30th September 2026

The government has announced plans to strengthen leaseholders’ rights by introducing regulation for property agents and capping fees. Under the proposed rules, the government will legislate to introduce caps on fees, setting limits on what landlords can charge. The government claims, under the current system, leaseholders “can be forced to pay fees in order to […]

Person experiencing homelessness sits outside an empty home, highlighting calls to bring vacant properties back into use.

Labour peer demands action on empty homes as homelessness soars

30th September 2026

A Labour peer has urged the government to introduce an empty homes strategy to help end homelessness. Lord Bird claimed nearly two million homes have been lost from the social housing sector through Right to Buy, and more needs to be done to tackle homelessness. The comments come as councils in England will be able […]

Rental home with insulation and heat pump alongside an EPC energy rating scale

Landlords settle for minimum EPC upgrades

30th September 2026

Landlords have largely complied with EPC regulations, but many have only undertaken energy-efficiency improvements to meet minimum standards, according to new research. Data from global credit rating agency Morningstar DBRS reveals that while 13.8% of rental properties were initially rated F or G, only 1.9% received these ratings at their most recent inspection, following the […]