If HB/UC rent element is awarded to a tenant on the basis of what specific housing subsidy they are to receive, then should this really be the only benefit used for rental affordability purposes? I understand that some referencing agencies consider any and all benefits claimed in their assessment, and others do not. PIP, for […]

A key takeaway from the latest data is not just what landlords are doing, but who is shaping those decisions. According to the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey Q1 2026, the private rented sector is increasingly driven by experienced portfolio landlords rather than small-scale or occasional investors. Based on 2,380 completed responses covering 23,098 rental properties, […]

In just two weeks, the Renters’ Rights Act comes into full force. Section 21 will vanish. Fines of up to £40,000 will become a reality and every landlord in England will be expected to serve up a new government-issued information sheet to all tenants with written agreements by 31 May 2026. Miss that step? It’s […]

Hello, I have always used letting agents to find my tenants and insisting the deposits are held with DPS which I have always organised myself. Last year, the agent insisted it was their duty to take and register the deposit themselves with TDS. I did not dispute this but now they are demanding an annual […]

Landlords facing new legal duties are rethinking how they run portfolios as admin demands and cost pressures begin to bite, a new report reveals. Goodlord’s latest research, ‘Is renting broken?‘, drawing on 2,650 responses from agents, tenants and landlords, sets out the scale of strain building across the PRS. For agents, 76% say admin is […]

Rents are holding steady ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act, according to a new survey. Data from Rightmove shows that, despite a slowdown in rental price growth, the number of newly listed rental properties coming onto the market in March was actually 6% lower than at the same point last year. The Renters’ Rights Act […]

By Vann Vogstad, CEO of COHO, and Steve Coyle of Cullen Property With the Renters’ Rights Act (RRA) coming into force on 1 May, there’s been no shortage of noise around what it might mean for landlords. Some are already framing it as disruptive, even destabilising. But if we take a step back – and […]

Only five London postcodes still have average room rents below £800 per month, as renters continue to be priced out of the capital, a new survey warns. According to SpareRoom, rents remain unaffordable for many despite slowing demand, with the average at £978. The flatshare website warns that years of intense demand for limited rental […]

The government has hinted that social housing landlords could be required to take council-referred homeless households. In response to a written question, homelessness minister Alison McGovern said the government could introduce legislation to tighten rules around how social housing is allocated. The news comes as councils expand schemes with private landlords to tackle homelessness. Require […]

Landlords are refinancing in greater numbers as borrowing costs ease, while new purchase activity continues to trail last year’s levels, data reveals. The figures from UK Finance show lending volumes are rising, driven mainly by remortgaging rather than landlords investing in new properties. It reports that 59,489 buy to let loans were advanced in Q4 […]

April 2025 accounted for 11.5% of the annual landlord maintenance spend, placing it just behind July’s figure of 11.6%, research reveals. According to Rushbrook & Rathbone, its internal data shows April made up only 7.8% of total work orders, ranking it eighth by volume across the year. The property management specialist says the average spend […]

There is a recurring assumption within the landlord community that reducing debt is the safest course of action, and that is an understandable position. Many landlords have spent years paying down mortgages, often with the intention of reaching a point where their properties are owned outright or close to it, but like many widely held […]

Plaid Cymru has pledged to introduce measures to “better protect renters” by abolishing no-fault evictions and boosting energy-efficiency standards. The party has launched its manifesto ahead of the Welsh elections next month. The news comes after nearly half of landlords in Wales (47%) believe the Renting Homes (Wales) Act has been detrimental to the private […]

Room rents across the country have barely shifted over the past year, with the average now at £747 per month in the first three months of the year. According to flatshare platform SpareRoom, the national average rent rose by just 0.1% from £746. When London is removed from the sample, rents have edged up slightly […]

A homeless charity has welcomed agreement from political parties to end homelessness in Scotland ahead of the Scottish elections. A survey by Crisis Scotland reveals that seven in ten people (70%) are concerned about the scale of homelessness in Scotland, with the same proportion believing political parties should make ending it a national priority. The […]

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has launched an updated Level 3 qualification for landlords and agents, just weeks before the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force. Called ‘Managing Property & Residential Lettings’, the course is aimed at landlords, letting agents and property managers. Those who complete it can apply to use post-nominal letters (MNRLA). […]

A notable feature of the latest landlord data is not just how many are planning to sell, but how many are choosing to do nothing at all. According to the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey Q1 2026, a significant proportion of landlords are opting to hold their current positions rather than expand their portfolios. Based on […]

After a recent consultation on the 25th March, the Cabinet have approved an additional HMO and Selective Licensing scheme for Croydon Council. These new schemes will come into force on 1st September 2026 and run for 5 years. Croydon council have said the objective of both new schemes is to identify unsafe or hazardous property […]

Paragon Bank is among lenders updating their buy to let ranges, alongside Landbay, Atom bank and Fleet Mortgages, with new fixes, trackers and remortgage deals entering the market. Paragon has introduced six limited edition five-year fixed products, all carrying a flat £3,995 fee and available up to 70% LTV. Three cover loans up to £1m, […]

Rightmove is updating its tools for letting agents to help landlords ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force on 1 May. The updates are intended to support landlords, with 57% reporting limited awareness or understanding of the Act. That means, the platform says, that landlords will be relying on letting agents to manage […]

I own the freehold of a small block of flats. I also owned all of the leasehold flats (jointly with another), which we sold in the last couple of years. I now intend to dispose of the freehold and will, of course, offer it to the leaseholders as required. If the leaseholders do not wish […]