Following on from last week’s theory about the purging of small landlords from the private rented sector (PRS), here comes the first trap. It’s obvious that many landlords don’t engage closely with the sector since best estimates put the number of private landlords in England at around 2.6 million, but a significant chunk will not […]

Piecemeal legislation needs to end to tackle London’s housing crisis, claims a landlord group. Speaking at the London Housing Conference, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), Ben Beadle, claimed investment in the private rented sector is key to tackling the housing crisis. The news comes as the government have announced emergency measures […]

A Labour MP has suggested landlords should take a greater role in tackling anti-social behaviour caused by tenants. In a Parliamentary written question, Connor Naismith MP asked whether the government was taking steps “to make private landlords responsible for dealing with anti-social behaviour caused by their tenants”. In response, housing minister Matthew Pennycook confirmed under […]

Nottingham’s landlord licensing schemes have created £114.9m in social value over five years, according to the first evaluation published by the city council of their wider impact. The calculation reveals that £4.62 was returned for every £1 invested between 2020 and 2024. The independent study examined £24.9m invested in the city’s licensing schemes, assessing their […]

A housing charity and a retailer have teamed up to tackle Scotland’s housing crisis. In a new partnership, Shelter Scotland and IKEA have launched a digital interactive tool that allows the public to provide MSPs with a local snapshot of the housing emergency and its impact. The news comes as John Swinney, leader of the […]

Four buy to let lenders have announced a raft of mortgage changes including a 4.19% two-year tracker and a 4.74% limited-edition five-year fix. Commercial cases are in the mix too as InterBay cuts owner-occupier rates by up to 40 basis points, while Coventry for intermediaries has reduced selected BTL rates by up to 16 basis […]

Average UK house prices returned to quarterly growth at the start of 2026, rising 0.3% to £305,092, research reveals. Benham and Reeves’ Property Market Index Review, which combines data from Halifax, Nationwide and Rightmove recorded the increase in the first quarter after a 0.5% fall in Q4 2025. Prices across the UK were 0.7% higher […]

Landlords must issue the Renters’ Rights Act information by the end of this week or face a £7,000 fine. The government explain a copy of the information sheet must be given to every tenant named on the tenancy agreement. The government have warned if landlords do not provide the information sheet to tenants before 31 […]

Hello, my name is Melissa Lawford, and I’m the economics correspondent at The Telegraph. I’m writing an essay about what a potential housing market downturn will mean for the wider UK economy. I’m particularly keen to speak to buy-to-let landlords who are trying to exit the market but who are having trouble selling their homes. […]

Landlords are now housing a generation of young families for longer, as the number of children living in privately rented homes has tripled since the turn of the century. The Resolution Foundation said 3.2 million children were living in the private rented sector (PRS) in 2024-25. That compares with 1.1 million in 2000-01, with one […]

The Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) committee has scrutinised the government’s draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, saying it needs to go further. In response to the bill, the committee welcomed protections for leaseholders but warned that key recommendations previously made by the Law Commission are missing from the draft legislation. The findings come […]

First-time buyers are searching for homes priced £10,000 above last year’s level, even as fewer of them are making enquiries, Zoopla figures show. In London, the average home targeted by a first-time buyer has crossed £500,000 for the first time, reaching £502,250. That’s despite average prices across the capital remaining unchanged year on year. The […]

Renters with poor credit records, unpredictable earnings or having nobody willing to act as a rent guarantor could face a tougher search for a home, the NRLA says. It has carried out research which found that 78% of landlords said the Renters’ Rights Act was likely to make them more selective when choosing tenants. The […]

Nearly 867,000 households in England’s private rented sector include someone aged 55 or over, as rising demand coincides with a shrinking supply of homes, according to a new report. Research from Propertymark reveals demand for housing suitable for older people will continue to increase over the next decade as the population ages. The industry body […]

The government has confirmed it is working with councils to support the use of information from the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database in carrying out enforcement action against landlords. In response to a parliamentary written question, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage said the database will collect a range of information as part […]

Leaseholders are being forced to gamble as campaigners urge the government to act now. The National Leasehold Campaign (NLC) says the latest figures on leasehold dwellings show leaseholders are facing a “cliff edge”. The NLC is calling on the government to cap ground rent at £250 immediately, rather than waiting two years, and to accelerate […]

House prices are rising in most parts of Britain, but the latest figures show London moving in the opposite direction. The e.surv House Price Index for April puts the average house price at £327,800, up 1.7% year on year. Prices rose by 0.2% over the month and 0.3% over the quarter, with the strongest annual […]

The housing sector has reacted to the Scottish government’s new cabinet after it scrapped the standalone housing secretary post. Shirley-Anne Somerville was appointed Housing and Social Justice Secretary after John Swinney was re-elected as First Minister. A housing charity has criticised the SNP’s decision to merge the housing brief into a wider portfolio, arguing that […]

An industry body has urged letting agents to review outdated online content to remain compliant with the Renters’ Rights Act. Propertymark says that with the first phase of the Renters’ Rights Act now in force, agents should audit all published consumer information, legal statements, terms and conditions, and guidance hosted on their websites. The industry […]

Landlords arranging larger loans, borrowing for improvement work or buying through a limited company have new buy to let products and revised finance routes to consider. Buckinghamshire Building Society, Paragon Bank and ModaMortgages have each announced changes to their landlord ranges, while Moneyfactscompare.co.uk has selected a reduced-rate Leeds Building Society five-year fix in its latest […]

Labour Party leader hopeful Andy Burnham has been accused of hypocrisy over reports that he lets a London flat that was partly bought with MPs’ expenses cash. The Makerfield by-election candidate bought the two-bedroom former council flat in Kennington in 2005, according to The Sun on Sunday. It reports that its value has since doubled […]