Landlords and letting agents are being urged to remain compliant with new data protection requirements. Under the Data (Use and Access) Act, those handling personal data must have a policy in place for dealing with complaints about the use of personal information. While such complaints are rare in the private rented sector, landlords are being […]

Rent growth in Scotland has slowed to its lowest annual rate for a decade, with the average monthly cost rising by £10. The increase came in well below inflation, though tenants in several areas still faced rises of nearly 5%. The average private rent reached £1,009 a month in May, up 1% from June 2025, […]

Landlords could secure more exposure for homes in areas that renters miss when searching by postcode alone, a new AI firm claims. The AI-powered property platform nHabit has been launched to take on Rightmove and Zoopla. It will do so by allowing tenants to describe the kind of place they want to live in ordinary, […]

Hello, Andy Burnham has been reported to be considering replacing council tax and stamp duty with a new tax based on property values. Under the proposal, the tax would be paid by property owners rather than tenants. Owner-occupiers would reportedly pay 0.48% of the property’s value each year, while landlords, overseas owners and second-home owners […]

Paragon Bank, ModaMortgages and Darlington Building Society have announced changes to their buy to let ranges, covering tracker mortgages, upfront fees and application requirements. Paragon has expanded its Bank Base Rate (BBR) tracker range by introducing switch and further advance products for existing customers. The switch range is available at up to 80% loan-to-value, while […]

The government claims the Renters’ Rights Act provides councils with strong enforcement powers to crack down on rental discrimination. Under the act, it is illegal for landlords and letting agents to discriminate against prospective tenants who receive benefits or have children, with fines of up to £7,000 for those who break the rules. The news […]

Landlords expect to spend an average of £11,713 on each property that needs to reach an EPC C rating, leaving many with a bill they already regard as financially unviable. Research from Pegasus Insight found that 60% of landlords own at least one property rated below EPC C, creating a potentially substantial demand for finance […]

Hello, I would appreciate other landlords’ views on a dispute I am having with my letting agent – a well-known national chain. I have used them to manage my property for about four years and currently pay approximately £350 a month in management charges. There have been several previous service issues, but the handling of […]

Nine in 10 landlords believe the balance of power in the private rented sector has moved in favour of tenants during the past two years, according to research from LRG. However, 25% of tenants still believe landlords have the upper hand. The firm’s Spring 2026 Lettings Report, based on responses from 650 landlords and tenants […]

Now that Making Tax Digital (‘MTD’) for Income Tax is live, the question we hear from landlords more than any other is some version of this: “What happens if I get a quarter wrong?” People picture one slip of the keyboard locking them into a mistake, or a penalty landing because a figure was out […]

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ll have seen the news that Keir Starmer has announced he will resign as Labour leader. Predictably, speculation has already begun about who will replace him and what it might mean for the economy, housing market and property investors. But as property investors, I think there is a […]

The Mortgage Works is offering free property assessments and cut-price borrowing to help landlords prepare for the proposed Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) standards from 2030. For many of them, the first job may simply be working out what needs fixing. The buy to let lender, which is part of Nationwide, will fund 1,000 assessments through […]

I have found myself in an interesting situation and would appreciate your thoughts. In April this year, new tenants moved into one of our rental properties. At the time of application, they advised the letting agent that they expected to remain at the property for one to two years, that they did not have any […]

The government has confirmed the Housing Ombudsman can not take enforcement action against social housing landlords. In a written Parliamentary question, Labour MP Neil Coyle asked whether the government would consider allowing the Housing Ombudsman to issue fines for maladministration by housing providers. He suggested this could compensate tenants, require implementation of recommendations, and help […]

Hi, I wrote a while ago about the tenant wanting compensation for mould. >> https://www.property118.com/tenant-wants-compensation-for-mould/  I have since sold the flat, but have been informed by the letting agent who were managing the flat that the tenant has been into the office with his mother. They said they are likely to take matters further if […]

Landlords buying, refinancing or reviewing existing borrowing have been offered lower BTL mortgage rates across standard, HMO, limited company and expat products. Landbay, Kensington Mortgages and Dudley Building Society have all cut pricing, with the largest reduction reaching 110bps. Landbay has reduced its rates by up to 17bps across its Premier range, the second round […]

Landlords are the life blood and custodians of a fragile ecosystem, who left alone, largely solve and don’t create problems. Nobody likes admitting they are wrong, but housing minister Matthew Pennycook’s claim that the Renters’ Rights Act (RRA) has maintained stability in the rental market is delusional and dangerous. Here is why I think so. […]

The Northern Ireland Executive has announced its first-ever affordable rent programme for lower-income households. Under the scheme, homes will be offered at rents set 20% below local market rates, helping people struggling with the cost of private renting and those saving towards home ownership. Eligibility will be based on household income, with a net income […]

London’s landlords saw more properties reach the market in May, while competition between prospective tenants fell compared with both April and last year. The data from Foxtons reveals a 5.7% monthly rise in new listings across the capital, putting supply 3% above its May 2025 level. The number of new renters registering increased by 13.7% […]

The government has announced landlords will face on-the-spot fines of £7,000 for severe damp and mould, as well as for broken-down boilers during freezing temperatures. Housing Secretary Steve Reed has written to England’s councils calling on them to use the powers at their disposal to tackle poor conditions in the private rented sector and protect […]

Whether you’re an accidental landlord with a single property, or an owner with 100 properties, we’re all in the same boat. And I don’t just mean exasperated by the constant challenges and adaptations we’re having to make. This year has been challenging. There’s no denying it. With the Renters’ Rights Act coming into play, and […]