Rent controls are not the solution to rising rents in Northern Ireland, claims the Communities Minister. In a heated debate between politicians, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons (DUP) pointed out that rent controls do not work. The news comes after Northern Ireland landlords could soon face some of the longest Notice to Quit periods in the […]

A journalist at The Times would like to hear from landlords who have had a negative and prolonged experience of evicting a tenant through the court system. The government promised reforms to help reduce backlogs in the courts, but little progress has been seen ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force on Friday. […]

An organisation is urging councils to actively promote selective licensing schemes after a council introduced six new schemes but failed to put them on its website. London Property Licensing has warned Harrow Council plans to introduce six new selective licensing schemes over the next four months. The news comes as a landlord branded a council’s […]

Houses are attracting the strongest demand at the moment, particularly in the North West and the Midlands. Demand among both first time buyers and new investors is highest at the lower end of the market. Examples include: • North West – Typically £80k–£130k houses (Liverpool, Chester/Wirral, Manchester-type stock) • North East / Yorkshire – Typically £50k–£100k houses (Sheffield, Doncaster, Newcastle) • Midlands […]

With the Renters’ Rights Act just around the corner, the UK’s largest professional membership body for letting agents warns new legislation will have two distinct effects. In an exclusive video interview with Property118, Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, said many landlords will be considering whether to move to full management or […]

The government claims “there is no need for landlords to evict tenants” ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act. In a written question, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage claims landlords “should give tenants the housing security they deserve”. Despite the government’s claims, tenant groups claim landlords are rushing evictions ahead of the legislation. Prevent unnecessary evictions In […]

Several lenders have cut buy to let mortgage rates and expanded product ranges, with changes spanning five-year fixes, trackers and short-term let deals. Fleet Mortgages has reduced pricing by 20bps on its 3% fee, 75% LTV five-year fixed products across standard, limited company and HMO and MUFB ranges. Rates now stand at 5.04% for standard […]

Rental scams are on the rise as supply dwindles ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act, claims an estate agent. Essex and Suffolk estate agents Boydens warn that rental scams have become more widespread as landlords sell up ahead of the Act coming into force. The estate agents urge tenants to look out for warning signs […]

HM Revenue & Customs is apparently stepping up scrutiny of residential property valuations in inheritance tax returns, with referrals to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) rising 23.5% over the past year. That’s according to research from TWM Solicitors which says that referrals to the VOA climbed from 11,845 to 14,631 in the 12 months to […]

A subtle but important shift is emerging in how landlords view the purpose of their portfolios. According to the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey Q1 2026, many landlords are now focusing less on expanding capital values and more on maintaining stable, reliable income. Based on 2,380 completed responses, with an average portfolio size of 9.7 properties […]

Hello everyone, I have already sent my tenants the ‘original’ ‘Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026′ and got them to sign an acknowledgement as proof. However, the Government’s ‘Daily update from GOV.UK for: Changes to private renting’ email on Thursday 23rd April now tells me that it has been updated with a link to a […]

Landlords considering selling up appear to be stepping back from their exit plans, with fewer former rental homes being listed for sale ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act changes. According to TwentyCi, the proportion of homes coming to market that were previously rented has dropped over the past year, based on analysis of the last […]

I am trying to understand the precise scope of section 213 Housing Act 2004 as amended by section 184 Localism Act 2011. Section 213 (1) requires that any tenancy deposit paid in connection with a shorthold tenancy must be dealt with in accordance with an authorised scheme. Section 212 (8) defines a tenancy deposit as […]

Many landlords assume buyers are mainly interested in city-centre flats, trendy postcodes or high-yield investor stock. That can be true in certain pockets, yet across parts of the North West, another pattern is holding firm: well-located family homes continue to attract stronger interest than many owners expect. For landlords considering a sale, that could well be […]

For many years, owning rental property in London felt almost self-explanatory due to strong long-term capital growth, global demand, prestige locations etc., etc. There was a sense that simply holding on would eventually be rewarded, and for many landlords, it was, yet now, a growing number of owners are asking a different question: Does this property […]

Many landlords begin the selling process with one number in mind. Usually, it is the highest figure they have seen online, heard from a neighbour or hoped the property might achieve in stronger market conditions. That is understandable, but right now, in the current market, there is a widening gap between hopeful pricing and effective pricing, and […]

It is easy to assume that if the wider property market feels mixed, buyers disappear, but that is rarely true. What usually changes is not whether buyers exist, but which properties they are prepared to compete for. Across parts of Birmingham, that remains highly relevant for landlords considering a sale in 2026, because while some stock […]

Did you see the recent Sky News coverage that linked to Property118? It was about landlords rushing to serve Section 21 notices before the 1 May changes. When a significant legal change is approaching, it is only natural that some landlords will focus on what can still be done before the new rules take effect, […]

The Shadow Housing Secretary has said he has received a Section 21 notice, blaming Labour’s housing reforms for prompting landlords to sell up. Speaking at a London Housing Conference, James Cleverly said the notice was issued after his landlord decided to sell the property. He also warned that the Renters’ Rights Act will do more […]

Here we go again, I thought, when reading about Great Yarmouth council on Property118 claiming that there is ‘little evidence’ that selective licensing leads to increased rents. The council is introducing selective licensing across a range of wards and streets, covering 5,000 homes, that’s around 60% of the borough, at a cost of £694 per […]

For years, many landlords assumed that portfolio success meant one thing: keep buying, keep holding, keep growing. That approach worked well for a long time. For some, it still does, yet across the North West and Midlands in particular, a new trend is emerging. Despite what the headlines say, many experienced landlords are not rushing […]