Landlord leaves a damp and mould-affected rental property after securing a sale to an investor

Facing a damp and mould nightmare? This landlord found a different way out

9th October 2026

Landlords in England can now face civil penalties of up to £7,000 for serious Category 1 hazards, including severe damp and mould, where the legal conditions for enforcement are met. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, councils have been handed greater enforcement powers, increasing the risks for landlords who fail to address dangerous conditions in their […]

Government consultation on Awaab’s Law for private renters, illustrated by a damp and mould-covered wall.

Government launches Awaab’s Law consultation for private rented sector

9th October 2026

The government is seeking views on extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector (PRS), including how the rules should work and when they should come into force. Private renters, landlords, and charities are being invited to share their views to help shape the new requirements. Awaab’s Law is already in force for social housing […]

Knight in crusader armour holding a sword, symbolising landlords battling rising PRS pressures and regulation.

Please stop making good landlords’ lives harder

9th October 2026

Apparently, landlords in Greater Manchester are to get a special programme to help them understand how to be landlords. Somewhere in government, that need ought to prompt an awkward question. Would complying with the rules be easier if the government and councils stopped adding so many of them? Now there’s the Better Renting programme in […]

Welsh dragon shield above rental homes and a family, representing new Welsh government protections for tenants.

Welsh government promises new protections for renters

9th October 2026

The Welsh government has committed to protecting renters and tackling poor landlords as it prepares to introduce new legislation. Speaking in a debate in the Senedd, cabinet secretary for housing Siân Gwenllian said the government would take a phased approach to improving renters’ rights, beginning with a new Renters Bill. The news comes ahead of […]

Construction site representing rising investment in UK single-family build to rent housing

UK build to rent investment hits £4.2bn

9th October 2026

Single-family homes attracted more than £1bn from build to rent investors in the third quarter, with deals covering existing properties also drawing substantial sums. Knight Frank’s initial findings from its latest UK Build to Rent market update put investment across the sector at £1.6bn for the third quarter. That takes the amount committed in the […]

Scottish homes and pound symbols illustrate improving affordability as mortgage costs rise

Scottish buyers see house price gap narrow as mortgage costs rise

9th October 2026

The gap between house prices and earnings in Scotland is beginning to narrow, although rising mortgage costs continue to put pressure on buyers. Data from the Bank of Scotland shows the typical Scottish home now costs 5.3 times average earnings, down from 5.4 a year ago. The average property price rose 3.9% over the past […]

Modern apartment building squeezed by a regulation clamp, symbolising tighter rules for leasehold property managers.

Leasehold property managers face calls for tighter regulation

9th October 2026

Property managers must be regulated to keep pace with the millions of leasehold properties across England and Wales, a firm has warned. Rushbrook argues five million leaseholders across England and Wales need greater protection as concerns grow over how properties are managed and fees are charged. The call comes as the government proposes strengthening leaseholders’ […]

Buy to let lenders lowering mortgage interest rates, illustrated by houses holding falling percentage symbols.

Two buy to let lenders lower rates

9th October 2026

Landlords buying with a 20% deposit will receive the largest reductions in the latest round of buy to let mortgage cuts. Accord Mortgages has revealed it is cutting selected two-year fixed rates by up to 0.43 percentage points and five-year deals by up to 0.23 percentage points. The biggest changes from the intermediary-only lender apply […]

Two letting agents have been expelled from an independent redress scheme after failing to pay landlords compensation awards of £100 and £300. One landlord had ended up arranging a tenancy directly with the tenants after problems with the agent. The Property Ombudsman excluded the firms alongside a surveying business that had failed to pay an £800 award to a customer. The Ombudsman's Finance, Performance and Compliance Committee reviewed the cases and agreed that the three businesses should be expelled. Ombudsman awards not optional Chief Ombudsman Lesley Horton said: "An Ombudsman award is not optional. "When a complaint is upheld and compensation is directed, registered businesses are expected to comply with that decision." She added: "Expulsion is always a last resort. "We work with businesses throughout the compliance process to help them meet their obligations and ensure consumers receive the awards they are due." Landlord arranged tenancy directly Musgrove & Co, based in North Walsham, Norfolk, faced a landlord's complaint about its refusal to transfer a holding deposit and errors in a tenancy agreement for which no suitable replacement was provided. The firm also failed to respond to the formal complaint. The landlord subsequently contacted the tenants and arranged the tenancy, enabling them to move in and the owner to receive rent. Musgrove & Co did not provide evidence requested during the investigation, and the Ombudsman upheld the complaint and directed a £300 compensation award. Deposits and rent delayed Coles Property Management, registered as C.P.M (NW) Limited and based in Blackpool, was ordered to pay £100 following a landlord's complaint about the management of two properties. After its management agreement ended, the firm delayed transferring tenants' deposits and forwarding rent mistakenly paid to it instead of the new agent, while communication failings also contributed to the landlord's inconvenience. Meanwhile, Tothill Residential Surveying Ltd, trading as Tothill Residential Surveying in Mundon, Essex, was directed to pay £800 after a customer paid £500 for a survey report that was not provided and the business failed to deal adequately with their concerns. Ombudsman decisions are binding on registered businesses, with failures to comply eligible for referral through the scheme’s compliance process and, where appropriate, to the independent committee for consideration of expulsion.

Agents expelled by Ombudsman over unpaid landlord compensation

9th October 2026

Two letting agents have been expelled from an independent redress scheme after failing to pay landlords compensation awards of £100 and £300. One landlord had ended up arranging a tenancy directly with the tenants after problems with the agent. The Property Ombudsman excluded the firms alongside a surveying business that had failed to pay an […]

CCTV camera outside a London block of flats with a question mark highlighting concerns over managing agent accountability.

Suggestions for a new block building managing agent?

9th October 2026

Hello everyone, Two months after asking our managing agent for CCTV footage following a theft, we are still waiting. For us, it sums up a service that has become increasingly frustrating. I own a flat that I let in a block of six in central London. Each owner is both a leaseholder and an equal shareholder […]

The government has reassured landlords it will safeguard their privacy in the PRS Database, but has provided no details on how. Property118 contacted the government after concerns were raised by landlords about privacy and how their data will be handled under the PRS Database. Under the PRS Database, landlords will be required to provide information about their properties, including the address, number of residents and bedrooms, as well as copies of gas, electricity and EPC documents. Safeguard the privacy of landlords The government told Property118 that data will be handled in line with data protection legislation, with further details to be announced in due course. A Ministry of Housing spokesperson told us: “The new database will help tenants make vital and informed decisions when entering into a tenancy agreement. “However, we will ensure we safeguard the privacy of landlords, and any data shared will be in line with data protection legislation.” The government adds that under future legislation, landlords will also be required to register any unoccupied properties before marketing them for let. Letting agents and landlords will need to include registration numbers on adverts. Transparency must be balanced with landlords’ privacy The PRS Database will launch regionally, with the first rollout set to begin in the West Midlands in December. Industry bodies have urged the government to clarify what information will be publicly available on the PRS Database ahead of its launch. Propertymark says a redacted version of a landlord’s address should be made available to help protect landlords’ privacy. Timothy Douglas, the head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, told Property118: “We support the principle of a national PRS Database, but transparency must be balanced with landlords’ privacy and personal safety. “When it comes to databases, Propertymark has previously supported making a redacted version of a landlord’s address available, rather than publishing a full personal address. That distinction remains important as information may need to be held for regulatory and enforcement purposes without being made publicly searchable. “The UK government should therefore clarify exactly what information will be publicly accessible and what safeguards will protect landlords from unnecessary privacy and security risks. Effective enforcement and transparency should not come at the expense of personal safety.” Landlords need urgent clarity The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) also echoed Propertymark's stance and urged the government to give more clarity on the information accessible on the database. A spokesperson for the NRLA said: “At the moment it’s unclear exactly what the architecture underpinning the PRS database is set to look like and how the new system will work in practice. “Given that the roll-out of the PRS database is set to start from December, landlords urgently need clarity on these points. “When it comes to data privacy, we believe that all safeguarding processes must be followed rigorously considering the vast quantities of data the new system is likely to possess.” Cost the PRS £327 million a year The NRLA has also warned that England’s planned landlord database could cost the private rented sector at least £327 million a year, with tenants ultimately footing the bill. Landlords will have to pay a £65 annual fee per property to register on the PRS Database. The NRLA spokesperson added: “More broadly, the ‘year one’ cost implications per property for landlords across the sector are likely to be considerable. The position of those landlords already complying with local licensing schemes under the new regime isn’t clear either. “Landlords need to have sufficient time to make the transition to the new system, so the government must take all the steps it can to allay landlords’ concerns.” The database fee will be charged alongside licensing fees in areas where councils operate their own schemes - which can reach as much as £2,300 per property, as charged by Arun District Council. Raise rents to cover cost Landlords are already factoring in the additional costs, with some warning they may need to raise rents to cover them. One landlord has said he will need to charge an extra £6 a month to cover the new database fee. Mick Roberts, one of Nottingham’s largest landlords providing homes to benefit tenants, wrote in an article for Property118 that councils already hold much of the information required for the database through selective licensing schemes. He wrote: “The government has just brought in yet another charge, a £65-a-year fee for each property to be registered on the PRS Database. That means you’ll need a rent increase of around £6 per month just to cover it. “All the information needed for the property database, the council already has for selective licensing. The council already charges around £1,000 every five years for this, which works out at £200 per year, or another £20 per month in rent.” The government has also warned that landlords who let or advertise a property without first registering it on the database could face a civil penalty of up to £7,000. Those who provide fraudulent information to the database could face a fine of up to £40,000. More questions than answers With the first rollout of the PRS Database only weeks away, landlords are being asked to pay for a system while concerns remain over privacy, costs and how the database will work in practice. For now, many questions remain unanswered, and whether the government can deliver greater transparency for tenants while adequately protecting landlords’ privacy remains to be seen.

Government fails to explain how landlord privacy will be protected under PRS Database

8th October 2026

The government has reassured landlords it will safeguard their privacy in the PRS Database, but has provided no details on how. Property118 contacted the government after concerns were raised by landlords about privacy and how their data will be handled under the PRS Database. Under the PRS Database, landlords will be required to provide information […]

Tenants queue outside a UK rental property as demand rises and rents are expected to increase

Rents tipped to rise as tenant demand grows – RICS

8th October 2026

Landlords face rising tenant demand, with surveyors expecting rents to increase over the next three months. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) September survey found a net balance of +23% of respondents reporting increased tenant demand. The measure accelerated for the third consecutive month, while the balance of landlord instructions remained firmly negative. A […]

Woman leaving a CEO office, illustrating Sarah Elliot stepping down as Shelter chief executive

Shelter CEO to leave role after just one year

8th October 2026

Shelter’s chief executive has announced she is stepping down after only a year in the role. Sarah Elliot became Shelter’s chief executive in September last year, succeeding Polly Neate, who stepped down after seven years at the helm of the housing advice charity. The news comes as Shelter claims families facing homelessness are being priced […]

Formal notice document beside a question mark, illustrating uncertainty over tenancy notice and possession rules in England.

Informal tenancy – can I safely wait before serving formal notice?

8th October 2026

Hello everyone, I’m looking for advice about an informal tenancy and whether I can safely wait before serving a formal notice on a property I own in England. In February 2026, I allowed a friend and her husband to move into my property. My understanding was that this would be very temporary, initially perhaps a […]

Landlords navigate a maze of changing rental regulations, licensing and compliance requirements

Landlords struggle to follow changing rules

8th October 2026

Landlords who are struggling to meet their obligations in Greater Manchester say they face difficulties keeping up with changes to policy and regulation. Research from the TDS Charitable Foundation will now underpin a programme called Better Renting to help landlords understand and comply with their responsibilities. Nationally, 21% of landlords say they find it difficult […]

UK home, keys and rising coin stacks illustrating higher mortgage costs despite improving affordability

House price affordability improves as mortgage costs rise

8th October 2026

Despite the gap between house prices and earnings narrowing, mortgage costs continue to rise, according to new research. Data from the Lloyds affordability review shows the UK’s house price-to-income ratio has fallen from 7.6 to 7.3, its lowest level in 11 years. However, higher interest rates mean monthly mortgage costs have increased by £57 over […]

Student landlords urged to prepare for 2027 letting changes

8th October 2026

Student landlords and letting agents are being urged to prepare for the practical impact of the Renters’ Rights Act before committing to their 2027 lettings. B-Informed is holding The Future of Student Lettings Conference in London on 21st October, looking at some of the key decisions now facing the student sector. These include whether to […]

Growing buy-to-let property portfolios alongside rising rental yields

Landlords expand portfolios as rental yields climb

8th October 2026

Landlord portfolios are growing as rental yields rise amid market uncertainty. Data from Fleet Mortgages shows that the average number of investment properties owned by its borrowers increased from 16 in Q2 to 18 in Q3, compared with 12 in Q3 2025. Meanwhile, average annual rental yields across England and Wales rose to 7.9% in […]

House icons on rising coin stacks illustrating record UK room rents and shrinking rental supply

Room rents hit record highs as supply drops

8th October 2026

Supply levels across England have fallen as rents continue to climb to record highs, according to new research. Figures from SpareRoom show that the average UK room rent has reached a new high of £769 per month, with rents hitting record levels in seven of the UK’s nine regions. In inner London, average monthly room […]

Scottish map with Saltire flag, housing symbols and landlords networking, highlighting collaboration in Scotland's rental sector.

Scottish Letting Day: The power of connection in Scotland’s PRS

8th October 2026

One of the more difficult aspects of being a landlord is that the job tends towards working in silos, quite apart from others in the sector. We often find ourselves managing our properties, the relationships we have with our tenant customers, and the other people and organisations we deal with entirely by ourselves. Some of […]

To Let property beside signs promoting guaranteed rent, zero hassle and long-term contracts

Clearsprings’ asylum accommodation profits: are landlords getting a fair deal?

7th October 2026

MPs have questioned the profits, reinvestment and group payments associated with Clearsprings. What do the landlords supplying its properties make of the arrangement, and does their experience match the promise of guaranteed rent and less hassle? Guaranteed rent, a long contract and less day-to-day management would appeal to plenty of landlords. Add a business supplying […]