Page 50 – Property118
Missing tenant notice on a post with house keys and a question mark symbolizing landlord uncertainty

Evicting a tenant who’s already left legally?

3rd November 2025

I’m hoping someone can help me. I originally contacted you in March when my tenant disappeared. I issued him a Section 21, which terminated in May.  The tenant is in Thailand, and he hasn’t replied to any of my messages or emails since January. He also hasn’t paid rent since December.  I’m using an eviction […]

BTL Mortgage Blog featured image showing a house, key, calculator, percentage sign and pound coins on a teal background.

How Bank of England Base Rate Changes Affect Buy-To-Let Mortgages

3rd November 2025

Every time the Bank of England announces a change to the base rate, landlords sit up and take notice. The base rate sets the tone for all borrowing costs in the UK. In 2025, with landlords remortgaging at higher levels and stress tests still challenging, understanding how these changes filter through to buy-to-let mortgages is […]

Wooden house with a red target symbol crossed out, representing missed housing targets.

Housebuilders warn Labour’s housing targets may be unachievable

3rd November 2025

Housebuilders warn the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) that Labour’s 1.5 million homes target won’t be met. The Times reports that in a private letter to the OBR, Britain’s housebuilders, including the Home Builders Federation, said the government’s housing targets are “too optimistic.” The news comes ahead of the Autumn Budget next month. Reduce planned […]

Family Investment Companies

1st November 2025

Limited company landlords are sitting on a 40% IHT time-bomb. Over 400,000 UK landlords now run their portfolios through Limited Companies. It’s become the default response to Section 24 and the pressure on refinancing. However, here’s the uncomfortable truth: Every pound of equity growth in that company is locked into your personal estate and exposed […]

Composite photo of Hong Kong’s skyline in 1930 and 2025 showing how growth, not higher taxes, built the city.

Taxes, Spending and the Myth of the Binary Choice

1st November 2025

A recent YouGov poll has been making the rounds on social media. It claims that 58% of voters want public spending maintained or increased, while 67% want taxes to stay the same or fall. The post summarising the data concluded with a neat, confident line: “In reality, it’s a binary choice. Taxes go up, or […]

A thoughtful landlord looking concerned, with the quote “I need an ‘AFFORDABLE’ solution” above her head.

She Owned Seven Rentals but No Will, No Life Cover and No Plan

31st October 2025

Case Study: How We Found An AFFORDABLE Solution. When a long-standing landlord from the South East contacted Property118, her goal was not to cut tax or refinance for growth. She simply wanted to make sure her partner would not face financial chaos if she died unexpectedly. “I’m not worried about paying some tax,” she said. […]

Knight-themed Landlord Crusader logo symbolizing landlord advocacy

Why Southwark Council MUST prosecute Chancellor Rachel Reeves

31st October 2025

Another Labour minister is in hot water over ‘misunderstanding’ the rules, and Two Tier thinks landlords will let this latest mishap slide? Surely, when the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, breaks housing law, every landlord will sit up and take note. Reeves has admitted she rented out her Dulwich family home without a selective […]

Rachel Reeves controversy over unlicensed rental property highlighted through email evidence.

Emails reveal Rachel Reeves misled the Prime Minister over unlicensed rental home

31st October 2025

It’s a controversy that doesn’t look like it’s going away after it was revealed that the Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the Prime Minister she was unaware that her Dulwich home needed a licence to be rented out. However, emails released for ‘transparency’ show that the claim was untrue. Conservatives are calling for Ms Reeves to […]

Halloween Tenant Nightmares: Damage That Defies Description

31st October 2025

End-of-tenancy walk-throughs rarely shock seasoned landlords. This one did. The front door stuck on a swollen frame, the air felt heavy, and the first step into the lounge crunched on broken glass. What followed looked like a DIY experiment gone wrong. The walk-through from hell Room by room the damage escalated. Doors were off hinges. […]

Golden judge’s gavel symbolising housing tribunal rulings and landlord accountability.

Councillor pushes to make landlord tribunal rulings public

31st October 2025

An Edinburgh councillor is calling for housing tribunal rulings against landlords to be made public. Independent councillor Ross McKenzie says greater transparency is needed and the ways in which landlords are ruled not fit to let properties should be made public. The Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) says councils should work with landlords to promote […]

Wooden letter tiles spelling “leasehold” beside a red question mark, symbolising confusion about property ownership.

Unreasonable price to purchase freehold for terrace property?

31st October 2025

I own a three-bedroom terraced property with over 900 years remaining on the lease and a nominal ground rent of £15 per annum. My freeholder has asked me to apply for a leasehold enquiry at a cost of £400 and has indicated that the purchase of the freehold alone would cost £10,000, excluding solicitor and […]

Scissors cutting a red percent symbol with the words “Buy to Let,” symbolising falling mortgage rates.

BTL lenders cut rates and boost borrowing limits as competition heats up

31st October 2025

It’s been a week of growing competition across the buy to let mortgage market as several major lenders roll out rate cuts and higher borrowing limits to help landlords. The Mortgage Works (TMW) has lifted its maximum loan per property to £2 million for both standard BTL and limited company applications, up from £1.5 million. […]

Mystic Mortar Landlord Horoscope 31 October 2025 – square cartoon Halloween-themed illustration with fortune teller, pumpkin, ghosts and bold headline.

Halloween Landlord Horoscope 31 Oct 2025

31st October 2025

Mystic Mortar’s Landlord Horoscope Edition: Friday 31 October 2025 Welcome, star-gazers and key-holders, to a Halloween edition where cosmic shadows dance across the property world. The stars whisper of mystery, charm and the need for careful choices as October closes its doors. This week, the Sun journeys deeper into Scorpio, intensifying focus on secrets, power […]

Two people shaking hands above a torn tenancy agreement on the floor.

The verbal agreement trap that cost a landlord dearly

31st October 2025

It all started with trust. The landlord had let to the tenant before, so when they asked to extend their stay, he agreed on the spot. No paperwork was signed, no dates or clauses were written down, just a friendly handshake and the tenant’s word that the rent would continue monthly “as usual.” For several […]

Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces ethics probe over rental licence breach

Rachel ‘Double Standards’ Reeves rented out family home without a selective licence

30th October 2025

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has referred herself to the government’s ethics watchdog after admitting she broke housing law by renting out her family home without a selective licence. She admitted to the breach after questions were raised over her Dulwich property, which was listed for rent at £3,200 a month when she moved into Number […]

Man standing in front of a homeless person sitting on a rainy city street at night

Landlord slams selective licensing as cause of Nottingham’s homelessness crisis

30th October 2025

One of Nottingham’s largest landlords has blamed selective licensing for the city’s homelessness crisis. Mick Roberts, who has housed benefit tenants for the past 28 years, pushed back against claims by Nottingham MP Nadia Whittome, who says the city’s homelessness problem is caused by a lack of council powers. According to Nottinghamshire Live, Nottingham has […]

pic of auctioneer selling a house buyer landlord bargain property118

Advice on selling rental bugalow at auction?

30th October 2025

My final rental is now vacant and will be ready to go on the market in a couple of weeks. I do have an estate agent lined up, but I’m wondering whether to try an auction. Its a small detached bungalow in Runcorn, Cheshire. Could I ask for people’s experience of selling at auction? I’m […]

Hand stamping document symbolising approval of Leeds selective licensing scheme

Four London councils plan or expand Selective Licensing schemes

30th October 2025

Four London councils, plus one in Hertfordshire, are to expand or consult residents on implementing selective licensing schemes. In Islington, the borough’s selective licensing scheme will be extended to seven new wards, bringing thousands more rented homes under regulation. The scheme currently applies to Finsbury Park, Hillrise and Tollington but will soon include Barnsbury, Caledonian, […]