Page 51 – Property118
Refinance approved document with calculator, coins and rental property, illustrating buy-to-let mortgage refinancing

Four in 10 landlords plan to refinance buy to let mortgages

5th February 2026

Four in 10 landlords are planning to refinance their buy to let property over the next year, research from Paragon Bank has found. It says that 39% of landlords expect to remortgage or switch products during 2026. More than half of landlords holding four or more buy to let mortgages, (53%), say they plan to […]

Empty wallet held above household bills and a calculator, reflecting the financial strain of rising rents

Rising rents pushing renters into poverty claims charity

5th February 2026

Sky-rocketing rents are pushing millions of renters into poverty, a charity has claimed. A report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation reveals soaring rents have pushed two million private renters below the poverty line. The charity is urging the government to tackle high housing costs and strengthen support for renters. A third of renters living in […]

Chalkboard-style illustration asking “Are you prepared?” with Renters’ Rights Act message and forward arrow

Letting agents urged to prepare now for Renters’ Rights Act

5th February 2026

Letting agents should start preparing for the Renters’ Rights Act sooner rather than later, claims firm. Property inventory firm No Letting Go, warn rules are already in place for councils under the Renters’ Rights Act to carry out surprise inspections. The firm warns letting agents should treat the current period as a live compliance phase […]

Clipboard showing a failed housing disrepair claim in front of a neglected rental property

Housing disrepair claims fail tenants and landlords – legal expert

4th February 2026

Housing disrepair claims now risk doing more harm than good for tenants, a legal expert has warned. Des Taylor, a legal expert at Landlord Licensing & Defence, says the current system has become driven by financial incentives for solicitors, often rewarding legal process over practical outcomes. Mr Taylor is calling on the government to fix […]

House icon with EPC energy efficiency rating scale highlighting EPC C target for rented homes

Government claims EPC C targets will help tenants

4th February 2026

The government claims it is “standing up for tenants” by introducing EPC C targets for landlords, despite concerns over the costs involved. In response to a written question, the Minister for Energy Consumers, Martin McCluskey, said that under the Warm Homes Plan, tenants will save money on their energy bills. The government also said landlords […]

Monopoly-style board with houses and the headline “Why Invest in Property?” symbolising buy-to-let investment

Why invest in property today amid tightening legislation?

4th February 2026

In the beginning (1980), I thought it was a great idea to invest in property and buy my flat in London and keep it when I moved out to get married to provide someone else with a home to live in. It seemed a more sensible use of the money than to put it in […]

House model with green check mark symbolising approved HMO licensing and housing standards in Bolton

Bolton Council consults on HMO licensing scheme

4th February 2026

Bolton Council has opened a public consultation on plans to introduce an Additional Licensing Scheme covering Houses in Multiple Occupation across the borough. The move follows the Article 4 Direction introduced last June, which tightened planning controls on converting existing homes into shared accommodation. Under that change, any HMO conversion now requires full planning permission […]

Stacked coins with miniature houses and a rising arrow beneath a pound symbol, illustrating higher HMO rental yields

HMOs lead rental yields as economic and regulatory pressures rise

4th February 2026

Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) prove to be most profitable for landlords as economic pressures mount, according to a new survey. Data by Pegasus Insight reveals HMOs continue to outperform, delivering the highest rental yields in the private rented sector at 7.3%. The firm says some landlords are beginning to feel the strain as regulatory […]

LEASE redesigned website homepage showing the new Lease Length Checker and leaseholder guidance search

LEASE unveils faster website and free lease length checker

4th February 2026

The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) has launched the first phase of a major digital refresh by rolling out a redesigned website. It now features a Lease Length Checker which is aimed at giving leaseholders quicker access to clear, practical guidance. The update marks the opening stage of a wider programme of service improvements, with further […]

Key amnesty sign and pile of returned keys outside social housing, highlighting council crackdown on tenancy fraud

Council launches key amnesty to tackle social housing tenancy fraud

4th February 2026

A council has unveiled a city-wide crackdown on social housing tenancy fraud, beginning with a key amnesty that allows tenants to return properties without penalty if they are renting them out illegally. The amnesty runs until the end of the month and marks the first phase of a wider enforcement campaign targeting fraudulent use of […]

Rough sleeper wrapped in a sleeping bag beneath a worn Scottish flag, illustrating the scale of homelessness in Scotland

Scottish landlords urge investment in PRS as homelessness soars

4th February 2026

The number of rough sleepers and homelessness in Scotland has doubled, according to new figures. Data by the Scottish government reveals homelessness has gone up nearly 20%, and the number of children in temporary accommodation has gone up 26%, the highest level since numbers began. The Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) is calling on the […]

Older man sitting beneath a sketched house marked Shelter, symbolising homelessness and the housing crisis

Shelter CEO wants to work with private landlords

3rd February 2026

Shelter’s new chief executive hints she is willing to work with private landlords to tackle the housing crisis. In an interview with Inside Housing, Sarah Elliott says she has had a constructive meeting with the chief executive of a landlord association. Ms Elliott became the head of Shelter in September last year, after Polly Neate […]

Reduced rent sign outside UK terraced houses with a downward arrow symbolising falling rental prices

UK rents fall again as market cools ahead of Renters’ Rights Act

3rd February 2026

UK rents slipped for a second month in a row in January, adding to signs that rapid growth may finally be running out of steam as the Renters’ Rights Act moves closer. The latest HomeLet Rental Index shows the average UK rent eased to £1,302 in January 2026, down 1.1% month-on-month from £1,317 in December. […]

Welsh flag over a street scene as people with suitcases walk past an exit sign, symbolising housing pressures in Wales

Welsh politicians clash over housing crisis as landlords exit

3rd February 2026

A Welsh Conservative MS has slammed the Welsh government for legislation that has driven landlords out of the market and forced people into temporary accommodation. During a Senedd debate on housing, Plaid Cymru MS Siân Gwenllian warned that Wales is facing a housing crisis, with many people stuck in temporary accommodation. However, Welsh Conservative MS […]

Sign stating “No shares, no voting rights” outside a residential street, highlighting loss of resident control

Management company removed shareholders and votes?

3rd February 2026

Hi, would like some advice. A small development’s residents pay a rent charge for communal areas (garden, fences, lights, etc.). The company was set up with shareholders, with every resident having one share and voting rights. There have been lots of issues with the company not following proper procedures. I have now found out that […]

UK map with a location pin showing pound coins and notes, representing rising property prices in affordable areas

Affordable areas drive strongest house price growth in 2025

3rd February 2026

Lower-priced parts of the country recorded the strongest rises in property asking prices last year as buyers continued to chase affordability, Rightmove reveals. Its analysis of millions of listings, enquiries and transactions shows that areas with cheaper homes consistently outperformed higher-value markets in 2025. Of the 50 local areas with the fastest growth in asking […]

Energy efficiency rating arrow rising on a damp-stained wall, reflecting improved EPC scores and ongoing housing quality issues in England.

Energy efficiency improves across England’s homes but damp and mould persist

3rd February 2026

The energy efficiency of housing stock in England has improved, according to the latest English Housing Survey. Despite an improvement in energy efficiency, the survey claims damp and mould are most prevalent in the private rented sector. Propertymark says the government must provide practical support for landlords, as all private rented properties will need to […]

Scottish flag flying over new housing development under construction with exempt signage

Scotland could exempt BTR and mid-market rent from rent caps

3rd February 2026

The Scottish government has laid secondary legislation to exempt build-to-rent and mid-market rent homes from private rented sector rent controls. The move is aimed at unlocking stalled investment and accelerating new housing delivery. The regulations, introduced under the Housing (Scotland) Act, follow almost two years of amendments to the original Bill, which was passed in […]

Calendar and stamp duty bag illustrating annual rent thresholds and tax risk under periodic tenancies

Tenants face stamp duty bills under periodic tenancies – Financial Times

2nd February 2026

The government is apparently working on a fix to an anomaly in the Renters’ Rights Act that could see huge numbers of tenants paying stamp duty. According to the Financial Times, under current tax rules, an indefinite or periodic tenancy requires a stamp duty land tax calculation each year. Liability is triggered once cumulative rent […]

Landlord holding a rent arrears sign outside a house with an eviction notice displayed

Selling a HMO property with tenant in arrears?

2nd February 2026

I am in the process of evicting an HMO tenant and have been told that even if we get a possession order, it can take a year, and he’s already 5 months behind on his rent. If only the arrears were the worst bit! With that in mind, I have a couple of questions: If […]