A tenant group has welcomed the proposed minimum energy efficiency standards of EPC C targets but warns renters could risk losing their homes without additional protections. A poll by ACORN of 252 renters found that 70% fear eviction or a rent increase if they request a retrofit or if their landlord is forced to upgrade […]

Landlords will know that once a deposit is placed in the Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS), the landlord is under a countdown of 30 days to provide prescribed information. The prescribed information appears totally pointless. It appears to add zero value, worthless paperwork for paperwork’s sake. Yet the DPS states the landlord can be fined up […]

Loan covenants are one of the least understood parts of a commercial mortgage agreement. Many landlords focus on rate and loan size but overlook the conditions that govern how the facility must be managed. Breaching a covenant can trigger penalties, force refinancing, or even give the lender rights to call in the loan. Understanding covenants […]

Tenants on the lowest incomes are being blocked from social housing because providers fear they will not be able to afford the rent, research reveals. A study by homelessness charity Crisis shows housing associations in England are increasingly rejecting applicants following affordability checks carried out before a tenancy begins. Around a third of English housing […]

New figures from the English Housing Survey show that growing numbers of people are reaching midlife and retirement still renting their home. It also shows that the financial gap between tenants and homeowners continues to widen. The latest release from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities reports that, in 2024/25, 29% of adults […]

Demand for rented homes has dropped to its lowest level in six years, with the gap between tenants and available properties narrowing sharply over 2025, Zoopla reveals. The property portal said demand has fallen by 20% over the past year, while the number of homes available to rent has risen by 15%, easing pressure in […]

The landlord downloaded a free tenancy agreement template online and used it without legal review. At first, everything seemed fine. But when a dispute arose over rent arrears and damages, the court scrutinised the agreement. Critical clauses were missing, including those covering service of notices and repair obligations. The tenant’s solicitor successfully argued that parts […]

Securing clarity and stability in the application Section 162 incorporation relief for property investment businesses: Why the industry needs updated guidance and consistent interpretation. Over the past decade, UK landlords and their advisers have faced growing uncertainty in how Section 162 incorporation relief is interpreted and administered. What was once a relatively stable area of […]

The government has confirmed no further protections for tenants will come in before 1 May 2026. In answer to a written question, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook says tenants at risk of eviction before the Renters’ Rights Act comes into effect should seek advice from housing charity Shelter. The Act will abolish Section 21 evictions and […]

More than half of all rental properties across Great Britain are available for immediate move in, research reveals. The findings from Benham and Reeves show that tenants have a good chance of securing a home before Christmas. The estate and letting agent examined nearly 125,000 active listings across the country and found that 63,922 of […]

A new government survey reveals that larger landlords are planning to sell due to the impact of legislation, as small-scale landlords make up a large majority of the private rented sector. The English Private Landlord Survey reveals the different types of landlords in the private rented sector, with corporate landlords only making up a small […]

Subsidence is one of the most disruptive and time-consuming perils a landlord can face. Unlike a burst pipe or storm damage, ground movement claims rarely resolve quickly. Investigations, monitoring and structural works can span many months, sometimes years, with cash flow consequences if the property is uninhabitable. This guide explains causes, warning signs, how insurers […]

A tenant organisation has warned the Renters’ Rights Act could fail if councils do not rigorously enforce the law against criminal landlords. Writing in Inside Housing magazine, Generation Rent chief executive Ben Twomey argues the Act could become “no more than words on paper” without proper enforcement. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, councils will have […]

House prices are set to rise modestly next year by 2.5% across Great Britain in Q4 2026, Hamptons says. It is also predicting that inflation will ease, and mortgage rates will be lower. The firm says transactions should hold near 1.15 million as improving affordability counters economic and tax pressures. However, the outlook becomes more […]

The landlord had arranged gas safety checks for years without issue. But one year, the reminder email from the engineer was missed, and the annual certificate expired unnoticed. When the council inspected after a tenant complaint, they found the property operating without a valid Gas Safety Record. The landlord faced enforcement action, including a fine, […]

Recent announcements from the Portuguese Government, including a proposed reduction of income tax on residential rental income to 10% or even 0% in some cases, have captured the attention of UK landlords. The move contrasts strongly with UK policy direction and raises two important questions: Is Portugal positioning itself as a more attractive reinvestment destination […]

The government claim they “will try to balance landlords’ privacy concerns with private tenants’ needs to make informed decisions” for the Private Rented Sector (PRS) database. Many landlords are concerned about what details will be included in the PRS database, which is set to roll out in late 2026. The government claim they are still […]

Nottingham Building Society has moved to counter the impact of the government’s property tax hike by releasing a new set of buy to let products aimed at easing affordability for landlords. The launch follows the Autumn Budget announcement, which confirmed a 2% increase in property income tax from April 2027. The mutual has cut its […]

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves is facing a £7,550 bill to improve the energy performance of her London home under Labour’s tougher EPC rules for private landlords. The Daily Telegraph reports that her four-bedroom property in Dulwich is rated D, falling short of the proposed requirement for all new tenancies to meet EPC C by 2028 […]

Following the strong engagement with my recent article about the Sehgal SDLT decision, many readers asked a natural question: “How often do taxpayers actually win at the tax tribunals, and is the system fair?” It is easy to assume HMRC always holds the upper hand. They have deep pockets, specialist litigation teams, and the ability […]

Hello, I’m going through the process of building 2 x 1 bed flats. I’m at the stage of the predicted/design SAP/EPC’s to add to the bundle of info to send off for Build Reg approval and what type of heating source is the question. The question is: should I go for a gas boiler or […]