When Martin Lewis recently described marriage as the “ultimate inheritance tax hack”, he was making a technical point rather than a romantic one. The same principle applies equally to civil partnerships. If you are legally married or in a registered civil partnership, you can leave your entire estate to your spouse or civil partner free […]

Reform UK will pledge to scrap the Renters’ Rights Act if it wins the next general election, with deputy leader Richard Tice arguing the law is already reducing supply and pushing up rents. The Act secured Royal Assent in October after it was introduced by former housing secretary Angela Rayner and builds on the earlier […]

Demand has soared in commuter towns such as Esher as renters are priced out of cities, according to a new report. Findings by SpareRoom reveal renters are seeking more affordable options as rent prices have risen sharply in recent years. However, the flatshare website warns that as more renters migrate to cheaper towns, those areas […]

A council will go ahead with its selective licensing scheme set to come into force in April, requiring landlords to pay a £1,000 licence fee. North East Lincolnshire Council has confirmed it is in the process of entering into a contract with a delivery partner to implement the scheme in part of the East Marsh […]

Landlords and residents are being asked to comment on proposed planning restrictions targeting shared housing in Kidderminster. A six-week consultation has now begun with Wyre Forest District Council seeking views on introducing an Article 4 direction for HMOs there. Anyone who lives, works or owns property locally, alongside landlords and sector groups, can submit an […]

The government admits the higher rates of stamp duty on additional dwellings are designed to penalise landlords while supporting first-time buyers. In the 2024 Autumn Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that the stamp duty surcharge on additional homes would rise from 3% to 5%. The Budget also lowered Stamp Duty thresholds in England, with the […]

February is on track to record the highest number of new home listings in a decade as the housing market continues to rebound, according to a new report. Zoopla’s house price index reveals there are currently 6% more homes for sale than a year ago, with the property portal expecting this number to rise in […]

Landlord possession claims dropped 7.8% in 2025 despite the approaching removal of Section 21, research reveals. According to Inventory Base, there were 91,093 claims issued during the year, compared with 98,766 in 2024. The fall comes ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act taking effect on 1 May. The Act will ban Section 21 ‘no-fault’ repossession. […]

A wealth and investment management company says wealthy UK investors are pivoting to buy to let. Research by Rathbones reveals many investors are willing to embrace complexity and risk, in turn for higher returns, despite legislative uncertainty. The Renters’ Rights Act, Making Tax Digital, and selective licensing are just a few of the challenges landlords […]

A Nottingham landlord claims the city council has ‘washed its hands’ of a vulnerable tenant it placed in his property nearly two decades ago. As a result, he has been left facing mounting costs, enforcement action and a potential £30,000 fine. Mick Roberts, the largest landlord of benefit tenants in the city, says the tenant […]

Landlord demand for rent insurance products rose sharply in the final months of 2025 as agents and landlords prepared for the Renters’ Rights Act. The analysis from lettings platform Goodlord recorded a 41% increase in demand between September and December. That came after the Act was signed into law on 27 October. Alarm sounded The […]

Young people attempting to move from homelessness accommodation into private rented housing are facing widespread landlord discrimination, charities warn. Organisations in the EveryYouth Network argue that the Renters’ Rights Act fails to address housing access barriers. It is now calling for financial penalties to be introduced for landlords and agents found to be discriminating against […]

Firefighters in London are attending an e-bike or e-scooter fire every other day, as the London Fire Brigade calls on landlords to raise awareness of its campaign and store e-bikes safely. The London Fire Brigade has launched its #ChargeSafe campaign to raise awareness to landlords, housing associations and councils about the risks associated with owning […]

Two councils in Suffolk that manage 700 homes have failed to meet targets for addressing damp and mould, according to a BBC report. Under Awaab’s Law, social housing landlords must investigate any significant hazards, including damp and mould, within 10 working days of becoming aware of them. However, Mid Suffolk District Council resolved only 63% […]

We now have the Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. It is not yet in final form and there may be some changes following consultation until late April. However, we now have some certainty that the government plans for commonhold to become the default tenure for new flats, to cap ground rents in older leases, […]

Rental demand has held firm at the start of 2026, with research suggesting tenants are still competing for homes. An analysis by Benham and Reeves shows that 25.1% of rental properties currently listed across Great Britain have already secured tenants. The East of England leads with 34.8% of homes having agreed lets, the South East […]

A council is asking renters to help decide how much it will fine landlords who breach rules under the Renters’ Rights Act. The law introduces civil penalties of up to £7,000 for breaches and up to £40,000 for more serious offences. It also hands councils stronger enforcement powers over the private rented sector. Now Bristol […]

We should shortly be instructing court bailiffs after a possession was granted. I`ve not been in this position before, so I would appreciate advice from any landlords with experience here. I have heard that sometimes bailiffs are not successful in an eviction, as they will not use force, and a tenant can refuse to move […]

We operate joint and several student HMO tenancies, which we typically sign up in Jan/Feb for the next academic year beginning in July. We don’t do holding deposits, but we do ask for the first month’s rent upfront to secure the tenancy, payable as soon as the agreement is signed. Under the new Renter Rights […]

Tenant demand across London’s lettings market rose sharply at the start of the year, with new registrations increasing by 93% between December 2025 and January 2026. That’s according to Foxtons’ latest Lettings Market Index, which highlights there was also an 11% month-on-month rise in renters competing for each home. Tenant budgets averaged £539 per week […]

Nearly half of landlords in Wales (47%) believe the Renting Homes (Wales) Act has been detrimental to the private rented sector, according to a new survey. Data from the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) reveal that more landlords view the Renting Homes (Wales) Act as harmful to the sector than beneficial. The news comes ahead […]