Am I reading this right? Am I hallucinating? I can’t be the only small landlord learning about the government’s plan for £7,000 on-the-spot fines and think, ‘Oh, do #### off‘. This is a rushed column, so I’m shooting from the lip, and it’s in response to the outrageous news that councils can impose immediate fines […]

News that landlords could face instant fines of £7,000 for failing to deal with poor conditions has led the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) to question the government’s enforcement plans. It says that the said tougher penalties would achieve little unless councils collect the fines, they have already issued. The proposed fines come as part […]

Hello, This is a just launched consultation on government plans to increase protection to those who have retrograde EPC work done. This is it: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/greater-protections-to-restore-families-trust-in-home-upgrades I am assuming this has come off the back of the nightmare ECO4 upgrade works that have proven disastrous in many properties. Be good to get LL’s views captured in […]

The Property Ombudsman has expelled five firms from the scheme after they failed to comply with binding decisions for awards ranging from £75 to £7,400. Devon Block Management Limited, Pro Investment Properties Ltd, RPS Estates, Samuel Francis & Co and We Sell Lets were removed after reviews by the scheme’s independent Finance, Performance & Compliance […]

Hello, I recently went through a frustrating experience with trying to obtain a Certificate of Lawful Existing Use or Development (CLEUD) on an existing HMO in a newly designated Article 4 Directions area. I would like to share my experience in case this is of assistance to other landlords. A growing number of councils across […]

An industry body has warned that self-managing landlords are increasingly turning to letting agents to manage their properties in the wake of the Renters’ Rights Act. Propertymark’s latest Housing Insight Report includes feedback from member agents across England, painting a stark picture of continued pressure in the rental market. According to the report, demand continues […]

An organisation is warning social housing landlords that Awaab’s Law should not be viewed through a lens of damp and mould. Inventory Base says new requirements coming into force later this year will expand legal duties to cover a much wider range of housing hazards. The news comes as Awaab’s Law has already taken effect […]

Should you evict or wait for a tenant to leave, then sell? Or sell first to find out if you even need vacant possession? In the past, landlords could be forgiven for assuming selling with vacant possession was the obvious answer. After all, an empty property usually appeals to a wider range of buyers and […]

I would be interested to hear from Property118 readers who have experience of selling HMOs, particularly larger portfolios. Over the years, I have built up a substantial property portfolio in the South East, including several HMOs. I have reached a stage where I would like to take a step back from the day-to-day management involved, […]

If you want to understand exactly how the Renters’ Rights Act is going to restrict private landlords of control over their own property, look no further than the story this week about a tenant named Ms A and her pet cat, Marshy. Property118 reports that the tenant wanted a cat in her one-bedroom flat; the […]

Four lenders have cut buy to let prices, with reductions reaching 30bps across standard, specialist and semi-commercial mortgages. Molo has made the largest headline reduction, while The Mortgage Lender, Landbay and Fleet Mortgages have also introduced lower rates or limited-edition products for landlords. Molo has reduced its standard UK resident BTL rates by 10bps. Its […]

An industry body is urging the Home Office to simplify Right to Rent guidance for landlords and letting agents. Propertymark is calling on the government to provide a shorter checklist for landlords, arguing that the current Right to Rent guidance is “too long”. Right to Rent rules were introduced in England under the Immigration Act […]

Hello, My lender is seeking to impose monthly fines for breaching my mortgage conditions, following the local council’s decision that three unrelated sharers now constitute an HMO, even though it’s a modest 3-bed terraced house with no bedroom locks. The previous threshold, when I took out the mortgage, was four. My lender doesn’t do HMO […]

Home buyers could save four weeks and first-time buyers an average of £650 under government plans to overhaul England’s property sales system. The reforms would introduce compulsory sales packs containing information about the condition of a property, leasehold charges and its position in a chain. Sellers and estate agents would be required to provide the […]

The housing minister claims the size of the private rented sector remains stable despite landlords leaving the private rented sector (PRS). In a written parliamentary question, Matthew Pennycook said the PRS “remains stable” and that the government will continue to monitor trends across the sector following the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act. The news […]

Landlords released £2.37 billion from their properties to fund improvements last year, a 60% from 2024’s figure of £1.48 billion. Paragon Bank’s analysis of industry data found the money was released across 14,817 remortgages during 2025, compared with 9,754 a year earlier. It said the increase coincided with landlords preparing for further requirements under the […]

Tenant complaints against letting agents jumped by almost half last year, from 2024’s figure of 2,863 to last year’s 4,220, research reveals. The figures from tenancy platform Propoly, shows that is an annual increase of 47.4%, following a 19.6% rise the previous year. It says there are an estimated 19,051 agency professionals operating across the […]

A council is preparing to own social housing again after a gap of 20 years, although its first proposed purchase amounts to just 18 homes. The council has now been registered as a local authority provider of social housing, clearing a regulatory hurdle so it can build directly owned housing stock. Preston City Council had […]

House prices in some of Britain’s best-known seaside locations have fallen by as much as 38% in a year, research reveals. Seahouses in Northumberland recorded the largest annual house price drop among the locations analysed by Yopa, with its average property value dropping by 38%. Prices in Portmeirion, Wales, declined by 20.2%, while Fowey in […]

The government has corrected its official possession guidance after wrongly suggesting that landlords could have used the sale of a property as a Section 8 ground before 1 May 2026. The error has now been quietly removed. However, it comes as landlords relying on notices served under the old possession system face a fast-approaching deadline […]

The Bank of England has held interest rates at 3.75% despite a volatile market and ongoing economic uncertainty. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 7-2 to keep interest rates unchanged. Two members voted to increase Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points, to 4%. Act to reduce inflation over time The MPC […]