Scottish landlords are being warned that fragmented guidance is increasing the risk of accidental rule breaches as regulation across the private rented sector continues to change. A study commissioned by the SafeDeposits Scotland Charitable Trust found that landlords report little or no direct communication from local authorities. And that’s despite being part of Scotland’s landlord […]

Hello, My daughter’s house was a student house where the three students had a 12 month AST. Under the RRA, the AST has now become a periodic tenancy. One of the original tenants is staying on and two new tenants will be moving in the next couple of months. Under the old law, I understand […]

An animal charity has issued guidance to landlords regarding tenants’ requests to keep pets. Under the Renters’ Rights Act,  tenants have the right to reasonably request a pet, and landlords cannot unreasonably refuse permission. Dogs Trust has spoken to the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) about what landlords need to consider when assessing requests from […]

Last year, I sold my holiday home in Florida. The property had been part of our lives for over 20 years. We had enjoyed countless holidays there, created wonderful memories and, like many people who buy overseas property, always assumed it would remain part of our long-term plans. So what changed? The reality was that […]

Mortgage searches fell again in May, with 1,590,911 being carried out, down 7% on April’s figure and 15% below May 2025. The data from Twenty7tec reveals that buy to let followed the same direction, with total BTL searches falling 9% to 249,403. BTL purchase searches were 22% lower than the same month last year. Residential […]

Hello, Given the way landlords are often portrayed by government, the media and some campaign groups, is it time for us to think seriously about how we describe ourselves? The word “landlord” now seems to carry a negative image for many people, even though most of us are simply providing homes, taking financial risk, maintaining […]

Hello, The new ban on open bidding for rental properties, and the shortage of available properties, seems to have brought back the old practise of agents or landlords being paid ‘key money’ (cash bribes). This used to be a common practise back in the 60s and 70s. If there are many people all offering asking […]

Hi everyone, I’m looking to install a heat pump for one of my lets, and if I have this right, I cannot claim the costs as day-to-day running costs? Even though the gas boiler is all but dead, I have been told it would not pass another gas inspection due this summer. Also, have I […]

The Mortgage Works and Accord are among the buy to let lenders cutting their mortgage rates, following five lenders who did so late last week. The latest reductions cover individual landlords, limited company borrowers, let-to-buy, houses in multiple occupation and holiday let cases. HSBC and Darlington Building Society are also reducing or highlighting new landlord […]

Tenants are being urged to “resist rent rises” by using an online tool to check whether they should challenge their landlord at a rent tribunal. A group of tenants’ unions, including the London Renters Union, has launched an online tool allowing renters to assess and challenge proposed rent increases. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, landlords […]

Landlords saw rents rise again in May after April’s fall, but annual rent growth remains at its lowest level for 10 months. The Goodlord Rental Index shows average rents in England reached £1,211 in May, up 0.5% from £1,205 in April. However, rents were still only 1.7% higher than in May 2025, when the average […]

Almost six in 10 landlords are still seeing strong demand for homes to rent, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is warning. And while there’s not a queue outside every landlord’s front door, it says that the figures should give ministers pause before adding fresh costs to the sector. The survey shows that investors in […]

The Scottish Parliament is back in session following the recent election and, while much of what is and will be happening in Holyrood will be of keen interest to Scotland’s private rented sector (PRS), the appointment of a new Cabinet Secretary for Housing is undoubtedly the most significant development for our industry. On behalf of […]

More landlords may already be closer to meeting EPC C targets by 2030 than they think, according to a new report. Data by property management firm Rushbrook & Rathbone reveals smaller private rented properties and flats are more likely to meet the EPC C deadline, while landlords with larger properties may struggle to meet the […]

One month after the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, the landlord exodus has not materialised in quite the way many expected. However, with stronger enforcement powers for councils, increasing compliance obligations, future energy efficiency requirements and continuing uncertainty about what further regulation may be introduced, many landlords are reviewing their portfolios and planning ahead […]

The government claims the cost and compliance requirements of EPC C targets are “fair and proportionate” for landlords. In response to a written parliamentary question, Energy Minister Martin McCluskey said a range of exemptions would be available. The government has proposed that all privately rented properties must meet a minimum EPC rating of C by […]

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but in England’s private rented sector (PRS), it’s currently being paved with the ruins of retirement funds and dreams. I read this week in the Telegraph of the heartbreaking case of a couple who invested in rental property to bolster a meagre pension, only […]

The UK’s house prices slipped by 0.1% in May, with London and the South East leading the way in the second monthly fall in a row, Halifax reveals. The average home now costs £298,806, down from £299,251 in April, while annual growth edged up from 0.4% to 0.5%. The lender’s head of mortgages, Amanda Bryden, […]

Within weeks of the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force, RentGuarantor has revealed that demand for its services rocketed as landlords looked at how to protect their rent income. The firm reported a 115% rise in demand in May, with revenue for the month reaching about £700,000. Property experts have warned that the RRA could […]

Five buy to let lenders have cut rates as competition for landlord mortgage business steps up across the market. Fleet Mortgages, Paragon Bank, Landbay, LendInvest and ModaMortgages have all reduced pricing, with new deals covering standard BTL homes, limited company borrowers, HMOs, multi-unit blocks and greener properties. Fleet has reintroduced two- and five-year fixed-rate products […]

A council has warned landlords that the cost of enforcing the Renters’ Rights Act will be funded through prosecutions and fines imposed on criminal landlords, Somerset Live reports. Bath and North East Somerset Council admitted during a council meeting that, as the Renters’ Rights Act only came into force last month, limited transition funding is […]