Zoopla says improved affordability and borrowing power among first-time buyers has led them to spend more on their first homes this year. According to the platform, the average cost of a first-time house has increased by 2.4% in the last 12 months to £229,000. This growth is faster than the 1.3% average increase in the […]

An insurance company is urging landlords and letting agents to help tenants locate their utility shut-off points, after research reveals 22 million adults in the UK don’t know how to switch off their utilities in an emergency. Direct Home Line Insurance reveal only two-thirds of tenants (68%) are confident that they could locate their electricity […]

Speculation around the Autumn Budget has left the housing market on edge, with growth smaller than usual. According to Rightmove’s House Price Index, average new seller asking prices rose by 0.3% (£1,165) this month, reaching £371,422. However, this month’s 0.3% increase falls well short of the ten-year average October price rise of 1.1%, as the […]

Let me be direct: rent-to-rent will come to an end in 2026. Whether people like hearing that or not, it does not change the reality. The numbers no longer stack, the risk has overtaken the reward, and the regulation coming into force will crush already thin profit margins. There was a time when R2R was […]

One of the most frustrating scenarios a landlord can face is discovering that a letting agent has been collecting rent from tenants but not forwarding the payments on. Unfortunately, this situation has been reported more often than you might expect, leaving landlords out of pocket and tenants caught in the middle. In one reported case, […]

It’s been a tense few weeks as landlords were hit with mounting financial and regulatory pressures. As the countdown continues to the Renters’ Rights Bill, another blow seemed to hit when the Green Party passed a motion at its conference calling for “the effective abolition of private landlordism.” Whilst initially widely mocked, it wasn’t long […]

Well, that’s that then. No glorious resistance in the House of Lords, as the Renters’ Rights Bill limps back to the Commons and then Royal Assent. No real defence of the PRS to help politicians understand what they’ve got wrong. And they’ve got a lot wrong, as time will tell. The game of ‘ping pong’ […]

A leaked memo reveals the Labour government plans to cut affordable housing targets in London. The i newspaper reveals the Housing Secretary Steve Reed and London Mayor Sadiq Khan have held talks over an emergency reduction of cutting affordable housing targets to 20% of which developers will have to pay for 10%, while the other […]

Hi, one of my tenants left two years ago, but the tenancy is still in two names. For about the last six months, the remaining tenant has not paid on time, stalling, saying it’s now resolved, but continuing to not pay. It’s clear he’s making commitments he can’t deliver on. The last payment was a […]

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C targets are now the leading reason landlords plan to sell, claims firm. A report by Pegasus Insight reveals 38% of landlords intend to sell at least one property in the next 12 months, with energy efficiency requirements cited more often than any other factor influencing their decision. The government have […]

I have worked in landlord and tenant law for more than 30 years. I have seen thousands of landlords lose control of their properties because they acted too late, used the wrong process or simply did not understand how fast legislation can change. The Renters’ Rights Bill is the biggest shake-up of the private rented […]

Three leading lenders have unveiled new and improved buy to let products this week, aiming to ease affordability pressures for landlords and give brokers more tools. Landbay has expanded its Premier range with two new like-for-like remortgage products, designed to help landlords manage costs while maintaining flexibility. Its two-year fixed-rate remortgage is priced at 4.49% […]

The share of first-time buyers purchasing homes in England and Wales has dropped sharply this year, as rising living costs and tighter affordability continue to weigh on the housing market. According to home move comparison site reallymoving, first-time buyers made up 63.3% of all home movers in January, falling to 56.7% by August. That’s a […]

Mystic Mortar’s Landlord Horoscope Edition: Friday 17 October 2025 Welcome, star-gazers and key-holders, to another week where cosmic currents ripple through contracts, tenants, and property dreams. The skies invite you to blend charm with caution, weaving balance into every landlord choice you make. This week the Sun journeys through Libra, spotlighting negotiations and partnerships. Venus […]

It sounds like the plot of a scam, but in this case, it was simply a jaw-dropping example of incompetence. A letting agent in the UK was found advertising a property for rent that didn’t actually exist. The details were complete with glossy photos, rent figures, and even viewing slots – all for a flat […]

A survey claims renters have been forced to give up pets after their landlord refused permission, as pet charities welcome the final stages of the Renters’ Rights Bill. The survey by pet charity Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and Mars claim with the Renters’ Rights Bill nearing Royal Assent, nearly half of renters will now […]

Bristol City Council (BCC) are now doubling the cost of council tax (CT) charged to landlords for the amount due between tenancy end and new tenancy commencement. The bill I received yesterday showed the rateable amount plus a second line with the heading: 100% charge for second home. I rang immediately to query this. I […]

Speculation about new tax grabs on the private rented sector (PRS) could inflict long-term harm on the economy, a leading economist has warned. Paul Johnson, the former head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said talk of further taxes on landlords was ‘economically damaging’ and reflected ‘a lack of understanding about investors’. His comments came […]

West London’s Hounslow Council has intensified its enforcement action against landlords, fining them £180,000 in the past six months. ‘Rogue’ landlords who violate their ‘duty of care’ to tenants are the focus of it actions, it claims. Unlicensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) were the target of the council’s most recent enforcement effort. The council […]

Buy to let brokers and landlords can access new products, BTL rate reductions and streamlined processes from Dudley Building Society, United Trust Bank and YBS Commercial Mortgages. Dudley Building Society has launched a fresh range of five-year fixed-rate expat BTL products, cutting rates by up to 81 basis points across its expat portfolio. The new […]

An industry body warns that with winter approaching, landlords should increase inspections after one landlord discovered severe black mould caused by tenants failing to ventilate a property. Propertymark has created a list for landlords and letting agents about different types of mould to look out for in a property and tips on what to do. […]