Once you own four or more mortgaged buy-to-let properties, lenders place you in the portfolio landlord category. The application process becomes more rigorous, because the lender needs to see that the portfolio as a whole, not just the subject property, is strong enough to carry current and future borrowing. Understanding the criteria and preparing well […]

Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) are a quick way to price your portfolio without booking a full inspection. Used correctly, they are good enough for decision-making, broker conversations and annual reviews. This guide shows how to build a tidy AVM pack, when to trust it, when to upgrade to a RICS valuation, and how to use […]

This piece is part of our International Bizarre Landlord Stories series. Today’s story was first reported in the United States. A group of tenants in Massachusetts decided that their flat was missing one thing – a pool. Instead of visiting the local leisure centre, they sealed the living room floor with plastic sheeting, brought in […]

Chancellor Rachel Reeves may spread stamp duty payments across several years rather than in one lump sum, according to media reports. A story by CityAM, claims the idea of staggered stamp duty payments frequently pops up at The Treasury. While many approve of the idea of reforming stamp duty, critics argue spreading payments could push […]

Hi, I bought a converted 3-storey property a few years ago. It was converted into three flats in 1988. A building regs full plan was submitted correctly. I don’t have a copy of the Building Regs submission but a later Lawful Development Certificate refers to it, and the council’s legal department saw it. The HMO […]

Student landlords fear the consequences of the Renters’ Rights Bill and plan to leave, according to new data. Using landlord testimony and survey data, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) reveals ongoing uncertainty for student landlords will drive up rents and reduce supply. The NRLA points to data from Scotland, where fixed-term tenancies were abolished […]

Industry bodies and politicians warn a Scottish Housing Bill amendment preventing evictions in the first 12 months of a tenancy would only benefit rogue tenants and risk driving landlords out of the sector. The Scottish Greens have tabled the amendment, which would require landlords to wait a year before evicting tenants to sell the property […]

Shelter has accused private providers of “cashing in” on the temporary accommodation crisis, as councils spend billions of pounds to house the homeless. According to government figures, local councils spent a total of £2.8 billion on temporary accommodation for 2024/25 to accommodate households who are homeless, a 25% increase in one year. The housing charity […]

Ask any successful landlord how they built their portfolio, and the story rarely starts with huge cash reserves. More often, it begins with something modest, perhaps £100,000. The real accelerator is a simple formula: Leverage + Recycling = Compounding Wealth. Property enables modest deposits to control larger assets. The true engine of scale is equity […]

The Renters’ Rights Bill will return to Parliament on the 14th of October in the final stage before it becomes law. The bill will once again enter the Lords in the ‘ping pong stage’, where it will go back and forth between the Lords and Commons to resolve any remaining disagreements on amendments. This means […]

A survey has found that 39% of landlords are preparing to quit the private rented sector as the Renters’ Rights Bill reshaping of tenant protections raises concerns about the future of letting. The findings from Simply Business show that the landlords are considering selling within the next year. Along with the Renters’ Rights Bill, landlords […]

Recently, a Google search for “Who is Mystic Mortar?” returned an answer from Gemini AI that cited Property118. That means our playful weekly horoscope has already escaped the landlord world and made it into the wider digital conversation. So who — or what — is Mystic Mortar? Let’s set the record straight. Cloud-based, with eyes […]

The way homes and commercial premises are being sold across the UK is changing rapidly, with online auctions now eclipsing traditional in-room events, one firm says. Figures from Essential Information Group reveal that 33,448 sales were conducted digitally last year, compared with just 3,976 taking place in person. In the first half of this year […]

A fifth of renters believe homeownership is achievable within five years, the highest level since February last year, according to new data. The Barclays Property Insight report reveals growing confidence within the housing market, particularly among Gen Z buyers aged between 18 and 27 years old, as they step onto the housing ladder. The data […]

Poor waste habits among tenants are driving a surge in rat infestations, claims waste disposal experts. Businesswaste.co.uk and pest control firm The Pied Piper warn landlords that poor waste habits among tenants are one of the biggest factors attracting rodents into rental properties. The waste disposal experts have created a list of steps landlords can […]

🔮 Cosmic Commentary: Sadiq Khan’s Rent-Control Dream The planets giggled this week at the Mayor’s bold decree. Sadiq Khan, under Neptune’s haze, reached for new devolution powers and whispered: “Let there be rent controls!” Yet Saturn raised a sceptical brow. “Caps without cash? That’s fantasy,” it sighed. Jupiter chuckled, “Your idealism shines bright, but markets […]

This piece is part of our International Bizarre Landlord Stories series. Today’s story was first reported in New Zealand. When neighbours complained about unusual noises and a strong smell of hay coming from a suburban home, the landlord investigated. To their astonishment, they found a full-sized horse being kept inside the property. The tenant had […]

The Bank of England has decided to keep interest rates at 4% amid persistently high inflation. Despite a rate cut last month, inflation remains at 3.8%, well above the government’s 2% target. The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 7-2 to maintain the rate at 4%, with two members supporting a reduction of […]

A campaign to apply the Hillsborough Law to victims of the cladding scandal calls for justice to be served. Claddingscandal.co.uk has launched a campaign asking people to write to their MPs, demanding that the Hillsborough Law be applied to the cladding scandal and the Grenfell community following the Grenfell Tower fire. The Hillsborough law will […]

The pace of rent rises across the UK slowed down in August with average monthly rents growing by 5.7% to £1,348 in the 12 months to August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals. Its latest Index of Private Rents shows that’s a slight slowdown from the 5.9% annual growth recorded in July. In England, […]

This piece is part of our International Bizarre Landlord Stories series. Today’s story was first reported in Ireland. When a landlord in Dublin entered a property after repeated rent arrears, they were stunned to find rows of trays filled with compost and white fungi growing across the sitting room floor. The tenant had converted the […]