Page 7 – Property118
Later life landlord reviewing interest-only mortgage options with property portfolio and clock symbolising time

What if you never had to repay your interest-only mortgages?

20th March 2026

For many landlords, the inevitability of eventually having to repay mortgages was never regarded as the best outcome, just the default one. At one point, you probably did have a plan; most likely something along the lines of sell a few properties at retirement, clear some debt, and simplify things over time. That’s perfectly sensible, […]

Renters’ Rights Act information sheet highlighting a £7,000 fine for landlords missing the 31 May 2026 deadline

Government publishes Renters’ Rights Act information sheet with £7,000 fine warning

20th March 2026

The government has published an information sheet on the Renters’ Rights Act, warning landlords that they could face a £7,000 fine if they fail to provide it to tenants by 31 May 2026. The document outlines key changes introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act, including the abolition of fixed-term tenancies and rules on rent increases. […]

Stacked cash with pound symbol rising against UK flag, illustrating rising council spending on temporary accommodation

How much are councils spending on temporary accommodation? The numbers are staggering!

20th March 2026

Temporary accommodation is often described as a short-term solution. In practice, it has become one of the fastest-growing costs in the entire housing system. Across England alone, councils are now spending around £2.8 billion a year on temporary accommodation. Just a few years earlier, the total was far lower. In simple terms, spending has more than […]

Digital houses connected around a central home icon symbolising monitoring of rental properties and illegal subletting.

Government claims PRS Database will crack down on subletting

20th March 2026

The Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database will help tackle illegal subletting, claims the government. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, all landlords must register in the database, which will include information about their properties that tenants can access. As previously reported by Property118, one in five landlords discovered their property was being sublet on platforms such […]

Person reviewing Renters’ Rights Act document with keys and housing awareness materials on desk

Mayor of London urged to boost awareness of Renters’ Rights Act

20th March 2026

The London Assembly Housing Committee has warned that low awareness of the Renters’ Rights Act among London renters could undermine reforms. The committee reports that more than 65% of renters in the capital have either not heard of the Act or do not understand what it means for them. The committee is calling on London […]

Long queue of renters applying for limited housing as supply shortages intensify in the rental market

Landlords exit as demand soars and supply tightens

20th March 2026

Demand continues to outstrip supply as landlords leave the market due to the Renters’ Rights Act, claims a new report. Propertymark’s Housing Insight report reveals the number of registrations per member branch has jumped to 87, with the average number of applicants per member branch sitting at seven people per property. The news comes as […]

Wooden “New Rules” sign outside Welsh coastal cottage symbolising new short-term let regulations

Wales holiday lets register and licensing law passed

20th March 2026

Landlords with short-term lets in Wales face added compliance costs and tighter advertising rules after new legislation introducing a national register and licensing system cleared the Senedd. The Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Bill means that all providers of visitor accommodation, including self-catering properties, will be required to register and obtain […]

To Let sign outside London terraced houses highlighting rental shortage in the capital

London’s rented home supply falls to 2.9% of stock

20th March 2026

Tenants across London are dealing with a tightening supply, with only a small share of homes available to let as the Renters’ Rights Act approaches. Research from Benham and Reeves puts the number at 34,776 homes currently listed from an estimated private rented stock of 1,188,368. That leaves just 2.9% of properties on the market […]

Trustpilot poor rating beside financial reports and calculator highlighting charity income and spending analysis

Shelter’s Trustpilot rating is low. Their own accounts raise harder questions

20th March 2026

Public trust rarely rests on one source. This week, attention has turned to Shelter’s Trustpilot profile, where the charity is currently rated “Poor”. On its own, that number proves very little because review platforms often attract unhappy users first, and volumes can be limited. However, it would be a mistake to dismiss it out of […]

Gauge on a house shows rent control claimed to work, illustrating the debate over UK rent caps.

Rent controls do work claims Green Party

19th March 2026

The Green Party claims that “rent controls can work,” despite evidence suggesting otherwise. Speaking at the New Economics Foundation, Green Party leader Zach Polanski claimed rent caps would help tenants facing rising rents. He also called for the abolition of the right-to-buy scheme. Rent controls can work In the speech, Mr Polanski said: “Spiralling rents […]

Landlord using digital interface with holographic house model to manage property data for a rental database.

PRS Database to ease administrative burden claims government

19th March 2026

The government claim they want to minimise the administrative requirements on landlords with the upcoming Private Rented Sector Database. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, all landlords will need to sign up for the database, which will include information about their properties that tenants can access. The government has not given a definitive timeline for when […]

Letting agent stamping tenancy documents during a landlord compliance review ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act

Letting agents urged to help landlords and audit portfolios

19th March 2026

Letting agents are being urged to act early to avoid operational and financial disruption by helping landlords facing compliance demands under the Renters’ Rights Act. Agent Rainmaker’s Sally Lawson says the scale of change rivals the Tenant Fee Ban introduced more than a decade ago. She said: “The Renters’ Rights Act is coming, and it’s […]

Student sitting in a private rental room, reflecting concerns about safety in off-campus housing

Private student homes leave tenants feeling ‘less safe’

19th March 2026

Students say they feel less safe in their private landlord homes than they do in purpose-built student accommodation, a survey has found. Purpose-built housing provider Here! Students surveyed 600 students to learn how safe tenants feel depending on where they live. Three in four residents in PBSA said they feel safe, but that figure drops […]

Failed fire extinguisher inspection highlighting non-compliance in building fire safety

Fire safety audit show 45% of flats failing checks

19th March 2026

Landlords and block managers are facing widespread non-compliance across purpose-built flats, with audit data showing how frequently fire safety standards are being missed. Figures released from Fire and Rescue Service inspections and analysed by Drax Technology show that 45% of audited buildings failed to meet required standards. That equates to 1,923 out of 4,257 blocks […]

Landlord researching the Renters’ Rights Act on a laptop while reviewing property documents

Landlord online searches spike ahead of Renters’ Rights Act reforms

19th March 2026

Landlord online search activity tied to the Renters’ Rights Act has climbed in recent months as May’s implementation date draws closer. An analysis from Dwelly, based on Google search trends, shows a clear increase in queries over the past three months when compared with the previous quarter. The lettings agency acquisition platform says searches for […]

Eviction notice paperwork with a house model and warning symbol highlighting Section 21 deadline

Renters’ Rights Act preventing extension of tenancy?

19th March 2026

Hello, I have two properties where I have served S21 notices ahead of 1/5/26 when the Renters’ Rights Act comes into effect. Both tenants have requested an extension of tenancy. One is OK, because he wants to extend to end of June and I have until end of July in which to apply to the […]

Model house held in hands with tenants inside, illustrating Universal Credit challenges for private landlords

Difficult to support tenants who rely on Universal Credit?

19th March 2026

As a private landlord managing our own portfolio, we are finding it increasingly difficult to support tenants who rely on Universal Credit. The core issue is that private landlords do not have access to a landlord portal, which is available only to social landlords. As a result, we are unable to upload rent arrears statements, […]