Mystic Mortar’s Landlord Horoscope Edition: Friday 29 August 2025 Welcome, star-gazers and key-holders. The skies hum with moving vans and murmurs of fresh tenancy. Take this as playful guidance, not professional advice. Entertainment only, lovely UK landlords, though the cosmos does enjoy a tidy inventory and a timely rent day. Astrological Snapshot – 29 August […]

Millions of landlords could be hit by a plan to impose National Insurance contributions on rental income to generate around £2 billion in additional revenue. Treasury sources have told The Times that the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, wants to target ‘unearned income’. The idea is being floated to tackle a £40 billion deficit in public finances, […]

Another council has launched a crackdown against landlords, warning “they will face severe consequences for unsafe housing.” Harlow council has announced its Building Harlow’s Future plan, which claims to protect tenants and support responsible landlords who maintain quality housing. However, the council say they will punish landlords who run unsafe properties. Landlords who do the […]

More than half of the UK’s buy to let landlords are planning to acquire new properties within the next year, Landbay says. Its research points to a surge in confidence among landlords, with 52% expressing intentions to boost their holdings. This marks a big rise from last year’s survey which was carried out after the […]

Labour’s proposal to replace Stamp Duty Land Tax with a new property tax on home sellers could unfairly burden London homeowners, estate agents Benham and Reeves say. It warns that the suggested tax, which would apply to properties valued at more than £500,000, would disproportionately affect the capital, where 60% of homes listed for sale […]

Student lettings experts are warning that the move away from fixed-term tenancies to periodic contracts could unravel the academic letting cycle. Agency software firm Alto says the Renters’ Rights Bill will leave students and landlords grappling with uncertainty just weeks before the new university term begins in September. It has carried out a survey of […]

Some tenancy requests are simple. Others make you reach for the red pen. This one began with a straight-faced email asking whether a “pet rock” could be added to the tenancy as a permitted animal, complete with a name, feeding schedule (“sunlight daily”), and a promise that noise would be minimal. The exchange The letting […]

Landlords looking for the best opportunities in buy to let investment should consider research revealing the UK’s most promising local authorities for rental returns. The study by Archimedia Accounts highlights where affordable properties in the country’s most overlooked towns have robust rental demand. The firm’s co-founder, Chris Demetriou, said: “With the cost-of-living crisis, we’re seeing […]

The London Renters Union is calling again for rent controls after data revealed tenants are paying nearly half of their income on rent. MyLondon reports data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing the average Londoner spends 41.6% of their income on rent. Despite tenant groups pushing for rent controls to address the affordability […]

The UK’s housing market is witnessing a period of slowing growth, with average house prices rising by 1.3% compared to last year, reaching £270,600. That’s according to Zoopla’s latest House Price Index which highlights that growth at the start of the year was 2.1%. The platform says this reflects a buyer’s market and affordability challenges […]

A London council has taken over the long-term management of 18 rented properties in response to the landlord’s repeated failure to comply with safety and licensing regulations. The council says this is one of the first actions of its kind in the country. But Property118 reported five months ago when Newcastle City Council took over […]

A Labour politician has expressed support for the Renters’ Rights Bill, despite pushback from local landlords and letting agents. Labour MP for Basingstoke Luke Murphy claims to the Basingstoke Gazette that “tenants do not have control over their homes.” However, landlords and letting agents in the area have voiced concerns over the bill, particularly over […]

Most second homeowners are now considering letting out their properties due to mounting financial pressure, claims new data. A survey by Sykes Holiday Cottages reveals  71% of second homeowners who don’t currently rent out their properties are now more likely to do so, as cost pressures and council tax surcharges mount. More than half (56%) […]

England’s housing stock has expanded by 9% over the past decade, reaching 25.4 million dwellings by 2023, outpacing the 7% population growth, the English Housing Survey reveals. An analysis of the report’s data by Nationwide’s senior economist, Andrew Harvey, found that a key driver of this transformation is the improvement in energy efficiency. That’s particularly […]

A council has issued £450,000 in penalties to landlords operating rental properties without proper licences, as part of its clampdown on the safety and quality of the city’s PRS. Birmingham City Council is now urging landlords to secure the necessary licenses or risk fines of up to £30,000 per non-compliant property. In June 2023, the […]

Scotland’s PRS is coming under intense scrutiny as data reveals a rent adjudication system which sees tenants being hit with higher rents than landlords have asked for. An investigation by The National newspaper found that tenants were left with big rent rises after they had applied for a rent adjudication. Now, the Scottish Greens are […]

A neighbour contacted me to say that the police attended my property, arrested the tenant for growing cannabis, and disconnected the electricity. I’ve tried calling the police, but they wouldn’t confirm anything and said they would only contact me if necessary. As the landlord, I’m unsure of the proper steps to take next. Can I […]

Most tenancies end without major dispute, but when a tenant breaks their contract early the question is always the same: who pays for the fallout? A recent tribunal case shows how landlords can recover reasonable costs – and where the line is drawn. The case Tenants had signed for a fixed term but gave notice […]

The Renters’ Rights Bill may have triggered a surge in rents across England, claims a comparison website. Research by Go.Compare reveals more than half (53%) of tenants have seen rents rise since the Renters’ Rights Bill was announced. The comparison website warns costs could increase ahead of the Renters’ Rights Bill entering its final stages. […]

North East Lincolnshire Council has approved a selective licensing scheme in targeted areas in one ward. Following a 10-week public consultation which revealed lots of tenant support but little from landlords, the scheme will launch within six months. The ward, East Marsh, ranks in the top 1% for deprivation. It has low life expectancy, high […]

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy prime minister and housing secretary, has sparked controversy after purchasing a three-bedroom seaside flat in Hove for £800,000. Newspapers report that the acquisition, made earlier this year, adds to her property portfolio, which already includes a constituency home in Ashton-under-Lyne, valued at £650,000, and access to a grace-and-favour apartment in Westminster’s […]