Page 79 – Property118
Wooden figure crossing houses on wooden blocks symbolising government support for landlords.

Industry body urges government to offer incentives to landlords amid soaring demand

7th August 2025

An industry body is calling for incentives to support landlords as demand continues to outstrip supply. Propertymark’s housing insight report reveals available rental stock contracted further, averaging 9.75 properties per member branch, exacerbating supply shortages. Propertymark is now urging the government to support landlords and acknowledge the role they play in the housing market. Many […]

Rats on dirty kitchen dishes highlighting poor housing hygiene in Brent Council home

Family sues London council over rat-infested home

7th August 2025

While one London council launches ‘surprise’ visits on private landlords to catch them breaking laws, it’s not the same situation for them as one of its own tenant families is suing over a serious rat infestation. The mother alleges that her family’s council home is unfit for human habitation due to severe rat infestations, pervasive […]

Hands holding miniature houses symbolising buy-to-let brokers and landlord property investment.

Landlords boost limited company confidence when using BTL brokers

7th August 2025

There’s a growing reliance of landlords on buy to let mortgage brokers when navigating the complexities of limited company BTL arrangements, a survey reveals. The findings from Coventry for Intermediaries show that 55% of landlords engaging a broker for their limited company BTL feel ‘very confident’ in the process. That’s in stark contrast to the […]

Property118 and Property Investors Awards celebrate 2024 winners with gold trophies on display.

Property Investors Awards – Property Development of the Year

7th August 2025

From dealing with a global pandemic to overcoming unexpected challenges along the way, George Ball’s property journey is one of perseverance and determination. Through his hard work, he has now won Property Development of the Year at the Property Investors Awards. How George’s property career started George first entered the property market when he bought […]

Businessperson walking toward a bright exit symbolizing landlords leaving the rental market

Small landlords exit the PRS amid Renters’ Rights Bill fears

7th August 2025

Growing numbers of Britain’s small-scale landlords are exiting the private rented sector, driven by concerns over the government’s Renters’ Rights Bill, a survey reveals. According to data from Alto, a property management software provider, 34% of letting agents say they have seen a notable increase in independent landlords offloading their properties. The survey, which gathered […]

Paul Shamplina promoting a 2025 landlord webinar on navigating major property law changes

If You’re Still Letting Like It’s 2015, You’re on Borrowed Time

7th August 2025

After 30 years in this sector, I’ve never seen a time like this. The landscape for landlords is shifting fast and if you’re still managing your rentals like it’s a decade ago, you’re setting yourself up for a fall. The Renters’ Rights Bill is the biggest shake-up we’ve seen since the Housing Act 1988. It’s […]

Model house with rent symbol highlighting UK rental market trends

Landlord group challenges simplistic view of rent pricing

7th August 2025

A landlord group says a new report on the PRS shows “a 2D version of rent pricing” rather than the reality. Rodney Townson, from landlord organisation iHowz, tells Property118 that SpareRoom’s report on the UK rental market makes interesting observations but fails to capture the full picture, and instead focuses on a “too narrow view […]

Technician inspecting drain with CCTV camera to identify pipe damage during home-buyer survey

Home-buyer CCTV Surveys?

7th August 2025

Following the advice of their Home-buyer surveyor, my purchasers had a Home-buyer CCTV Pipe Survey done on the house I’m selling. The report has come back with the following recommendations: Lateral 3 / Inspection 1: This lateral, which leads downstream to the main line, has a displaced joint at the material change from PVC to […]

Landlord expressing concern over eviction notice and selective licensing rules.

Landlord claims selective licensing will force evictions of long-term tenants

6th August 2025

A Nottingham landlord says “the council’s hands are tied by homeless-inducing rules” because selective licensing fails to protect tenants. Mick Roberts, one of Nottingham’s largest landlords for housing benefit tenants over the past 28 years, is trying to sell 11 of his properties. However, Nottingham City Council is now demanding full selective licensing fees, despite […]

Digital tax on a laptop and a businessman

Making Tax Digital will be mandatory for some landlords from April 2026

6th August 2025

Landlords earning more than £50,000 will have to adopt Making Tax Digital (MTD) for paying their income tax from April 2026. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) says it wants to modernise financial reporting by mandating digital record-keeping and quarterly submissions through compatible software. To help landlords, it has published an updated list of complaint software […]

London busy with a bus

London climbs to top spot in Collier’s residential investment rankings

6th August 2025

London has been crowned as the premier destination for residential property investment in the UK, real estate firm Colliers says. It’s the first time that London has been at the top since 2021, when the firm’s Top UK Residential Investment Cities Report was published. Manchester secures second place, lauded as ‘the regional city of choice […]

House keys and small model home on sunny beach representing summer property sales

There’s no such thing as a summer property slowdown – claim

6th August 2025

Contrary to popular belief that the property market stalls during the summer season, an analysis indicates that the warmer months are among the best for home buying and selling. The study from the estate agency Yopa examined four years of historical market data, focusing on monthly averages for mortgage approvals and completed property transactions across […]

3D houses spelling “RENT” on a rising property market graph showing rent growth trends.

England’s new rents hit a record £1,496 in July

6th August 2025

England’s rents hit a new high in July with the average monthly rent for new tenancies climbing to £1,496, surpassing the previous record of £1,470 set in July 2024. The data from the Goodlord Rental Index, reflects a staggering 18.3% month-on-month surge from June, driven by seasonal demand. The summer months typically see heightened activity […]

Couple looking at a modern house while reconsidering homeownership due to high costs

Fewer renters aim for homeownership amid rising costs

6th August 2025

A growing number of renters are turning away from the dream of homeownership, with 28% expressing no interest in buying a property, the highest level this year, according to Barclays Property Insights. It says that financial pressures are taking their toll, as only 17% of renters saved for a house deposit in July, down from […]

Illustration of house downsizing concept with green arrow and question mark.

Downsizing BTL portfolio and falling foul of non-qualifying lease conditions?

6th August 2025

I am in the process of downsizing my BTL portfolio (2 long leasehold flats and 1 freehold house), which I own alongside my other half (tenants-in-common 99% in their favour). We also have a house (principal private residence). Somewhat belatedly, I have discovered that I fall foul of the clause that prevents me from classifying […]

Contract papers with a question mark sticky note symbolizing tenancy agreement uncertainty.

New tenancy agreement or addendum to old one in Scotland?

6th August 2025

I am looking for advice, please. Bear with me – it’s a bit of a saga. I have one property I rent out – a two-bedroom flat in Scotland. In March 2025, the previous tenants, Man A and Woman A, moved out, and their friends Man B and Woman B moved in. A new tenancy […]

Person sitting on street beside bags, illustrating homelessness in the UK.

Landlords not to blame for rising homelessness – OFFICIAL!

5th August 2025

New data challenges the media narrative that landlords evict tenants on a whim with the number of Section 21 evictions decreasing from this time last year. According to government figures from Statutory Homelessness in England, the number of households at risk of becoming homeless is not just down to Section 21 evictions, but also a […]

Model house beside rising financial graph symbolising UK housing market recovery.

Housing market defies economic gloom with steady recovery

5th August 2025

The UK’s housing market is shrugging off the wider economy’s lacklustre performance this year to show its resilience, one expert claims. While GDP, retail sales and employment figures have faltered, the property sector has found firmer footing after a shaky second quarter triggered by a stamp duty deadline in April. Tom Bill, the head of […]

Corrupt landlord imagery symbolising exploitation in the rental housing sector

HMO sector will see a rise in criminal landlords exploiting tenants

5th August 2025

The scale of unlicensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) across London, revealed in a BBC investigation, could get worse when the Renters’ Rights Bill becomes law. That’s the view of Sean Hooker, the head of redress at Property Redress, who was responding to the TV programme. Viewers saw tenants facing hazardous and overcrowded living spaces […]

Cracked ground beneath a house symbolising instability in the UK housing market

Chancellor’s lending reforms could spark house price crash

5th August 2025

A leading property expert has raised concerns about Chancellor Rachel Reeve’s new lending policies, warning that they could destabilise the UK’s housing market if they aren’t carefully managed. David Alexander, the chief executive of DJ Alexander Ltd, Scotland’s largest lettings and estate agency, welcomed the support for first-time buyers and other borrowers under the ‘Leeds’ […]