Page 8 – Property118
Falling interest rates highlight new buy-to-let mortgage deals for landlords

Buy to let mortgage rates shift across lenders

20th April 2026

Landlords looking for buy  to let mortgage deals are being offered lower rates, fresh fee structures and faster turnaround options across a wave of lender updates. Paragon Bank has launched a limited edition 60% LTV range spanning single lets, HMOs and multi-unit blocks, while several other lenders have cut pricing or introduced new deals. The […]

Model house with cash, coins and an interest-only tag illustrating rising buy-to-let borrowing costs

Borrowing landlords turn to interest-only BTL loans and cash injections

20th April 2026

Higher borrowing costs are forcing landlords to rethink how they finance portfolios, with interest-only loans and cash injections becoming more common, research reveals. The analysis from Hamptons, using Connells Group data, shows the average buy to let rate secured by a landlord has reached 4.84% in April. That’s up from 4.20% in January, with two-year […]

Rising UK house prices illustrated by increasing pound symbols and homes on stacked coins

House prices go up as buyer demand dips

20th April 2026

House prices rose by 0.8% in April to £373,971, adding £2,929 but falling short of the usual 1.2% increase normally seen for the month, Rightmove says. The platform says the slower rise reflects higher mortgage rates and increased competition among sellers, with the number of homes on the market at an eleven-year high. However, house […]

Man filing digital tax return on laptop showing Making Tax Digital updates for income over £50,000

Lettings expert offers Making Tax Digital advice for landlords

20th April 2026

Landlords and sole traders earning more than £50,000 a year must report every quarter to HMRC under Making Tax Digital rules. The changes replace a single annual submission with four updates to HMRC, covering income and expenditure across the year. These updates are not tax returns, but progress summaries filed through compatible software, one lettings […]

Landlords watching an online renters rights webinar on a screen during a meeting

Generation Rent Zoom presentations?

20th April 2026

In preparation for the Renters’ Rights Act, Generation Rent has planned a number of online presentations to discuss the benefits to renters. I was just thinking it might be interesting for landlords to watch these Zoom presentations, because it may offer somewhat telling ‘guidance’ or ‘advice’ they are giving to tenants to take advantage of […]

Landlords delaying decisions as uncertainty shapes next moves

17th April 2026

A defining characteristic of the current landlord landscape is not just what decisions are being made, but how many are being delayed. According to the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey Q1 2026, a significant proportion of landlords are choosing to hold their positions rather than commit to expansion or immediate disposal. Based on 2,380 completed responses, […]

Knight-themed Landlord Crusader logo symbolizing landlord advocacy

Landlords are the whipping boys and girls as politicians line up to hurt us

17th April 2026

And so it came to pass that landlords became the preferred enemy of choice when politicians are electioneering and chasing votes, especially from tenants. It’s not enough that on 1 May, the Renters’ Rights Act kicks in, abolishing no-fault evictions and turning every tenancy periodic. Many of us have also just been stuffed by Making […]

Tenant and letting agents facing each other across a gap labeled trust, symbolising confidence issues

Tenant trust gap persists despite strong agent ratings

17th April 2026

More than half of tenants rate their letting agent positively, though a sizeable minority questions whether agents act in their interests, research reveals. According to research from Propoly, 24% of renters describe their agent as ‘good’, with a further 28% rating them as ‘excellent’, pointing to broadly favourable views of day-to-day service. The tenancy platform […]

Landlord juggling multiple buy-to-let loan boxes, symbolising complex mortgage portfolio management

Landlords juggle multiple buy to let loans

17th April 2026

Landlords with buy to let borrowing are now managing multiple mortgages across different lenders, with portfolios increasingly shaped by layered finance arrangements. Pegasus Insight’s latest data shows that landlords with BTL loans hold an average of 6.5 mortgages, and these are typically spread across 2.1 lenders. Total borrowing sits at £714,000, pointing to the scale […]

Rising UK mortgage rates illustrated above houses with for sale signs and price chart

Mortgage rate rises dampen home sales

17th April 2026

Higher borrowing costs are reshaping who moves home and when, as households adjust to a sharp jump in mortgage pricing, one report reveals. Connells Group data shows the speed of rate rises, rather than the level, unsettled activity through March. In March, 83% of movers agreed a mortgage above 4%, up from 58% a month […]

Illustration of landlords carrying houses toward an exit, symbolising rental homes leaving the private rented sector

220,000 homes set to leave the PRS this year

17th April 2026

An estimated 220,000 households are set to leave the private rented sector (PRS) in England by the end of 2026, equal to around 5% of available stock, according to Pepper Money. More than 65,000 of those exits are tied to the Renters’ Rights Act, due to take effect on 1 May. The reasons for doing […]

Family carrying boxes to move into a house beside a property under renovation

Do landlords need to provide alternative accommodation under Ground 6?

17th April 2026

Just read through the Guidance – Grounds for possession: guidance for landlords and letting agents, which was updated on 10 April 2026 with Ground 6 – redevelopment. The ground says:  You will be able to use this ground if you will need to redevelop or demolish the property, and your tenant cannot live there whilst it is being demolished or redeveloped.  Usually, you can’t evict someone on this basis in the […]

UK rent trends visualised with map and widening gap symbolising regional disparities in rental prices

Rent price gaps widen across the UK

17th April 2026

Landlords are facing widening gaps in rent performance and tenant affordability, with sharp monthly swings emerging between regions, research reveals. ARLA Propertymark’s latest data shows Scotland is leading for gains, while several English areas and London have moved backwards. Average agreed rents in Scotland reached £1,123 in March, up 4.95% on February. Northern Ireland followed […]

Tenant affordability check screen showing benefits like PIP being assessed for rental referencing

Should you include all benefits in affordability referencing?

17th April 2026

If HB/UC rent element is awarded to a tenant on the basis of what specific housing subsidy they are to receive, then should this really be the only benefit used for rental affordability purposes? I understand that some referencing agencies consider any and all benefits claimed in their assessment, and others do not. PIP, for […]

Portfolio landlords driving market direction, not small-scale investors

16th April 2026

A key takeaway from the latest data is not just what landlords are doing, but who is shaping those decisions. According to the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey Q1 2026, the private rented sector is increasingly driven by experienced portfolio landlords rather than small-scale or occasional investors. Based on 2,380 completed responses covering 23,098 rental properties, […]

Pink piggy bank labeled deposit with cash and a registration fee sign, illustrating tenant deposit costs

Unauthorised letting agent charge?

16th April 2026

Hello, I have always used letting agents to find my tenants and insisting the deposits are held with DPS which I have always organised myself. Last year, the agent insisted it was their duty to take and register the deposit themselves with TDS. I did not dispute this but now they are demanding an annual […]

Landlord facing overwhelming paperwork symbolising rising admin burdens in the rental sector

Admin burden and RRA concerns hit landlords and agents – Goodlord

16th April 2026

Landlords facing new legal duties are rethinking how they run portfolios as admin demands and cost pressures begin to bite, a new report reveals. Goodlord’s latest research, ‘Is renting broken?‘, drawing on 2,650 responses from agents, tenants and landlords, sets out the scale of strain building across the PRS. For agents, 76% say admin is […]

Scales balancing stacked coins against a house with a for rent sign, symbolising rental market pricing balance

Rent price slowdown as Renters’ Rights Act looms

16th April 2026

Rents are holding steady ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act, according to a new survey. Data from Rightmove shows that, despite a slowdown in rental price growth, the number of newly listed rental properties coming onto the market in March was actually 6% lower than at the same point last year. The Renters’ Rights Act […]

Cramped London bedsit with To Let sign, illustrating rising room rents across the capital

Number of affordable London rents continues to shrink

16th April 2026

Only five London postcodes still have average room rents below £800 per month, as renters continue to be priced out of the capital, a new survey warns. According to SpareRoom, rents remain unaffordable for many despite slowing demand, with the average at £978. The flatshare website warns that years of intense demand for limited rental […]