Smaller landlords are leaving the private rented sector, but their departure is not reducing the number of homes available to rent, an analysis reveals. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, claims that the PRS itself is shrinking are not supported by the evidence and rent controls should be introduced without delay. It says England now […]

Half of maintenance issues are reported out of hours as landlords face growing pressure to provide round-the-clock support. Data from property management platform Lettie reveals 50.0% of maintenance cases were first logged outside Monday-to-Friday, 9am-to-5pm working hours, while 17.4% were first reported at weekends. The management platform claims some of the maintenance problems most disruptive […]

Landlords are seeing record rents agreed, but tenants are now spending an average of 32% of their income on housing. HomeLet’s August index puts the average UK monthly rent at £1,382, up 0.9% from July. A year ago, the figure was £1,328, with the latest increase taking annual growth to 4.1%. In London, rent now […]

Hear me out, but the most important landlord who left the market this year may be the one who never entered it in the first place. We spend a huge amount of time arguing about how many landlords are selling and creating an ‘exodus’. Perhaps we should start asking a different question: Who is buying […]

The Bank of England held Bank Rate at 3.75% on 17 September. For landlords approaching the end of a fixed mortgage deal, that leaves a separate question to answer: what will the replacement borrowing cost, and how much income will the property produce afterwards? The Bank’s announcement and minutes explain why the distinction matters. Six […]

The rental market continues to remain divided across the country, as supply and demand imbalances drive differing rental trends across regions. Propertymark’s rental price and average salary tracker for August reveals, while rents have fallen, affordability constraints continue to put pressure on tenants. The news comes as RICS reveals tenant demand continues to rise. Rental […]

A government minister has stressed the importance of ventilation in homes in maintaining good indoor air quality. Homelessness Minister Florence Eshalomi says private landlords’ homes must be fit for human habitation, with Awaab’s Law set to extend to the private rented sector in 2027. This comes alongside the Decent Homes Standard in 2035. Effective ventilation […]

A council says it is pressing ahead with new planning controls for HMOs even though its bid to bring in additional landlord licensing has been paused. From February 2027, an Article 4 Direction will mean planning permission is required for all new HMOs. Telford and Wrekin Council says the move will give it more control […]

When a large investor commits money to hundreds of rental homes in one location, I want to understand the thinking behind it. Who is expected to live there, what will attract them, and how might the development change the market for properties already in the area?Those are useful questions whether you own two properties or […]

Landlords considering how to respond to a proposed licensing scheme should take a look at Telford. The council has paused plans for additional licensing of smaller houses in multiple occupation following a legal challenge by landlords, and I think the wider sector can learn something useful from that. In its statement published on 15 September, […]

I have prepared a detailed report to help the Eastern Landlords Association scrutinise Norwich City Council’s proposed licensing schemes. Having worked through the supporting papers, I believe there are specific questions the council needs to answer before requiring thousands of landlords to pay for a new licensing regime. Norfolk matters to me personally. My family, […]

An email arrived this week from a Property118 member who had once managed thirteen properties. They now have just one, and they were replying to our invitation to try the new inheritance and portfolio resilience assessment. With no children and most of the properties already sold, they did not think an assessment about keeping a […]

The Bank of England has decided to hold interest rates at 3.75%, despite persistent high inflation. Inflation rose to 3.1%, while the US Federal Reserve yesterday also raised interest rates for the first time in years. In a divided vote, the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 6-3 to keep the Bank Rate […]

Is your property listed with an estate agent but taking months and months to sell? Perhaps you’ve had viewings but no serious offers. Maybe arranging access with tenants is proving difficult, or the type of buyers coming through the door simply aren’t interested in purchasing a tenanted buy-to-let. Maybe you already have vacant possession and […]

The Green Party’s policy to abolish landlords has been branded “nonsense” after a second senior party leader was revealed to be a landlord. Co-deputy leader Rachel Millward is the latest Green Party figure to be outed as a landlord, following fellow co-deputy leader Mothin Ali, who was revealed as a landlord last week. This is […]

The government claims the Renters’ Rights Act addresses overt discriminatory practices used by landlords and letting agents. In a written parliamentary answer, housing minister Matthew Pennycook said the act gives councils strong enforcement powers to tackle rental discrimination. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, it is illegal for landlords and letting agents to discriminate against prospective […]

An industry body has warned that a council’s approach to housing enforcement must be proportionate and evidence-based. Propertymark has responded to Bath and North East Somerset Council’s consultation on a tougher housing services enforcement and financial penalty policy. Under the proposed policy, housing fines could increase by up to 50% where the council identifies aggravating […]

Buy to let purchase mortgage searches fell 22% year on year in August, while searches for landlord remortgages dropped 8%. Twenty7tec recorded 70,452 buy to let purchase searches and 161,157 remortgage searches during the month. Combined, they totalled 231,609, down 12% from August last year. Both categories recorded 14% fewer searches than in July. Residential […]

Article by Vanessa Griffiths, ALEP Member The government’s consultation on leasehold enfranchisement valuation rates, at its most basic level,  focuses on a choice between two percentages. But it is about so much more, in fact it potentially changes who makes one of the most important judgements in an enfranchisement valuation. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform […]

Average private rent growth has climbed to its highest level since December 2025, with the average UK monthly rent reaching £1,400 in August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals. The annual increase edged up to 3.8%, from 3.7% in July, with London leading the charge. In England, the average monthly rent reached £1,459, which […]

Landlords whose properties are turned into cannabis farms can face repair bills running into hundreds of thousands of pounds, an insurer has warned. Zurich UK has investigated 17 cannabis farm-related claims worth a combined £9.4 million since January 2022. Damage has included dangerous electrical alterations, water from irrigation systems, damp, mould and structural changes made […]