Every time the Bank of England announces a change to the base rate, landlords sit up and take notice. The base rate sets the tone for all borrowing costs in the UK. In 2025, with landlords remortgaging at higher levels and stress tests still challenging, understanding how these changes filter through to buy-to-let mortgages is […]

Housebuilders warn the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) that Labour’s 1.5 million homes target won’t be met. The Times reports that in a private letter to the OBR, Britain’s housebuilders, including the Home Builders Federation, said the government’s housing targets are “too optimistic.” The news comes ahead of the Autumn Budget next month. Reduce planned […]

If you were looking for a sign on whether or not to stay in the property business, recent news has provided a clear and present message on the state of landlords and how they’ll be treated going forward. This week the Renters’ Rights Bill received Royal Assent, bringing about the biggest changes to the sector […]

Limited company landlords are sitting on a 40% IHT time-bomb. Over 400,000 UK landlords now run their portfolios through Limited Companies. It’s become the default response to Section 24 and the pressure on refinancing. However, here’s the uncomfortable truth: Every pound of equity growth in that company is locked into your personal estate and exposed […]

A recent YouGov poll has been making the rounds on social media. It claims that 58% of voters want public spending maintained or increased, while 67% want taxes to stay the same or fall. The post summarising the data concluded with a neat, confident line: “In reality, it’s a binary choice. Taxes go up, or […]

Case Study: How We Found An AFFORDABLE Solution. When a long-standing landlord from the South East contacted Property118, her goal was not to cut tax or refinance for growth. She simply wanted to make sure her partner would not face financial chaos if she died unexpectedly. “I’m not worried about paying some tax,” she said. […]

Another Labour minister is in hot water over ‘misunderstanding’ the rules, and Two Tier thinks landlords will let this latest mishap slide? Surely, when the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, breaks housing law, every landlord will sit up and take note. Reeves has admitted she rented out her Dulwich family home without a selective […]

It’s a controversy that doesn’t look like it’s going away after it was revealed that the Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the Prime Minister she was unaware that her Dulwich home needed a licence to be rented out. However, emails released for ‘transparency’ show that the claim was untrue. Conservatives are calling for Ms Reeves to […]

Southwark Council tops the table for selective licensing fees, generating more than £23 million, as Rachel Reeves’ licensing error continues to make headlines. Ms Reeves failed to obtain a selective licence for her family home, which she rented out in Southwark, and could be forced to repay thousands of pounds to her tenants. While Ms […]

End-of-tenancy walk-throughs rarely shock seasoned landlords. This one did. The front door stuck on a swollen frame, the air felt heavy, and the first step into the lounge crunched on broken glass. What followed looked like a DIY experiment gone wrong. The walk-through from hell Room by room the damage escalated. Doors were off hinges. […]

An Edinburgh councillor is calling for housing tribunal rulings against landlords to be made public. Independent councillor Ross McKenzie says greater transparency is needed and the ways in which landlords are ruled not fit to let properties should be made public. The Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) says councils should work with landlords to promote […]

I own a three-bedroom terraced property with over 900 years remaining on the lease and a nominal ground rent of £15 per annum. My freeholder has asked me to apply for a leasehold enquiry at a cost of £400 and has indicated that the purchase of the freehold alone would cost £10,000, excluding solicitor and […]

It’s been a week of growing competition across the buy to let mortgage market as several major lenders roll out rate cuts and higher borrowing limits to help landlords. The Mortgage Works (TMW) has lifted its maximum loan per property to £2 million for both standard BTL and limited company applications, up from £1.5 million. […]

The government must invest further in the courts to handle the number of cases under the Renters’ Rights Act, claims The Law Society. The Act, which gained Royal Assent this week, will see landlords forced to use Section 8 notices to regain possession of their properties, which will require a court ruling unless the tenant […]

Mystic Mortar’s Landlord Horoscope Edition: Friday 31 October 2025 Welcome, star-gazers and key-holders, to a Halloween edition where cosmic shadows dance across the property world. The stars whisper of mystery, charm and the need for careful choices as October closes its doors. This week, the Sun journeys deeper into Scorpio, intensifying focus on secrets, power […]

It all started with trust. The landlord had let to the tenant before, so when they asked to extend their stay, he agreed on the spot. No paperwork was signed, no dates or clauses were written down, just a friendly handshake and the tenant’s word that the rent would continue monthly “as usual.” For several […]

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has referred herself to the government’s ethics watchdog after admitting she broke housing law by renting out her family home without a selective licence. She admitted to the breach after questions were raised over her Dulwich property, which was listed for rent at £3,200 a month when she moved into Number […]

One of Nottingham’s largest landlords has blamed selective licensing for the city’s homelessness crisis. Mick Roberts, who has housed benefit tenants for the past 28 years, pushed back against claims by Nottingham MP Nadia Whittome, who says the city’s homelessness problem is caused by a lack of council powers. According to Nottinghamshire Live, Nottingham has […]

My final rental is now vacant and will be ready to go on the market in a couple of weeks. I do have an estate agent lined up, but I’m wondering whether to try an auction. Its a small detached bungalow in Runcorn, Cheshire. Could I ask for people’s experience of selling at auction? I’m […]

Four London councils, plus one in Hertfordshire, are to expand or consult residents on implementing selective licensing schemes. In Islington, the borough’s selective licensing scheme will be extended to seven new wards, bringing thousands more rented homes under regulation. The scheme currently applies to Finsbury Park, Hillrise and Tollington but will soon include Barnsbury, Caledonian, […]

Landlords are spending hundreds of pounds disposing of items left behind by tenants, according to a survey by Direct Line Insurance. From a full aquarium with live fish to 50 tubs of ice cream left in a freezer, some tenants have abandoned unusual possessions that landlords must remove at their own expense. The survey found […]