The UK’s leading not-for-profit accreditation body for lettings and management agents, safeagent, has put forward a robust response to the recent Decent Homes Standard consultation, which concluded last week. The organisation is pushing for a practical and effective framework to improve living conditions in the private rented sector while warning against overly complex regulations. Isobel […]

The Labour government has appointed a new Homelessness Minister more than a month after Rushanara Ali’s resignation. Alison McGovern will serve as Minister for Local Government and Homelessness, facing a difficult task as the number of homeless households in England reaches unprecedented levels. The appointment follows Ms Ali’s resignation, which came after the i newspaper […]

More than 4.5 million private renters in England and Wales, equivalent to 41% of the sector, had to limit their use of gas and electricity last winter to manage crippling energy costs, Citizens Advice reveals. The charity says that 3.5 million renters, or one in three tenants in the PRS, found it challenging to maintain […]

Britain’s property hotspots are shifting away from traditional favourites like London, Birmingham and Manchester, as a new set of second cities delivers the strongest rental yield growth. According to West One Loans, which examined PRS data alongside house values in 63 urban centres across the country, it also compared 2025 yield projections with 2023 performance […]

Britain’s housing market faces a period of subdued house price growth, while rents will rise, according to property consultancy Knight Frank. The firm says there will be 4% rent rises across the UK this year, and they’ll go up by 3.5% in each of the next two years. The rise is down to a growing […]

Landlords seeking cost-effective places for investment should turn their attention northward, according to research from Zoopla that reveals striking regional variations in affordable housing stock. The comprehensive analysis exposes a tale of two markets across Great Britain, with northern regions presenting impressive investment propositions that southern counterparts cannot match. While only 12% of properties nationwide […]

Labour has been drawn into another rented home row after one of its biggest donors, Lord Waheed Alli, removed a family from his London property before it was put back on the market at a much higher rent. The Islington townhouse, a five-bedroom former residence of the peer, had been home to a family of […]

Most landlords focus on buildings and contents insurance, but landlord liability cover is just as important. Without it, you could face paying compensation and legal costs personally if someone is injured or suffers damage at your property and holds you responsible. The risks are not theoretical — real claims are happening every day, and costs […]

Most landlords will have encountered a tenant struggling to pay rent or refusing to do so to spend cash on Christmas presents or holidays, for instance. But two news stories in the last few days highlight a frustrating issue as young tenants complain about unaffordable rents while splashing out big sums on luxury experiences and […]

One of the first questions landlords face when financing or refinancing a buy-to-let property is how much equity they will need. In other words, what loan-to-value (LTV) ratio is acceptable to the lender? The answer has a direct impact on your borrowing capacity, mortgage rate, cashflow and growth strategy. This article explains how lenders view […]

Thinking of selling a rental property this year? The headline price is not the number that matters. What counts is your net cash after fees, redemption, and CGT, and how that compares to a refinance or partial sell-down. This guide explains the 2025 Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rules that affect landlords and shows how to […]

Landlords are grappling with a growing problem as more renters walk away from fixed-term agreements well before their tenancies are due to end. Known as ‘stopover tenants’, research by property software provider Alto shows that nearly a third of letting agents have encountered tenants abandoning six- or 12-month tenancies after only a month or two. […]

The UK’s private rented sector is cooling down with average rents climbing 2.4% compared to last year, Zoopla reveals. Its latest Rental Market Report points out that this is the smallest annual rise in four years and a sharp drop from the rapid growth seen 12 months ago. Monthly rents now average £1,300, up by […]

The average cost of a home in Great Britain has dipped below last year’s levels for the first time since January, primarily due to a slowdown in southern regions, Rightmove says. Despite a modest monthly gain of 0.4% in September, which brought the typical new seller’s asking price to £370,257, the national market is now […]

While buy to let mortgage costs for landlords have eased to their lowest levels in nearly three years, landlords remain under pressure from tighter rules, rising repossessions and the prospect of new tax measures in the Autumn Budget, one financial platform warns. According to Moneyfactscompare.co.uk, the average two-year fixed BTL rate now stands at 4.88%, […]

The cost of rent for new lets saw a 0.4% year-on-year decline in August as the rate of inflation grew for the ninth consecutive month, research reveals. Data from Hamptons shows that the rent on a new tenancy is £1,387. The firm says that the fall in rents is the joint second-largest annual decline since […]

Hello everyone, I’m facing a serious issue with my Freeholder situation and would really appreciate some guidance. Background: I purchased my leasehold flat in 2001. The block has 8 flats in total. I am the only leaseholder – the other 7 owners bought the freehold together in 2007. In 2016, I extended my lease. Service […]

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) remains one of the most significant transactional costs for landlords in England and Northern Ireland. In 2025 the landscape is shaped by three realities: Additional Dwelling Rate (ADR) at 5% for purchases of additional residential properties. 2% Non-Resident Surcharge for overseas buyers on residential transactions. Multiple Dwellings Relief (MDR) abolished […]

Landlords are facing the prospect of the Renters’ Right Bill enabling a surge in pet ownership with up to one million PRS households welcoming furry friends. An analysis by Go.Compare examines how the Bill will reshape living arrangements for private tenants in England. Its data reveals there’s a huge amount of pent-up demand among renters […]

Our tenant (AST) in London gave us a valid break notice on June 20th, 20205, to leave our flat on August 20th, 2025. However, he didn’t leave, doesn’t provide timing estimates on when he will vacate, hardly communicates, and hardly even uses the property! My 19-year-old son and a flatmate were supposed to move into […]

Two leading buy to let lenders have unveiled rate cuts across their ranges, while a major industry initiative seeks to tackle delays in property transactions. CHL Mortgages for Intermediaries has launched its most extensive portfolio to date, unveiling a broad mix of new options alongside reductions of up to 44 basis points. The lender’s refreshed […]