Landlords wanted to test a Comparable Properties Assessment Pack for assessing fair market rent

Landlords wanted to test a new comparable properties pack

10th August 2026

Now that the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 has largely come into force, landlords are having to grapple with the many changes it brings. One important change is that tenants now have greater rights to challenge the rent set by their landlord. They can do this: during the first six months of a new tenancy, if […]

Modern new-build home with mechanical ventilation system illustrating upcoming Future Homes ventilation standards.

Tougher ventilation rules for new builds under new standards

10th August 2026

New building regulations due to come into force next year will require housing providers to prepare for tougher ventilation standards. Ventilation manufacturer EnviroVent has warned that the Future Homes and Buildings Standards will introduce stricter low-carbon requirements for new homes. The new regulations will apply in England from 24 March 2027 for most building work, […]

Flooded UK homes with To Let and Excluded signs highlighting gaps in Flood Re insurance eligibility

PRS homes still excluded from Flood Re scheme despite reforms

10th August 2026

New reforms for flood-stricken homes will help, but uncertainty over eligibility remains, claims an industry body. The government has announced an overhaul of the Flood Re scheme, including cheaper contents insurance for some households. However, Propertymark warns significant gaps in eligibility remain, with rental properties continuing to be excluded from the Flood Re scheme. Further […]

Scissors cut a percentage symbol as buy-to-let lenders reduce mortgage rates and expand higher LTV finance.

Buy to let lenders cut landlord mortgage rates

10th August 2026

Landlords searching for higher LTV finance have been handed several rate cuts from buy to let lenders, alongside greater borrowing capacity on residential bridging deals. Accord Mortgages has reduced every fixed-rate product at 80% loan-to-value (LTV) by 0.10 percentage points, while leaving its lower LTV range unchanged. Its five-year purchase fix now stands at 5.50%, […]

Landmark Licensing text over Norwich skyline illustrating proposed landlord licensing for smaller HMOs and rented homes.

Norwich considers wider landlord licensing scheme

10th August 2026

Landlords in Norwich could face a new licensing regime covering smaller HMOs and privately rented homes in four wards. Norwich City Council will present its private rented sector review to the scrutiny committee this week. The report says evidence could support city-wide additional licensing for three- and four-person HMOs, alongside selective licensing in Nelson, Mile […]

Rogue tenant database highlighting eviction, court orders, property damage and landlord risk in the UK rental sector.

Rogue tenant database: thoughts on Landlord Crusader’s article

10th August 2026

This article, ‘Why Labour needs a rogue tenant database to protect decent tenants‘ by Landlord Crusader, just demonstrated the Government’s extraordinary disregard for the interests of property owners. A former Conservative housing figure involved in the development of the Renters (Reform) Bill — subsequently inherited, substantially expanded by Labour and enacted as the Renters’ Rights […]

Dog with a small house balanced on its nose, symbolising pets in rented homes amid changing rental laws.

Right to Manage companies can recover reasonable costs for pet approvals

10th August 2026

The government has confirmed that Right to Manage (RTM) companies can grant permission for pets where leases require approval and may charge fees to cover their reasonable costs. In a written parliamentary answer, Labour’s Baroness Taylor of Stevenage said that fees and administration charges must be reasonable and only cover costs that have actually been […]

AI robot reviewing generated documents as fraud detection systems flag possible tenancy fraud

AI fuels surge in UK tenancy fraud

10th August 2026

AI-generated payslips, employment records and identities are making tenancy fraud harder for landlords and agents to detect. The warning comes after tenancy platform Goodlord analysed more than one million tenant references submitted over two years. It found fraudsters were moving beyond individual forged documents with fake employment references increasing by 226.6% during 2025. That is […]

Cross-section illustration of a property company using freezer and growth shares for family succession planning.

Freezer and growth shares explained: separating control, income and future family value

9th August 2026

Incorporating a property business can resolve several immediate commercial challenges, including liability management, refinancing flexibility, business continuity and the practicalities of bringing the next generation into a family enterprise. Incorporation does not, by itself, solve the longer-term succession problem, because a conventional company with a single class of ordinary shares places control, dividend income, existing […]

Property118 was my Field of Dreams

7th August 2026

I built Property118 in the belief that, if I created a place where landlords and good professionals could share knowledge freely, the right people would come. They did. Together, we solved commercial problems that no single profession could solve alone. HMRC spent years fighting what that community created without ever properly understanding it. HMRC spent […]

Knight in crusader armour holding a sword, symbolising landlords battling rising PRS pressures and regulation.

Why Labour needs a rogue tenant database to protect decent tenants

7th August 2026

Labour’s Renters’ Rights Act, which was sold as a tool for ‘levelling the playing field’ for tenants, brought into being the new Private Rented Sector database. Landlords will soon pay to register every property, upload compliance documents and sit on a system that The Lettings Industry Council (TLIC), the industry’s own advisory body, has already […]

Sadiq Khan highlights £400,000 funding to help London tenants challenge rogue landlords under the Renters’ Rights Act.

Sadiq Khan boosts funding to empower tenants and crack down on rogue landlords

7th August 2026

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced £400,000 in funding to help tenants challenge rogue landlords. The Mayor’s Renters’ Rights Enforcement Fund will provide two organisations with funding to help tenants understand their rights and challenge rogue landlords. The remaining funding will be used to train council officers to use their powers under the Renters’ Rights […]

AI-assisted tenant dispute over landlord with government and housing redress concept illustration

Government admits it has not assessed tenants’ use of AI in housing disputes

7th August 2026

The government has admitted it has not carried out any assessment of the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) by tenants to help them challenge landlords and letting agents. In a written parliamentary answer, Housing Minister Baroness Taylor of Stevenage said ministers had not examined the role AI is playing in housing disputes. The news […]

Police officers inspect a suspected cannabis farm in a rented property in Wales during an organised crime crackdown.

Police warn Welsh landlords over surge in cannabis farms

7th August 2026

Police have warned Welsh landlords to be alert to the warning signs of cannabis farms amid a rise. Dyfed-Powys Police has launched a dedicated operation targeting organised crime gangs setting up cannabis farms across Wales. The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is urging landlords to carry out regular inspections and look out for tell-tale signs […]

Scotland property surcharge graphic showing £230m Additional Dwelling Supplement revenue with Scottish flag backdrop.

Scottish property surcharge raises £230m

7th August 2026

Landlords, investors and second homeowners paid £230m through Scotland’s Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) in the latest 12-month period. The data from DJ Alexander, Scotland’s largest lettings and estate agency, reveals that total Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) receipts reached a record £758.1m between July 2025 and June. However, revenue rose by only a couple […]

Dilapidated property beside a buy-to-let investment sign illustrating renovation opportunities for landlords

‘Unmortgageable’ homes tempt buy to let investors

7th August 2026

Landlords prepared to renovate difficult properties could find lucrative buy to let opportunities among 1.5 million UK homes that many mainstream lenders will not lend on. Research from specialist lender Together estimates that about 6% of Britain’s 28 million residential properties would be rejected by numerous high street banks because they fall outside standard lending […]

Model house under a weight illustrating stalled UK house prices amid affordability pressures

House prices stall as annual growth falls to 0.1%

7th August 2026

Landlords weighing up purchases or sales saw little movement in house prices during July as affordability pressures continued to affect buyers. The Lloyds House Price Index, formerly the Halifax HPI, recorded no monthly change, following a 0.2% rise in June. The average UK property price slipped from £299,396 to £299,253, with annual growth slowing to […]

What should property investors be doing before the Budget?

7th August 2026

After more than 30 years investing in property, I’ve learnt that periods of uncertainty often create some of the biggest opportunities. But only if you’re informed and prepared. With the Budget approaching, there’s already plenty of speculation about what could be coming and what it might mean for property investors and landlords. That’s why, on […]

Section 162 Incorporation Relief: a new claim requirement, not the end of the relief

6th August 2026

A significant change has now taken effect for landlords and other business owners transferring a qualifying business to a company. For transfers completed on or after 6 April 2026, Incorporation Relief under Section 162 TCGA 1992 no longer applies automatically. Instead, each relevant transferor must actively claim the relief through their Self Assessment tax return […]

Tenancy deposit labelled “Deposit Scam” passing between two house models, illustrating a landlord’s dispute over deposit transfer rules.

Deposit transfer process branded a “sham” by landlord

6th August 2026

A landlord has slammed the tenancy deposit system after being told he cannot deregister a tenancy deposit while selling one of his rental properties, describing the process as a “sham”. Mick Roberts, the largest landlord of benefit tenants in Nottingham, is selling one of his houses to a new landlord. As part of the sale, […]

UK rental market keyring with upward arrow over the London skyline, illustrating rising average rents in July.

London leads July’s UK rent growth

6th August 2026

Average rents across the UK rose to £1,369 a month in July, up 1.2% from £1,353 in June, according to the latest HomeLet figures. The average was 4.3% higher than the £1,313 recorded in July last year. Excluding Greater London, rents reached £1,170, a rise of 1.1% from June and 3.4% over the year. London […]