Paragon Bank has reported a 25% rise in new buy to let lending for the first half of its financial year. It reached £812.2 million compared to £649.3 million in the same period last year. The surge, the bank says, reflects strong demand from landlords responding to a persistent shortage of rental properties. Paragon’s mortgage […]

Property investors are being urged to convert properties into HMOs to achieve higher yields. According to Excellion Capital, purchasing a three to four-bed property and converting it into a six-bed HMO could cost a £512,340 in England, but the average yield achieved is 10%. The firm say lenders are highly attracted to HMOs, and bridge […]

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has pledged to end rough sleeping by 2030, but an industry body warns the Renters’ Rights Bill could lead to an increase in homelessness. Propertymark welcomes Mr Khan’s proposal to stop rough sleeping but urges the Mayor to support landlords rather than deter them from the market. The news comes after […]

The only people to benefit from the Renters’ Rights Bill will be councils, claims a legal expert. In an exclusive video interview with Property118, legal expert Des Taylor from Landlord Licensing & Defence warns landlords of the consequences of the new rules and regulations, and why it may be time for some landlords to leave […]

A city council is facing legal action, which has been joined by 40 landlords, to tackle its ‘unreasonably extortionate’ selective licensing application fee. Letting agents are also signing up to target the council’s £1,290 per property charge, which landlords argue is unjustifiably steep compared to other cities. The legal action, by leading letting agent Martin […]

A council which is grappling with the rapid rise of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) has unveiled plans to restrict them in future. With more than 2,300 currently operating, the local authority has unveiled a draft local plan designed to impose stricter controls on HMO, the Southend Echo reports. Southend Council says it wants to […]

A loophole allowing holiday homeowners to sidestep council tax by registering properties under the business rates system is costing the UK government £334 million annually, experts say. Colliers warns that despite tightened regulations; second homeowners are exploiting the system by renting out properties for just 10 weeks a year to qualify as small businesses. Doing […]

Nearly half of Britain’s buy to let (BTL) landlords (44%) are set to increase rents ahead of the Renters’ Rights Bill becoming law. That’s according to a Landbay survey which found that higher rents will impact tenants who could see an average monthly rent rise of £74 – or a 6% increase. Increasing the rent […]

A new Bill being proposed in Northern Ireland aims to address excessive fees being charged to tenants by letting agents in the private rented sector. The Private Member’s Bill, spearheaded by Ciara Fergurson, the MLA for Foyle, seeks to ensure renters are not burdened with unreasonable costs. Now Propertymark has voiced its concerns about the […]

Generation Rent claim the Tenant Fees Act has saved tenants nearly £900 million but fails to mention the unintended consequences of the ban on fees. The Tenant Fees Act, which became law in 2019, bans landlords and letting agents from charging higher fees and caps tenancy deposits paid by tenants. However, as reported on Property118, […]

The UK housing sector is bracing for Awaab’s Law, a landmark piece of legislation that will fundamentally change the way rental properties are maintained. From October 2025, social housing landlords will be legally required to investigate damp and mould complaints within 14 days, provide written findings within 48 hours, and commence repairs within 7 days. […]

Are you a landlord in Scotland who is selling up? Then, The Sunday Post would like to hear from you. The paper is doing a feature on how landlords are quitting the sector in large numbers due to new legislation proposed in the Scottish Housing Bill being introduced by the Scottish government. The Sunday Post […]

Greater Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham, has slammed the region’s housing system which is facing a £75 million temporary accommodation bill for families facing eviction. Speaking on BBC Radio Manchester’s ‘Mayoral Hotseat’, Mr Burnham called for a comprehensive restructuring of housing policies, pointing to a sharp rise in households requiring temporary homes. He targeted ‘profiteering landlords’ […]

The Labour government have announced thousands of homes will be built across the country due to simpler planning rules, but one industry body warns that easing planning rules alone won’t solve the housing crisis. Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner, says the current system makes it far too difficult for smaller builders to […]

Landlords and tenants are being warned about a “ticking time bomb” kitchen appliance that can cause thousands of pounds in damage. Landlord Licensing & Defence has revealed a surge in fires caused by air fryers, including a recent case where £80,000 worth of damage was done to a customer’s kitchen. The firm warns that, despite […]

Goodlord is boosting its rent protection and legal expense insurance, aiming to shield landlords from the complexities being introduced into the PRS by the Renters’ Rights Bill. The firm says its revamped insurance package offers robust safeguards and increased financial backing for new policies and renewals under Goodlord and Vouch. The upgraded insurance includes a […]

Hi all, I’m genuinely curious how you all are managing everything as landlords these days. Just want to compare notes with others in the same boat. Lately, it’s been getting a bit overwhelming trying to stay on top of everything: EICRs, EPCs, gas safety checks, rent payments, tenant messages, and those lovely late-night maintenance requests […]

There has been a 15.8% rise in build to rent (BTR) completions, reaching 127,156 homes by the end of Q1 2025, up from 109,847 in Q1 2024, research reveals. The findings from Inventory Base highlights that the sector faces challenges as construction activity has notably declined. The data reveals a 14% drop in BTR units […]

The government has announced the biggest changes in the way Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are assessed in more than a decade. However, whilst landlord organisation iHowz has welcomed the change, it warns of a lack of information, particularly around Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), and claims even the government realises the 2028 deadline for EPC […]

The cost of renting in England has climbed for the fifth month running, with the average tenancy now priced at £1,226, one rental index reveals. The data from Goodlord shows this marks an almost 1% increase from April’s £1,216, setting a new high not seen since October 2024. However, this uptick signals the start of […]

The UK’s housing market has come back to life, with May marking the most active month for home sales since the 2021 pandemic surge, research reveals. According to Zoopla’s latest House Price Index, a combination of increased property listings, and improved mortgage affordability has spurred buyers and sellers into action, pushing sales agreements to a […]