Post-tenancy inspections usually mean meter readings, keys, and an inventory check. This one was different. Behind the kitchen door of a recently vacated rental, the landlord found an elderly dog, confused but friendly, waiting for someone to come back. The discovery The property had been cleared in a hurry. Food cupboards were half empty and […]

In what seems like a change to the tide, the property market showed signs of swinging in favour of landlords this month. Following what looked like a tricky time for landlords to sell, it seems that buy-to-let properties are back in demand, and they’re selling fast. Last week we shared the news that a landlord […]

Something new is about to sparkle across Property118 every Friday. Starting on 29th August 2025, our very own star-gazer Mystic Mortar will be publishing a weekly horoscope written especially with UK landlords in mind. Expect playful predictions, a dash of property wit, and just enough cosmic mischief to make you wonder if Mercury really is […]

Selective licensing was introduced as a tool to raise standards and tackle poor management in the private rented sector. In practice, many schemes have led to conditions that some landlords believe go far beyond what Parliament intended in the Housing Act 2004. Wirral’s latest selective licensing scheme is a prime example – and it is […]

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is calling on the government to use the Autumn Budget to support long-term investment in new quality rented housing. It points to fresh data from the Office for National Statistics which shows that private rents across the UK increased by 5.9% in the year to July 2025. That’s a […]

There are more fresh offerings in the UK’s buy to let mortgage sector as lenders roll out competitive products tailored for landlords. Lloyds Bank, Aldermore and ModaMortgages have introduced new deals that cater to a range of property investors, from those managing single dwellings to portfolios with multiple units. Lloyds Bank has been highlighted as […]

A council wants tenants and members of the public to report unlicensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) as part of an enforcement crackdown on landlords. Coventry Council has warned that enforcement action will be taken against landlords who breach licensing and management conditions of HMOs, the Coventry Telegraph reports. The news follows Harlow Council stepping […]

One-off live training event announced to help UK landlords stay compliant, avoid legal pitfalls, protect their portfolios and take advantage of new opportunities. With the Renters’ Rights Bill expected to roll out soon, UK landlords are facing the biggest legislative shake-up in over 30 years. To help landlords prepare, property investor and educator Simon Zutshi […]

From the strange to the stomach-churning, here are real UK (and UK-reported) stories of what landlords discovered once the keys were back on the hook. If you have your own tale, please share it in the comments. 1) 3,000 Beer Cans, Some Filled With Urine In Nuneaton, a “mate’s rates” arrangement ended with a flat […]

It started with a small admin slip, the kind that happens on a busy changeover day. The tenancy agreement had the wrong start date, the rent schedule followed that wrong date, and no one noticed in the rush to hand over keys. Weeks later, the numbers were not adding up. Payments looked late on paper, […]

A blog blames landlords for “charging excessive rent prices” and for taking a “disproportionate amount of income from renters”. Writing on his blog Funding for the Future, Richard Murphy claims “landlords are charging excessive prices” and points to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing that the cost of rental property in proportion […]

1. The Wake-Up Call of Section 24 When the Section 24 finance cost restrictions began to bite, many landlords were forced to confront something they had long put off: whether their property portfolios were still viable in the long term. It was no longer just a question of rising interest rates or falling yields. The […]

Some headlines make you look twice. In this case, a landlord effectively transferred an entire risk away from themselves for less than the price of a coffee , and the courts agreed it was valid. The case involved a rent-to-rent arrangement, where the superior landlord (the property owner) leased the property to an operator, who […]

A legal expert has accused a council of “abuse of power” over its failure to give prior warning before introducing new rules for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). Bolton Council has introduced an immediate Article 4 direction, meaning landlords can no longer convert family homes into HMOs for three to six occupants without applying for […]

The Mayor of Salford has praised tough housing enforcement after rogue landlords were handed £2.2 million in fines. According to the Manchester Evening News, the penalties were issued as part of a major enforcement crackdown targeting poor standards in the private rented sector. The news comes after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham launched the Good […]

Private rents across the UK have surged, reaching an average of £1,343 per month to July 2025, the Office for National Statistics reveals. This reflects a 5.9% rise over the past year, a slight slowdown from the 6.7% increase recorded in the 12 months to June. The data marks the seventh consecutive month of falling […]

Despite a landlord helping to rehouse tenants after serving them with a Section 21 notice, a Labour MP is calling for the notice to be withdrawn. According to Nottinghamshire Live, Nadia Whittome MP has urged the landlords and property managers of Assured Properties Leasing and Transitions Housing to withdraw the Section 21 notices immediately from […]

The value of rent arrears fell by 12% in the second quarter of 2025, reaching £1,861 compared to the same period in 2024. This marks the first annual decline for a second quarter since 2021, according to data from Reposit, the tenancy deposit alternative provider. The figure also reflects a 20% drop from the first […]

Rumours of replacing stamp duty with a property tax on homes worth more than £500,000 have sparked fury among property experts. The Guardian reports ahead of the Autumn Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has tasked officials to “study how a new ‘proportional’ property tax could be implemented and model its impact before reporting back to ministers.” […]

The UK’s professional landlords appear to be making a pivot towards office space investments, with applications for office-related projects surging by 44% in the first six months of 2025. That’s according to Shawbrook, which says that the South West is leading this shift, with an impressive 233% spike in landlord applications for office developments. The […]

A London council has come under fire for consulting on two new five-year licensing schemes for the private rented sector, scheduled to come into force next year. Hackney Council claims the schemes will improve housing quality, but they have drawn sharp criticism from Propertymark. It warns of inflated costs for responsible landlords and potential rent […]