Letting Agents Archives

Prospective tenants reaching for rental homes marked To Let, illustrating growing competition for properties in England.

Homes to let fall as tenant competition intensifies

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

15th October 2026, 1 week ago | 0

Landlords could see more tenants competing for their properties after the number of homes available to let across England fell...

Stressed landlord reviewing rental finances outside terraced homes with let agreed signs

Self-managing landlords work 51 hours every month

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

14th October 2026, 1 week ago | 9

Landlords who manage their own properties spend an average of 51 hours a month overseeing them. Even those paying for...

Letting agent views a Welsh residential building displaying a Building Safety Act banner.

Propertymark calls for clarity on Building Safety Act roles in Wales

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

12th October 2026, 2 weeks ago | 0

Letting agents must be given greater clarity over their role under Wales’s Building Safety Act, claims an industry body. Propertymark...

Two letting agents have been expelled from an independent redress scheme after failing to pay landlords compensation awards of £100 and £300. One landlord had ended up arranging a tenancy directly with the tenants after problems with the agent. The Property Ombudsman excluded the firms alongside a surveying business that had failed to pay an £800 award to a customer. The Ombudsman's Finance, Performance and Compliance Committee reviewed the cases and agreed that the three businesses should be expelled. Ombudsman awards not optional Chief Ombudsman Lesley Horton said: "An Ombudsman award is not optional. "When a complaint is upheld and compensation is directed, registered businesses are expected to comply with that decision." She added: "Expulsion is always a last resort. "We work with businesses throughout the compliance process to help them meet their obligations and ensure consumers receive the awards they are due." Landlord arranged tenancy directly Musgrove & Co, based in North Walsham, Norfolk, faced a landlord's complaint about its refusal to transfer a holding deposit and errors in a tenancy agreement for which no suitable replacement was provided. The firm also failed to respond to the formal complaint. The landlord subsequently contacted the tenants and arranged the tenancy, enabling them to move in and the owner to receive rent. Musgrove & Co did not provide evidence requested during the investigation, and the Ombudsman upheld the complaint and directed a £300 compensation award. Deposits and rent delayed Coles Property Management, registered as C.P.M (NW) Limited and based in Blackpool, was ordered to pay £100 following a landlord's complaint about the management of two properties. After its management agreement ended, the firm delayed transferring tenants' deposits and forwarding rent mistakenly paid to it instead of the new agent, while communication failings also contributed to the landlord's inconvenience. Meanwhile, Tothill Residential Surveying Ltd, trading as Tothill Residential Surveying in Mundon, Essex, was directed to pay £800 after a customer paid £500 for a survey report that was not provided and the business failed to deal adequately with their concerns. Ombudsman decisions are binding on registered businesses, with failures to comply eligible for referral through the scheme’s compliance process and, where appropriate, to the independent committee for consideration of expulsion.

Agents expelled by Ombudsman over unpaid landlord compensation

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

9th October 2026, 2 weeks ago | 1

Two letting agents have been expelled from an independent redress scheme after failing to pay landlords compensation awards of £100...

Smartphone identity check beside a UK passport and Digital Right to Rent service record

Lettings platform updates its Right to Rent checks

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

1st October 2026, 3 weeks ago | 0

Goodlord has updated its digital Right to Rent service ahead of new rules taking effect for England’s landlords from today...

Smartphone verifying a tenant’s identity for a digital Right to Rent check alongside UK documents

Right to Rent changes for England’s landlords from October

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

29th September 2026, 3 weeks ago | 23

Landlords in England who use digital verification services for Right to Rent checks must choose registered providers under a revised...

Tenant checks help landlords prevent properties being used for pop-up brothels and exploitation.

Landlords warned over pop-up brothels and tenant checks

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

28th September 2026, 4 weeks ago | 0

Organised crime groups may be using landlord properties to establish pop-up brothels, police have warned. The paperwork may be false,...

Keys and house keyring with a “New Fees” tag highlighting rising letting agent charges for landlords

Landlords hit with new letting agent fees – claim

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

11th September 2026, 1 month ago | 3

For a growing number of landlords, it appears that their letting agent bills are growing as they introduce fresh charges...

Letting agent using Rightmove’s Section 13 rent review tool to manage a tenancy rent increase

Rightmove adds Section 13 rent review tool for agents

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

8th September 2026, 2 months ago | 0

Rightmove has added a rent review function to its Tenancy Manager platform to help letting agents adjust their processes following...

Letting agents overwhelmed by Renters’ Rights Act compliance, reporting and tenancy administration

Renters’ Rights Act piles work on letting agents

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

3rd September 2026, 2 months ago | 0

Landlords using letting agents may face slower communication and decisions as the Renters’ Rights Act adds to their administrative workloads....

Letting agency desk with property keys, compliance folders and a laptop overlooking British terraced houses.

Renters’ Rights Act could boost how agents help landlords

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

28th August 2026, 2 months ago | 4

Landlords could be offered more compliance support and a wider choice of paid services as letting agents respond to the...

Letting agents taking greater responsibility as rental property rules become more complex

Letting agent use hits two-year high

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

27th August 2026, 2 months ago | 0

Landlords are placing more responsibility in the hands of letting agents as rented property rules become increasingly complex. Research for...

BTL property screening for price, finance and risk before deciding whether a viewing is worthwhile

Which checks cause other landlords to reject a deal before viewing?

Author: Readers Question

19th August 2026, 2 months ago | 0

My bottleneck is deciding which BTL listings justify a viewing, especially when agents push for appointments before the numbers are...

Tenant guidance for energy-efficient rental homes with heat pump, EPC rating and low-energy features

Landlords with low-energy homes urged to give tenant advice

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

11th August 2026, 2 months ago | 0

A low-energy home offering much lower running costs can still leave a new tenant baffled at the front door, one...

Cracked PRS database symbolising concerns over the cost and effectiveness of the government's private rented sector register

PRS database risks being a costly failure – TLIC

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

5th August 2026, 3 months ago | 17

The government’s planned PRS database could become an expensive administrative burden unless it is designed around the day-to-day work of...

Data protection compliance warning for landlords and letting agents managing tenant information and complaints.

Landlords and agents warned over new data protection obligations

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

25th June 2026, 4 months ago | 3

Landlords and letting agents are being urged to remain compliant with new data protection requirements. Under the Data (Use and...

Letting agent managing a rental property with Renters’ Rights Act compliance and tenant support services.

Self-managing landlords turn to letting agents after Renters’ Rights Act

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

22nd June 2026, 4 months ago | 5

An industry body has warned that self-managing landlords are increasingly turning to letting agents to manage their properties in the...

Complaints surge against UK letting agents as tenant disputes and service issues increase

Tenant complaints against letting agents rocket

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

19th June 2026, 4 months ago | 0

Tenant complaints against letting agents jumped by almost half last year, from 2024’s figure of 2,863 to last year’s 4,220,...

Tenant delaying a house move due to high rental deposit costs and affordability pressures

Tenants delay moves over cash deposit costs

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

17th June 2026, 4 months ago | 1

Landlords and letting agents face a tougher moving market as tenants struggle to find the upfront cash deposit needed to...

Record-breaking landlord rental income highlighted by longer tenancies and satisfied renters in the UK PRS

Landlord rent incomes hit record

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

10th June 2026, 5 months ago | 5

Landlords are seeing higher annual rent income as longer tenancies and happy renters continue to underpin the private rented sector....

Northern Ireland rental homes with safety and compliance icons representing landlord registration reforms

Propertymark backs stronger landlord register rules in Northern Ireland

Author: Property118.com Landlord News Team

10th June 2026, 5 months ago | 2

Propertymark has backed plans to toughen Northern Ireland’s landlord registration rules, with gas certificates, electrical checks and alarm details among...

Tag: Letting Agents