Why Property118 Is Changing Its Tone
For more than a decade, Property118 has reported every major change affecting private landlords in the UK: legislation, taxation, finance, and policy. We’ve also become a forum for landlords to share experiences, challenge ideas and, at times, vent their frustrations.
That honesty has always been our strength, but over time, the tone of landlord news in general (not just on our platform) has shifted towards the negative. Every new law is framed as a threat. Every Government consultation feels like an attack. Every article becomes another reason to give up.
It’s easy to see why. Alarmist headlines drive clicks. They play on fear and outrage, which spread faster than reason, yet they also leave readers feeling anxious, angry and powerless.
We want to change that.
From Alarm to Authority
The truth is that most landlords are already professional, compliant and committed to doing things properly. They don’t need more headlines telling them the sky is falling. They need calm analysis, practical guidance and a sense of control.
That’s where Property118 is heading next. Our focus will remain firmly on the facts, but the tone will shift from alarm to authority, from what’s wrong to what you can do about it.
Every article we publish will now follow a simple principle: readers should leave feeling better informed and more in control than when they arrived.
What Will Change
News will stay factual, but calmer. We will continue to report every major development affecting landlords, but with measured language and balanced context.
Commentary will resolve, not inflame. Even when the news is difficult, we will focus on the practical actions responsible landlords can take to protect their position.
Best practice will take centre stage. Case studies and success stories will become the heartbeat of the site, showing how clarity, structure and planning lead to better outcomes.
Dialogue will remain open. The comment section will always have room for honest opinion, but we encourage contributions that share experience and solutions, not despair.
Why It Matters
Landlords face enough uncertainty from regulation and policy change. They don’t need more anxiety from the media that serves them.
By adjusting our tone, we aim to attract and retain the community of landlords who are still building, improving and planning ahead. Those who believe property is a long-term business, not a short-term gamble.
It’s time to move beyond fear.
Property118 will still hold regulators and policymakers to account, but we’ll do it through facts, insight and commercial reasoning – not outrage.
Closing thoughts
If you’ve ever finished a news article about landlords feeling disheartened, we understand. We’ve felt it too.
That’s why we’re resetting the tone. Not because we want to sugar-coat reality, but because we believe that perspective, knowledge and professionalism are the antidotes to fear.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we can bring the focus back to what really matters: stability, structure and long-term success for responsible landlords.
Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Comments
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Every day, landlords who want to influence policy and share real-world experience add their voice here. Your perspective helps keep the debate balanced.
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Member Since February 2023 - Comments: 87
10:21 AM, 18th November 2025, About 5 months ago
I have challenged Waltham Forest over my licence fee. I’m an existing landlord and they want to charge me £850 for a new licence but a new landlord will get a discount at £600. I’ve challenged them and asked them why they are discriminating against landlords who are abiding by the 140 odd laws and I am not willing to pay extra for being a good landlord. I will continue to fight them if they refuse to lower it. I’ve paid the £300 fee and I am waiting for them to check if I have had any previous discounts (which would be 5 years ago) and if I did get a discount, so what. I have told them that they are profiting from these licence fees and nothing goes back into the community and my tenant doesn’t benefit whatsoever from me having one. It’s about time they provided breakdowns of how they are spending our money. The dustmen are due to go on strike soon. All this money we lay out and for what? Nothing but stress.
Member Since June 2013 - Comments: 3249 - Articles: 81
10:30 AM, 18th November 2025, About 5 months ago
That’s gonna’ be hard when everything we hear from Govt & Council’s is anti Landlord.
Like new fines going up from £7000 to £40,000.
Tenants allowed to build up rent arrears of 3 months now before any action.
How do we put positives on that.
And I always try & turn a Negative into a Positive.
Member Since May 2015 - Comments: 2204 - Articles: 2
10:54 AM, 18th November 2025, About 5 months ago
A laudable aim, perhaps someone will come up with anything positive about the new act. I wish I could, but all I feel is stick with no carrot.
Member Since October 2020 - Comments: 1177
11:10 AM, 18th November 2025, About 5 months ago
“The truth is that most landlords are already professional, compliant and committed to doing things properly”
If only that were true. Sadly, I think the overwhelming majority of the 2.82 million landlords in England haven’t got a clue about the legislation they’re governed by or about websites like this.
I think perhaps you really meant most landlords that use this site and I would agree that’s more likely. I assume though that landlords that are deeply frustrated by some aspect of the business and who want to express that on the forum, perhaps in the hope of being able to move on from it, will still be welcome.
Member Since May 2024 - Comments: 117
11:16 AM, 18th November 2025, About 5 months ago
I had always intended to keep my properties to my death and let my daughter decide if she wanted to keep them running. The toxic rhetoric regarding investors of houses and even the way the younger members of parliament regard landlords has changed my mind. It’s fine that many contributors here want to continue but the it seems inevitable to me that the legislation squeezing tax concessions followed by legislation increasing costs will inevitably lead to other investments looking far more simple and profitable.
Capital gain which has always been the icing over the last 28 years may not be present over the next decade as small landlords dump their properties creating a feedback loop that keeps the PRS looking unattractive.
Eventually when the Lloyds style big boys control the market, suitable homes will be worth their weight in gold but I suspect that many on this forum will have retired from these endeavors by then.
Member Since November 2013 - Comments: 7
11:19 AM, 18th November 2025, About 5 months ago
I’m really pleased that you are changing tone. I have watched your emails for several years, and have found it useful at times, but had given up reading most of it because of the constant sniping. I almost unsubscribed recently, but the content is often informative so decided not to do so.
Member Since February 2017 - Comments: 1
12:45 PM, 18th November 2025, About 5 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Nicole Livingstone-Smith at 18/11/2025 – 10:05
Ditto,
Mark, I have followed 118 for a number of years, but while I love the facts, helpful insight and useful and often entertaining stories, the increasing angry shouty tone of some articles was driving me away. I fully support your change in direction and look forward to it.
My wife and I have 5 BTL properties. We have been Landlords for over 25 years. It has never made financial sense to incorporate. We should complete on the sale of one of our properties on Monday 24th (just before Reeves day). Leaving us four. While the pending CGT bill is hard to swallow, its the right thing for us to do. What I would like to hear more of is how to make the most of our small portfolio in this anti private landlord environment. We are not quite ready to give up. Hopefully the new tone of 118 will help us to work out how to make it all worth while.
Thanks for your hard work and commitment.
Brian and Dawn.
Member Since November 2025 - Comments: 1
1:31 PM, 18th November 2025, About 5 months ago
Thanks for the awareness of this and the proactive approach to change it! Look forward to more neutral headlines and highlighting pros pr alyernative ways of thinking about new regs amd what actions to take!! Thanks guys!
Member Since January 2011 - Comments: 12212 - Articles: 1408
1:54 PM, 18th November 2025, About 5 months ago
Reply to the comment left by JenB at 18/11/2025 – 13:31
Thanks Jen. We can’t promise to change the headlines, although we completely understand the point you’re making. What we can assure you is that by the time you reach the end of each article, we will always endeavour to pull the focus back to commercial clarity, practical reasoning and what landlords can actually do next.
We won’t get it spot on every time. That is part of the process. The strength of Property118 is that the collective membership can steer the narrative through the comments the moment an article goes live. If something needs sharpening, balancing or reframing, your feedback guides where the discussion goes next.
Really appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Member Since April 2024 - Comments: 20
3:04 PM, 18th November 2025, About 5 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Jo Westlake at 18/11/2025 – 08:27
I’m due a EPC end of this year. First time doing on. It was previously 1 point below a C. When I bought it
Since then I’ve put a boiler in. TRV valves in and increased loft insulation by 200mm
It’s already got double glazed and cavity wall but these were done prior to me buying it.
It’s also now got a remote thermostat. Not sure if that matters.
Dreading it