Why Property118 Is Changing Its Tone

Reply to the comment left by Person Of The People at 24/11/2025 – 12:37
Thank you for taking the time to set this out so clearly. Your comment reflects what many landlords feel but struggle to articulate. There is no doubt that the direction of travel has an ideological flavour to it and the cumulative weight of regulation has pushed responsible landlords into a corner. It is difficult to disagree with your observation that much of this happens quietly, through regulation rather than taxation, and therefore escapes the public scrutiny it deserves.

Where I would offer a slightly different angle is on the idea that meaningful progress can only come from political change. I share the frustration, yet I have also seen that landlords who reorganise their businesses, strengthen their governance and take control of their refinancing and succession plans are far less exposed to these ideological swings. The environment is hostile, but it is still possible to protect value, reduce stress and preserve options without waiting for a different government.

Many of the issues you raise, particularly around risk, illiquidity and the erosion of landlord autonomy, are precisely why we are shifting the tone here on Property118. The political landscape may be unstable, but the commercial decisions within a landlord’s own business are not. They can be taken now, based on facts rather than hope.

If we can help landlords move from a sense of being under siege to a position of strategic control, that may prove to be the most constructive response to the ideological pressures you describe. Protests have their place, yet so does preparation. Both matter, although only one is immediately within our control.

Reply to the comment left by Mark Alexander – Founder of Property118 at 24/11/2025 – 12:48
Wise words, Mark — and offered with the depth, experience, and authority only a founder can bring. That perspective deserves respect.

The counter-view, supporting a more assertive and demonstrative stance, is that today’s landlords entered the market after 15 January 1989, when the Housing Act 1988 came into force. This generation has never experienced what is now approaching. We are only at the early stage. And one could argue that if landlords had not been so passive before 1977, the Rent Act 1977 might never have reached the statute book.

Back then, of course, the dominant landlords were large pension funds managing other people’s money. It was easy for them to attribute poor performance to confiscatory legislation. Investors blamed the government, not the fund managers who continued to collect their annual fees. I suspect we agree on much of this, but I remain convinced that a twin-track approach is the only route through which the private rented sector can avoid a slow-motion nationalisation by stealth.

The industry’s current behaviour presents no downside for government. Its policy direction isn’t nuanced or economically calculated — it is simply confiscatory. And if the result is the collapse of the private rental market, it will not matter: the machinery already exists for legal ownership to be transferred at the stroke of a pen, on the basis of valuations crushed under regulatory burdens. The government is playing a flawless game of chess. Only action timed and targeted with the same strategic precision as union demands at politically inconvenient moments will disrupt an ideological trajectory.

Meanwhile, the build-to-rent sector — backed by global funds — is being encouraged to construct rabbit-hutch units for those permanently locked out of home ownership. For the traditional buy-to-let sector, it may already be perilously late. Only coordinated action by that sector will reveal whether there is any chance of resisting this shift.

One thing is certain: at the next election, renters will be one of the government’s largest chess pieces, mobilised to secure re-election. Landlords will be framed, predictably, as money-grabbing capitalists enriching themselves at the expense of others. That narrative is an easy, ready-made vote-winner.

Reply to the comment left by Mark Alexander – Founder of Property118 at 24/11/2025 – 12:48
For many years, essentially since George Osborn introduced section 24, I have been planning and preparing for the train crash that is the RRA. I avoided death duties by selling (not gifting) all my property to my children. I have avoided section 24 by discharging my mortgage, in any case all but three of the properties are incorporated. I have avoided problems with deposits by not taking any. I have upgraded all my property to EPC C with a few difficult exceptions which are a high D; I await the new regulations on EPCs before proceeding further. I have refurbished all my flats with new kitchens and bathrooms. My children and I have paid all the tax calculated by my accountant and demanded by HMRC, so I am confident that financially we are compliant.

Now with the RRA comes all the regulation traps and the so called ‘proportionate’ penalties for inadvertent errors. The only way I know to avoid these penalties is to become chancellor of the exchequer. Any advice would be welcome

Reply to the comment left by TheMaluka at 24/11/2025 – 13:59
The decisions you made around Section 24, incorporation, EPC upgrades, tax compliance and portfolio restructuring all show a serious and disciplined approach. Your circumstances also illustrate why many long-term landlords are now reassessing not only individual properties but their overall strategy.

The ongoing wave of regulation, from tax changes to energy standards and tenancy legislation, has created major headwinds for responsible landlords. Many have responded by preparing every possible safeguard, just as you have done. The Property118 community includes landlords who share your view and others who are responding through selective disposals, refinancing or business rebalancing. Each route has its place.

This is the reason the editorial tone has changed. The intention is to move away from alarm-driven coverage and towards calm, fact-based analysis and practical decision-making. Scare headlines rarely help anyone. Clarity and a plan help far more, whether a landlord is holding, refinancing, rebalancing or considering a sale.

Your own experience demonstrates how complex these decisions can become. There are cases where a landlord concludes that the safest course is to protect income, reduce risk and prepare for future handover long before retirement. There are also cases where structured planning reveals more options than expected. The important point is that each decision is measured against evidence rather than fear or frustration.

If you would ever like to explore your numbers privately, the Property118 team would be happy to do that. The purpose would not be to persuade you in any direction. The purpose would be to show the outcomes that each option might produce on paper. That allows you to weigh your commercial position, your risk tolerance and your long-term aims without pressure. Any information shared would be treated in strict confidence.

Reply to the comment left by Mark Alexander – Founder of Property118 at 26/11/2025 – 14:30
Mark, I have also escaped the 2% rise as I have loaned my property holding company a million pounds from my tax paid income. This, I can withdraw free of any additional tax. At my age, a million will keep me in luxury for the rest of my life. I admit that this is more by luck than judgement.

Reply to the comment left by Mark Alexander – Founder of Property118 at 26/11/2025 – 14:30
Mark, If you ever have any free time and could spare a few mins, I’d love to have a chat with you. I always thought that I’d stay with BTL for another 10 years, It’s now not the best option for me ass all in my own or jount names. As mentioned I currently think the guy in Dubai is my best option for funds I currently hold, But I’m a total novice with investing and would love to hear your advice. I don’t fully trust financial advisors, we both had a bad experience with them. They are only in it for themselves.

Reply to the comment left by Desert Rat at 30/11/2025 – 17:19
Sorry, but I’m not regulated to provide investment advice.

Please see the linked article below.

https://www.property118.com/where-to-invest-if-i-sell-my-rentals/

I hope that helps.

Reply to the comment left by Mark Alexander – Founder of Property118 at 30/11/2025 – 17:42
Thanks Mark, totally understand.