OpenRent is featured heavily during BBC programme looking at how some private rentals have been hijacked by criminals. Landlords who find their flats have been taken over by criminal gangs were featured in a BBC Panorama programme due to be broadcast last night. One flat was turned into a drugs factory, another became a brothel, and a third was sublet and ransacked. Panorama reporter Hazel Martin speaks to flat owners… Continue Reading Landlords targeted by criminal gangs highlighted in Panorama investigation

A quarter of businesses, including landlords, still haven’t signed up for Making Tax Digital, according to Tide. The first deadline for Making Tax Digital (MTD) is approaching in a matter of weeks but there are fears that hundreds of thousands of landlords still aren’t ready. Since April, sole traders and landlords with annual revenues above the £50,000 qualifying mark have to fill quarterly returns using HMRC-approved software. The first deadline… Continue Reading Landlords ‘unprepared’ for Making Tax Digital as first deadline approaches

SPF Private Clients’ Mark Harris warns that if service charges breach 1% of a property’s value, a lender “may decide not to lend”. Flats are becoming increasingly unmortgageable due to soaring service charges, it has been claimed. Several banks are refusing to lend on flats where the annual service charge tops 1% of a property’s value. Lenders had previously set the threshold at a higher 2%, but fear high charges… Continue Reading Lenders reject flats as service charges breach 1% ‘red line’

Propertymark is on the warpath to get equal treatment for Airbnb-style short lets and the mainstream private rental market. The demand comes as official figures show that over 100m guest nights were spent in UK short-term lets during 2025. Government data shows that 100.9m guest nights were recorded – an 11.5% increase compared with the previous year. Wales recorded the strongest growth of any UK nation, up 17.4% to 7.37m… Continue Reading Be fair! Airbnbs and private rentals ‘must get equal treatment’

mydeposits says tenants using its custodial deposit protection scheme have now donated some £500,000 to the Centrepoint homelessness charity.  The donations have been made through an interest donation option, which enables tenants to contribute the interest accrued on their protected deposits to Centrepoint at the end of their tenancy.  The past year has also seen colleagues from mydeposits and the wider HFIS group participate directly in Centrepoint activities.  Staff have also… Continue Reading Generous tenants give remarkable sum to homelessness charity

As Britain’s third heatwave of the summer continues, a string of lettings agency brands – all in the Lomond group – have issued new guidance for landlords and tenants. Matthew Smith, managing director at Thornley Groves and Julian Wadden, says: “Hot weather can have a surprisingly significant impact on rental properties, particularly in apartments and modern homes that retain heat. We would encourage landlords and tenants to work together to keep homes cool, safe and… Continue Reading Letting agents issue new guidance over hot weather risks

The UK government will begin a regional rollout of a Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database in England from late 2026 through its new ‘Register your rental property’ service. As part of the second phase of the Renters Rights Act implementation, landlords of assured or regulated tenancies will be required to register themselves and each property.  Registration will be introduced region by region, with the following deadlines: Regional registration deadlines West… Continue Reading When and where the mandatory rental database will roll out

Halifax House Price Index data shows that house prices fell by 0.1% in May and were only 0.5% higher than in May 2025, reflecting a housing market that remains subdued and is still struggling to build meaningful momentum. The market is flat, and it may remain this way across 2026. The sharp rise in housing market activity that followed the pandemic has come to an end. Prospective buyers are operating… Continue Reading UK housing market failing to kick into gear

But is as high as 52.9% more than last year in some parts of England The average cost to landlords of rental void periods has risen by as much as 52.9% in some areas of England over the last year and by 12.9% overall. With an average void period of 24 days, this amounts to an estimated average void period cost of £1,135 between tenancies, according to research from Rushbrook &… Continue Reading Cost of rental voids up 12.9% this year

Conditions perfect for property investors who are ready to buy, says expert Conditions are now “as good as it gets” for property investment, with a compelling combination of factors now at play, according to Elite Realty Invest. Jennifer Lawler, sales director at Elite, was responding to the latest Rightmove House Price Index data, published earlier this month. She said: “June’s Rightmove data is about as good as it gets for… Continue Reading Latest data ‘as good as it gets’ for property investors

Data shows that 27% of tenants evicted month before Section 21 abolishment More than one in four (27%) of tenants were served notice in the month before Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions were abolished, according to Coho. The company, which analysed 150,000 tenancies, found that the new clause in the Renters’ Rights Act has driven around 73,900 additional tenancy eviction notices since 2023. Nearly 20,000 of these were issued in… Continue Reading One in four tenants served notice ahead of RRA

Landlord possession claims rose by almost 6% in the first quarter of 2026 ahead of the Renters Rights Act. In the first three months of the year a total of 22,733 possession claims were issued.  This marks a quarterly increase of 5.9% compared to Q4 2025. This increase was driven by an 11.1% uptick in the number of private landlords issuing claims, while the number of claims from social landlords… Continue Reading Possessions surge ahead of Renters Rights Act clampdown

Abusers will be evicted from social homes and victims will be able to stay safely in their communities, under a new Bill now being considered by Parliament. Under new protections, social landlords and courts will be able to evict perpetrators of domestic abuse from social housing – without the victim having to leave first.  Currently, landlords can only evict a perpetrator after the victim has already left the home, and in joint… Continue Reading Domestic abusers to be evicted under new legislation

Tenants will fail standard rental affordability checks in 47.6% of local authority districts, says Zero Deposit’s Sam Reynolds. Almost half of England’s local authority areas could see average tenants fail standard rental affordability checks following the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act, according to new analysis from Zero Deposit. Its research examined average rents and earnings in England using the commonly used affordability benchmark that tenants should earn at least… Continue Reading CLAIM: Renters’ Rights Act means half of tenants will need rent guarantor

Carter Jonas has launched a specialist Filming Location Services, to source, secure and manage locations for filming nationwide.   The service supports film, television, photography and events, with access to an extensive portfolio of locations.  The launch comes at a time of strong demand across the UK’s thriving production market, with film and television continuing to see significant levels of activity.  A statement says: “Against that backdrop, Carter Jonas’ Filming Location Services combines specialist expertise with the capability of a multidisciplinary property consultancy, to support production companies with the best locations and owners looking to generate additional income.”  The locations portfolio includes residential and rural property as well as industrial and development sites.  It also… Continue Reading Action! Agency’s new team handles renting for TV and movies

Landlords and letting agents are bracing for a surge in tenants giving notice on their properties now that the Renters’ Rights Act has come into force. Two in five renters are considering giving notice to end their current tenancy, exclusive data for This is Money shows. The Renters’ Rights Act, which came into force on 1 May, has shifted the balance of power away from landlords towards renters in the… Continue Reading Renters’ Rights Act risks a rush to exit by tenants

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has tried to calm critics who claim the government’s resolve over leasehold reform may be weakening. Pennycook has gone on record that the government will ‘get the job done’ by the end of this Parliament, making Commonhold the default tenure for new flats.  But he has again said that wholesale reform cannot be achieved overnight and should be phased to avoid market disruption. The government’s draft… Continue Reading Government tries to calm critics over leasehold reform

A survey by a major property firm shows 70% of landlords raising rents to cover increased compliance costs. Allsop’s research also suggests more than two in five private landlords are unlikely to continue letting properties because of the legislation. In the survey of more than 1,000 respondents, 41.7% said they are unlikely or very unlikely to continue following the abolition of section 21 – seen as vital for landlords to… Continue Reading Rents up and supply drops thanks to Renters Rights Act

Days after the Renters Rights Act came into force, a survey shows massive ignorance of the issue amongst renters. A study by industry supplier Housing Hand reveals that 78% of renters don’t know how it impacts their rights.  Only 22% of tenants felt they did – down from 25% in a similar study a year ago. Around 1,700 renters took part in the survey, including student renters and working professionals.  At the time the survey was undertaken,… Continue Reading Large majority of tenants clueless over Renters Rights Act