PROPERTY & FINANCE INSIGHT – MAY 2025BTL Market Slumps as Self-Employed and First-Time Buyers Step Up The buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage sector has seen a sharp downturn, with searches in April falling to just 14.74% of the overall mortgage...

Campaign Focus Reform UK has launched a campaign to stop landlords from evicting British tenants under Section 21 notices in order to take up government contracts to house illegal migrants. The party argues these practices are displacing vulnerable...

The House of Commons Library has released information on the position of freehold homeowners who pay a charge for the upkeep of shared areas and facilities on their estates. It can be seen here, and in summary says What Are Freehold Estate Charges?...

Writing under the title 'Just how important are HMOs to the national rental housing stock?' Propert118 has published a resume of the HMO market. It can be seen here, and in summary says Total HMO Value: £78 billion Annual Rental Income: £6.3...

Letting agents’ trade body Propertymark has teamed up with the High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA) to urge landlords to consider High Court enforcement as a more efficient alternative for evictions — particularly in regions where...

A tax consultancy has raised the alarm over widespread overpayments of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), potentially affecting thousands of landlords, investors, and developers.  Key Findings After analysing over 7,000 transactions, SCA Tax Consultancy...

A property compliance consultant has sounded the alarm on the growing financial risks for landlords who fall foul of local licensing rules — sometimes for what seem like simple mistakes. What’s Happening? Phil Turtle of Landlord Licensing &...

What’s Happened? National Trading Standards (NTS) has withdrawn its material information guidance for estate and letting agents, which previously helped professionals comply with the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008...

The House of Commons Library has released a report entitled 'How can homeowners in England resolve housing complaints?' It can be seen here, and in summary: 1. Start with the organisation involved Use their formal complaints procedure. Many issues...

New research from TwentyCi’s Property & Homemover Report (April 2024–March 2025) reveals stark regional differences in the UK housing market. The South East has become the most difficult region to sell a property, with homes achieving just...

New data shows the average unpaid rent owed by tenants in the private rented sector (PRS) has soared to £2,237 in Q1 2025, up 23% year-on-year and 56% higher than Q1 2023. The figures, released by deposit alternative provider Reposit, reflect the...

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has launched a public consultation proposing new affordable homes on parts of the London green belt, claiming the current system is “outdated and unsustainable.” With London needing 88,000 homes per year, Khan argues that...

The Telegraph are reporting that Angela Rayner is accelerating Labour’s Renters’ Rights Bill through the House of Lords, with peers ordered to sit late into the night to complete the committee stage. The move has sparked criticism from...

UK house prices rose by 0.3% in April, reversing March’s dip and bringing the average property value to £297,781, according to Halifax. Annual growth hit 3.2%, the highest so far this year. Regional highlights: Northern Ireland led with 8.1% annual...

A significant shortage of rental homes is on the horizon, with new research from Pegasus Insight revealing 37% of landlords plan to sell in the next 12 months — a sharp rise from just 20% three years ago. Only 22% of landlords intend to remain in...

Private landlords are now facing eviction delays of over eight months, according to new data reported by The Telegraph — and the upcoming Renters’ Rights Bill may further strain the system. Government figures show that in Q4 2024, the average time...

Sarah Elliot, currently CEO of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), will take the reins as Chief Executive of Shelter this September, following Polly Neate’s impactful seven-year tenure. Elliot brings over 20 years of experience...

The Renters’ Rights Bill is being promoted as tenant-friendly legislation, but housing law expert Des Taylor of Landlord Licensing & Defence argues it’s primarily a revenue-boosting tool for local councils. Speaking at the HMO Action Group...

Shawbrook Group has made an early-stage approach to Starling Bank about a potential £5 billion merger, as it explores alternatives to a sluggish UK stock market for listing. The move, made in the past two months, was informal and lacked detailed...