The Resolution Foundation says Local Housing Allowance rates have fallen well behind private rents, creating a record affordability gap for low-income renters. It argues the Government should restore the annual link between LHA support and the 30th percentile of local rents in the upcoming Budget.
Goodlord’s early findings suggest the Renters’ Rights Act is already making agents and landlords more cautious about tenant selection, with many landlords more likely to reject applicants or leave homes vacant while seeking lower-risk tenants. The report also indicates a widening sentiment gap, with tenants becoming more optimistic while landlords remain largely pessimistic, though less so than last year.
Blinc-UK has launched a digital tenant referencing service priced at £8 per applicant, combining identity verification, Open Banking, HMRC income data and fraud screening in one report. The company says the product is designed to help letting agents respond to stronger tenant screening needs following the abolition of Section 21 under the Renters’ Rights Act.
Prime London rents rose at their fastest annual pace in 18 months in September, with average rental values up 4.6% year on year, according to LonRes. At the same time, lets agreed fell and new instructions edged up, while the consultancy said the Renters Rights Act is influencing supply, demand and pricing in the prime market.
Safeagent has criticised the effectiveness of Trading Standards and NTSELAT in dealing with a letting agency that allegedly continued to display safeagent branding after its accreditation and Client Money Protection cover had been withdrawn. The article argues that delays and limited enforcement action may have left landlords and consumers exposed to misleading claims about protection and compliance.
BBC Panorama has reported alleged misuse and poor standards within the Supported Exempt Accommodation sector, focusing on managing agents in Birmingham. The report says some providers may be claiming housing benefit for non-existent or non-resident tenants, while regulatory reforms passed in 2023 have yet to take practical effect.
East Sussex Fire Authority has prosecuted a managing agent and his company after they allegedly failed to respond to fire safety correspondence and did not provide required information. The case followed a fire in Hastings where residents were trapped and fire officers later identified multiple fire safety deficiencies at the property.
Winkworth reports that the Renters Rights Act is already affecting landlord decisions, with many owners seeking sales valuations when a tenant gives notice because a new tenancy cannot be ended for sale purposes within the first 12 months. The article also highlights continued strength in Prime Central London lettings, rising demand for rental stock, and record rents in some high-value areas.
A lettings software provider has questioned whether the forthcoming Private Rented Sector Database will effectively identify rogue landlords, arguing that compliant landlords and agents may bear most of the administrative and cost burden. The database is due to begin rolling out in December, starting in the West Midlands, with landlords required to register properties region by region over an 18-month period and pay an annual fee per property.
Research cited in the article suggests that letting agents are increasingly concerned about financial fraud, with AI-enabled impersonation and deepfake scams now viewed as the biggest emerging threat to client money safeguards. A significant minority of respondents lack full confidence in their ability to detect suspicious transactions before funds are transferred, and many have encountered attempted fraud in the past year.
The article argues that letting agencies that are not adopting AI are falling behind competitors, with AI increasingly used to reduce admin and free up staff time. Sally Lawson, former ARLA president and founder of Agent Rainmaker, says AI cannot replace leadership or relationship-building, but can support agencies as rental reform changes the sector.
Propertymark is advising letting agents that rent increase proposals must be supported by robust evidence, accurate property descriptions and clear records of condition. Recent First-tier Tribunal decisions in several locations show that tribunals place greater weight on comparable evidence from completed lettings, detailed property characteristics and proof of inspection or repairs.
