An analysis of 144 English councils suggests planning refusals for HMOs have more than doubled over the past five years, alongside tighter licensing and wider use of Article 4 directions. The article argues that while councils are targeting poor-quality accommodation, blanket restrictions may also be reducing the supply of well-managed shared housing.
This opinion piece argues that the Renters Rights Act is forcing letting agents to rethink their business models rather than wait for market conditions to improve. It recommends three responses: acquiring stock, strengthening lead generation, and creating new paid services to support landlords with compliance and related needs.
The article reports rising losses from impersonation scams, with criminals increasingly using sophisticated tactics and AI-enabled methods to bypass verification checks. An AML expert argues that current identity and compliance controls are not keeping pace, creating both financial harm and legal exposure for regulated firms.
Lomond’s data suggests the UK rental market remains resilient, with average rents rising to £1,369 pcm and tenants spending nearly a third of their income on rent. The article highlights strong regional variation, including higher rents in London and increased demand in areas such as Kent, the North West and Yorkshire, alongside a shift toward longer-term tenant selection as Renters Rights Act reforms bed in.
A landlord survey suggests that while many investors still view residential property as a sound long-term asset, confidence in the private rental sector has weakened. Most landlords plan to hold their portfolios steady over the next year, but a notable minority expect to reduce holdings or exit the market, with taxation identified as the main barrier to further investment.
The article reports allegations that some letting agents and landlords are using inflated advertised rents and encouraging offers below asking price to work around the Renters Rights Act’s ban on rental bidding wars. It also raises concerns that some are seeking large upfront payments for bills despite the move to rolling tenancies under the new regime.
safeagent is calling for stronger enforcement against rogue letting agents after a BBC investigation highlighted alleged failures involving tenant deposits and unpaid rent. The organisation argues that fragmented responsibility between authorities and limited resources are leaving compliance issues unresolved and consumers exposed.
Tenant advocacy groups are pressing the government to expand the forthcoming Private Rented Sector database so it includes more landlord and tenancy data, including rents, eviction grounds and enforcement history. They argue the database should support tenant challenges, improve transparency and help enforcement of the Renters’ Rights Act, while also proposing a landlord fee to fund local authority enforcement.
The NRLA says letting agent involvement in the private rented sector is at its highest level for at least two years, with 66% of private rentals in England and Wales managed by an agent in some way. It argues that growing reliance on agents, alongside lower reported satisfaction with repairs where homes are fully agent-managed, strengthens the case for minimum education and training standards for agency staff.
Spicerhaart has launched a new property management platform after a two-year development programme and says it will invest £1.7m over five years in technology. The system is intended to improve compliance handling, support landlords through regulatory change, and replace a legacy platform that no longer met the firm's needs.
A BBC investigation alleges serious misconduct by a letting agent and his agency, including failure to return tenant deposits, unpaid rent owed to landlords, and concerns that deposits may not have been placed in a regulated scheme. The report also references staff departures and an alleged cannabis farm tenancy at one of the managed properties.
A poll reported by Goodlord suggests many letting agents are increasing fees to landlords and facing higher compliance workloads following the Renters Rights Act. The article also says possession is becoming more difficult after the abolition of Section 21, with longer Section 8 processes and court delays adding to landlord and agent pressures.
