Knowsley Council has approved an Article 4 Direction to remove permitted development rights for small HMOs across the borough. Once the legal notice is published, conversions of family homes to small HMOs will require planning permission, subject to a 21-day consultation and confirmation by the Secretary of State.
A lettings agency reports that the Renters Rights Act is already changing landlord behaviour in Prime Central London, with more owners seeking sales and lettings valuations when tenancies end. The article also notes stronger tenant demand, record high rents in some areas, and a shift in short-let and longer-let activity as landlords adapt to the new rules.
A property lawyer argues that reducing Stamp Duty on additional properties could help absorb the current backlog of former rental homes coming onto the market. The article links this supply overhang to the Renters Rights Act, the end of Section 21 no-fault evictions from May 2026, higher mortgage rates and weaker buyer demand, with Zoopla data suggesting flats are particularly affected in parts of England.
Citizens Advice is urging the government to unfreeze Local Housing Allowance, arguing that around a million private renters on benefits are facing a widening gap between housing benefit and market rents. The charity says the allowance has fallen behind recent rent increases, leaving low-income tenants with insufficient support and greater financial pressure.
Independent Age says the freeze on Local Housing Allowance is leaving many older private renters unable to cover rent from Housing Benefit, forcing them to use limited pension income for essentials. The charity argues that rising rents, particularly for one-bed homes, are worsening affordability pressures and increasing the risk of poor health and homelessness among older tenants.
The article reports that asking rents have risen by 6% across 21 major UK towns and cities in the three months since the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, according to a Ringley Group study. It also says a significant share of private landlords have sold or tried to sell in the past year, contributing to a shrinking private rented sector and prompting calls for Budget measures to support rental-sector viability.
Savills reports that prime rents have continued to rise, with stronger annual growth in Prime Central London and outer London, while regional prime markets have slowed. The article says landlord caution around the Renters Rights Act, higher taxation and mortgage costs is constraining supply, particularly in lower rental bands below the £100,000 threshold.
The article reports criticism of Labour’s proposed changes to Empty Dwelling Management Orders, which would allow councils to intervene in empty homes after six months rather than two years. A property investor argues the policy is unlikely to work without funding for substantial repairs, particularly where homes are uninhabitable, and suggests grants may be a more practical approach.
The government’s impact assessment for extending Awaab’s Law to private rented tenancies forecasts continued growth in England’s private rental sector, rising from 4.827 million households in 2026 to an estimated 5.378 million by 2035. It also notes uncertainty around landlord numbers due to limited recent data, while suggesting sector consolidation may support remediation work at scale.
