Early findings from Goodlord’s State of the Industry Report suggest landlords and letting agents are becoming more selective about tenant applications following the Renters’ Rights Act. The article says this is linked to changes including the end of Section 21, restrictions on rent in advance and the ban on over-bidding, with some landlords preferring to leave properties vacant rather than accept higher-risk applicants.
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.
Propertymark says recent First-tier Tribunal decisions show that landlords and agents need robust, property-specific evidence to justify rent increases. The cases indicate that tribunals place greater weight on detailed comparisons, inspection evidence, and agreed rents than on advertised asking rents alone.
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.
Landlord Trends research cited in the article shows a rise in the use of letting agents, with 66% of rental properties now using an agent for some or all of the letting process and 25% using full management services. The increase is attributed to growing regulatory complexity in the private rented sector, including the implementation of the Renters Rights Act and wider compliance pressures.
