England is set to introduce a mandatory landlord register from 15 December, with a £65 annual fee per rental property and a phased rollout beginning in the West Midlands. The scheme will require landlords to provide property and compliance information through GOV.UK One Login, with penalties for missing registration deadlines.
The article reports that proposed Government reforms could end insured tenancy deposit schemes, prompting many landlords to consider custodial schemes or deposit alternatives. Survey results cited by Zero Deposit suggest a sizeable minority of landlords would adopt alternative products, while most would move to custodial arrangements if the current model changed.
The article reports that eviction disputes are increasing across the private rented sector, with landlords seeking vacant possession more often and tenants more frequently challenging notices. A law firm attributes the trend to worsening economics for landlords, including tax changes, refinancing costs, compliance burdens and uncertainty over future energy standards.
New research from Pegasus Insight suggests that 26% of landlords experienced rent arrears in the past year, a figure that has fallen from its 2020 peak but remains significant. The report also highlights persistent void periods, especially among larger portfolios and HMO operators, against a backdrop of ongoing inflationary and regulatory pressures.
The National Leasehold Campaign is urging the Prime Minister to accelerate the promised £250 ground rent cap for leasehold properties, framing it as an immediate cost-of-living measure for leaseholders. The article argues that many households would see more certain and direct savings from a ground rent cap than from the Government’s recently promoted plug-in solar initiative.
New research based on HMRC rental income statistics suggests that costs for unincorporated landlords have risen much faster than rental income over the past five years. The largest expense remains finance costs, with repairs and maintenance also a significant and growing burden, while the article argues that current tax treatment disadvantages individual landlords compared with company ownership.
