Chestertons reports that some landlords are increasing advertised rents in response to the Renters’ Rights Act ban on encouraging bidding wars, aiming to preserve target rental income without inviting competitive offers. The article also notes stronger rental growth in the latest Rightmove data, with London outpacing the rest of Britain for the first time since late 2023.
New research cited by Rushbrook & Rathbone suggests average rental void periods in England have shortened since the Renters’ Rights Act was introduced in May, falling from a peak of 24 days to 21 days. The article says landlords are adapting to the new legal framework and using the period to improve compliance and portfolio management, although voids remain longer than a year ago in some areas.
Loc8me has appointed Wesley Brown as Chief Operating Officer to support further expansion, integrate recent acquisitions and maintain service standards across its student lettings portfolio. The company says it now manages almost 10,000 student bedrooms in 19 university cities and is investing in leadership to scale operations more effectively.
An Employment Tribunal in Sheffield dismissed an unfair dismissal claim brought by a former property manager at a Selby lettings agency, finding that she had resigned rather than been dismissed. The case also involved allegations of improper withdrawals from the company account and tenants being instructed to pay rent into a personal bank account, with a criminal investigation reported to be under way.
Stoke-on-Trent council is proposing a major tightening of controls on houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), including an Article 4 Direction, ward-level caps on HMO concentrations, and a city-wide additional licensing scheme for smaller HMOs. The measures are intended to address resident concerns about the local impacts of high HMO density, including noise, waste and parking pressure.
Goodlord reports that fraudulent tenancy applications are costing landlords and letting agents an estimated £4.1 billion a year, with direct losses averaging £9,600 per tenancy. The article says fraud has risen by 40% in the past year, with London and the prime rental market identified as higher-risk areas, and notes that scammers are increasingly using AI to create convincing fake documentation.
The article reports on a London Property Tribunal case in which a letting firm was ordered to return a £125 deposit deduction that had been taken without a proper dispute process. It argues that some landlords and agents still misunderstand or ignore the Tenant Fees Act 2019, particularly around cleaning-related deductions at tenancy end.
The article argues that the Renters’ Rights Act is already producing unintended consequences, including upward pressure on rents, reduced flexibility for tenants without guarantors, and new risks for landlords trying to sell rental properties. It cites early market data and industry commentary suggesting the reforms are reshaping behaviour before their full effects are understood.
The Property Franchise Group reported slower first-half growth after a strong prior year, with revenue and franchising income still rising but housing transaction volumes down 4% year on year. The group highlighted stable managed lettings numbers, ongoing support for network firms on the Renters’ Rights Act, and new AI-enabled products as part of its strategy.
The article argues that rental-sector compliance pressures are increasing, with changing legislation, licensing, planning, fire safety and the Renters’ Rights Bill creating operational risk for property managers. It describes how one agency is using technology and internal training to identify high-risk properties earlier, improve decision-making and reduce the chance of fines and enforcement action.
