A survey by The Letting Partnership suggests letting agents expect the Renters Rights Act to increase their compliance and administrative workload. Despite this, seven in 10 respondents believe the added complexity will make professional agents more important to landlords.
Rightmove has added a rent review function to its Tenancy Manager service to help letting agents create and serve Section 13 rent increase notices from existing tenancy records. The update is positioned as part of its wider Lead to Keys suite, aimed at streamlining lettings workflows and supporting agents as they adapt to changes introduced by the Renters Rights Act.
A survey of lettings professionals reports that the Renters Rights Act has significantly increased administrative workload, with most respondents citing compliance and record keeping as the main pressure point. The findings also suggest that fragmented technology and manual data handling are making it harder for firms to manage tenancy processes efficiently.
The article reports a call for the government to address an estimated £750m in unclaimed tenancy deposits held within the deposit protection system. It argues that England and Wales lack a clear legislative framework for dormant deposits, unlike Scotland, and that this creates a policy and transparency gap ahead of wider tenancy deposit reform.
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.
Rotherham Council is consulting on proposed licensing-related policies aimed at strengthening action against landlords and letting agents who breach housing law. The proposals cover how penalties would be calculated, the range of enforcement responses, and what support may help landlords and agents comply, with the consultation open until Thursday 8 October.
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 that impersonation scams are becoming more costly, with Lloyds data showing a rise in average losses and criminals increasingly using AI-inspired tactics to exploit trust. An AML specialist argues that verification and identity-checking processes are not keeping pace with modern fraud, creating both financial 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.
