The article warns that landlords using properties as short lets may invalidate standard home insurance if they do not disclose the use to their insurer. It notes that platform-provided protections such as Airbnb’s AirCover are not a substitute for appropriate specialist insurance cover.
Manchester’s rental market remains highly competitive, with properties letting faster even as asking rents continue to rise. The article attributes this to persistent demand outstripping supply, alongside early market effects from the Renters’ Rights Act and a shift toward more professional landlord management.
The article reports that lettings professionals are seeing a rise in AI-generated tenant complaints, including correspondence that is more complex, lengthy and sometimes factually inaccurate. It notes that some agencies are adapting complaints procedures and using AI internally to summarise submissions, while still relying on human review for responses.
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.
Knight Frank argues that the Renters Rights Act is having unintended consequences, with tighter rules and reduced landlord confidence contributing to lower supply and higher advertised rents. The article also links anticipated EPC C requirements from 2030 and tax pressures to further constraints on rental stock, particularly in London markets.
Goodlord’s analysis suggests tenancy fraud is a significant and growing issue in the UK private rented sector, with suspected cases rising sharply in 2025 and London showing the highest rates. The report highlights increasing use of AI to fabricate documents and identities, and estimates the average direct exposure per fraudulent tenancy at £9,601.
Street Group has updated its platform to embed the government’s official Form 4A into the rent review workflow, allowing letting agents to generate, sign and serve rent increase notices for periodic tenancies within one system. The change is intended to reduce manual administration and create a clearer audit trail for compliance purposes.
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 says fraudulent tenancy applications may be costing the UK private rented sector up to £4.1 billion a year, with suspected fraud rising despite a slight recent easing from peak levels. The article highlights increasingly sophisticated AI-enabled fake documents and identities, with London identified as a hotspot in confirmed cases.
London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced around £400,000 in funding for Renters Rights Act enforcement officers and tenant support services. The money will support training for newly recruited officers in boroughs across the capital and fund organisations offering free advice to renters.
London asking rents are rising strongly even as tenant enquiries per available property have fallen, according to Hello Neighbour. The agency links the shift to reduced net migration and to the Renters Rights Act, which it says is encouraging landlords and agents to set higher initial rents and making mid-tenancy rent increases more complex.
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.
