16th Jun 2025

HMO sector shows strong momentum

A new analysis of student renting suggests that the Houses in Multiple Occupation sector demonstrates particularly robust fundamentals. Data from portal StuRents shows that some 77% of British students choose HMO accommodation over Purpose Built Student Accommodation with the HMO sector achieving... more

3rd Jun 2025

Rents reach record average across England

Rents rose during May, with price rises recorded in all but one region of England, says Goodlord. The average rent of a new tenancy is now £1,226, up from £1,216 in April – a rise of almost 1%. This is the highest rental average recorded by the Index since October 2024. The... more

29th May 2025

Update inventories to reflect ‘working from home’ wear and tear

Agents are being advised to update the inventories they use to better reflect the wear and tear incurred by tenants who work from home. Propertymark is suggesting to members that they communicate with tenants at the start of the tenancy to set clear expectations and then apply wear and tear guidance... more

23rd May 2025

Landlords offered legally binding civil court hearings – with a twist

Channel 4 is producing a TV show that gives landlords a chance to resolve civil disputes such as unpaid rent of property damage. The TV station is making a show called The Court which stages legally binding hearings with no cost to participants and – in Channel 4’s words – “top... more

23rd May 2025

The rise of homeworking is generating higher costs for landlords

The modern rental property is working harder than ever, with millions of people adopting remote or hybrid work patterns in the last five years and spending more time at home. This increased usage isn’t unreasonable: it’s reality. But under current rules, tenants are being penalised for “damage”... more

19th May 2025

Renters' Rights Bill committee stage (House of Lords): Government rejects 300+ amendments

The Lords committee stage is now complete after seven sessions between April and May. The Bill will now progress to the report stage. What is the committee stage? (House of Lords) The Parliament website says: "Committee stage involves detailed line by line examination of the separate parts... more

12th May 2025

RICS outrage over scrapping of Material Information guidance

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is angry Material Information guidelines being replaced with rules “which leave businesses to interpret the law as they see fit.” Late last week the industry was taken by surprise when all parts of the current Material Information guidance were... more