Rent controls: The left hand doesn’t know what the far-left hand is doing April 29, 2026 For just under 24 hours the residential landlord sector was seized by panic following reports that first appeared on Monday night that the Chancellor was preparing to impose a ‘temporary’ ban on rent increases. The policy of rent controls was hitherto the preserve of the Green Party and Labour’s loony left, but then came reports [...]
Chaos: Now Downing Street rules out rent freeze after backlash over ‘reckless’ rumours April 28, 2026 Downing Street has ruled out a rent freeze just hours after the Chancellor refused to distance herself from the policy while speaking in the Commons. The apparent kite flying sparked 24 hours of panic among residential landlords and economists, who dubbed the rumoured policy a would-be “disaster”. Reeves had reportedly been considering the policy to [...]
Landlords, get ready to be gazundered April 14, 2026 The Renters’ Rights Act is introducing a ban on “overbidding”. Government interventions in pricing rarely end well, and this too will have unintended consequences, says William Reeve We’ve all been there. The agonising dance involved in deciding how much to bid for a property. The “how high should we go?” conversation plays a role every [...]
Landlords bar Labour MPs from pubs as hospitality backlash mounts December 11, 2025 Hundreds of landlords have barred Labour MPs from their pubs as the hospitality sector stepped up its condemnation of a controversial business rates overhaul announced at last month’s Budget. Publicans across the country have locked their doors to Labour politicians, claiming the tax changes will disproportionately harm hospitality and push more boozers to the wall. [...]
Flexible offices to comprise a fifth of London market by 2030 November 13, 2025 A fifth of London’s offices will be made up of co-working sites by as soon as 2030, in a further sign of the extent to which the pandemic-induced shift in working patterns is reshaping the capital’s commercial property market. So-called ‘flex’ spaces currently represent just 12 per cent of the total London office market, but [...]
‘Tax on risk’ – Founders warn against income tax rise November 4, 2025 A group of young entrepreneurs has issued a fresh warning that a proposed hike to income tax will hit the self-employed hardest, and accelerate a trend of young founders relocating overseas. In a clarion call ahead of next month’s Budget, the Young Entrepreneurs Forum warned that a mooted 2p rise in income tax alongside a [...]
The Debate: Does the Renters’ Rights Act punish landlords? October 29, 2025 The Renters’ Rights Act has been described as the sector's biggest shakeup in 40 years. Will it punish landlords, or just hold rogue ones to account?
Landlords advised to ‘get their ducks in a row’ as Renters’ Rights Bill signed to law October 28, 2025 The Renters’ Rights Bill received Royal Assent yesterday after a year-long journey through Parliament. The bill, which will remove so-called no-fault evictions, strengthen tenant protections and digitalise the sector, promises to shake up the market for both landlords and tenants – with considerable new burdens for the former. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government [...]
London flat prices slump as market gets ‘reshaped’ October 22, 2025 The price of London flat has dropped year on year as prices remain under pressure from low demand and high supply. The average price of a flat in London fell by 2.6 per cent year on year to £445,000, according to the ONS. “This is a tough time to be selling a flat,” Jonathon Hopper, CEO [...]
Flagship government bill risks ‘rent control through the back door’ October 17, 2025 Labour’s flagship Renters’ Rights Bill introduces new rules on rent reviews which risk alienating landlords and causing a sell-up in the sector, experts say. The bill will allow tenants to challenge the agreed tenancy rent in the first six months of a tenancy or any new rent proposed by a landlord. There’s “no risk to [...]