Savills says prime rents rose again in the second quarter as landlords passed through higher borrowing, tax and Renters’ Rights Act costs, keeping upward pressure on top-end lettings.
The government says it will not use Nightingale-style courts for landlord possession work, arguing there is no national backlog and that the Digital Possession Service can manage current demand.
Paragon Bank says two-thirds of HMOs in its latest research already hold EPC ratings of A to C, giving HMO landlords a clearer lead as minimum energy standards stay under review.
Handelsbanken says 59 percent of professional property investors are tightening tenant criteria after the Renters’ Rights Act, while 63 percent have already raised rents in response to higher overall costs.
St Helens Council has opened a six-week borough-wide Article 4 consultation on small HMOs, starting a 12-month path to tighter planning control across the borough if the move goes ahead.
Resolution Foundation says ministers need another £8 billion if the full £39 billion affordable homes programme is to shift into social rent, sharpening the debate over what gets built next.
Angela Rayner says ministers are not pursuing rent controls in England after the Renters’ Rights Act launch, arguing the new once-a-year market-rent system is the government’s chosen route.
Chestertons says 36 percent of London landlords raised asking rents in May after the Renters’ Rights Act banned offers above the advertised rent, pointing to a fast pricing shift after 1 May.
GOV.UK has confirmed Florence Eshalomi as an MHCLG minister, putting a recent critic of weak rental enforcement inside the department ahead of the next landlord-rule decisions.
The Fairer Share tax petition has passed 100,000 signatures, pushing the landlord SDLT surcharge and wider property tax debate toward a possible Commons hearing after ministers defended the current rules.
Greenwich has opened a consultation on an 18-ward selective licensing scheme, while Ealing and Hertsmere move on smaller HMO controls and standards in a fresh summer push on landlord compliance.
The NRLA says London is now driving rental inflation higher, with rent growth in the capital pulling away from every other English region while wider price pressures cool.
The Treasury says landlords can still challenge eligibility and seek court permission to act during a tenant Breathing Space moratorium, after ministers were pressed on safeguards for arrears cases.
A county court ruling says landlords can ask judges to permit forced entry for gas and electrical safety inspections after an access injunction has been ignored, giving compliance cases a clearer route.
SpareRoom says 85 percent of renters back rent controls after another year of rent rises, with 32 percent saying they were forced to move in the past year because housing had become unaffordable.
