If you find Property118 helpful, the real value sits behind the scenes

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If you find Property118 helpful, the real value sits behind the scenes

Many landlords tell us they find Property118 helpful. What often surprises them is what happens when we look at their own portfolio.

Property118 has always been designed to be useful. The articles, research and discussions are intended to help landlords understand what is happening in the sector and how others are thinking about it. For many readers, that alone provides clarity and reassurance; it is often enough to confirm that they are on the right track. Occasionally, it does something else; it raises questions.

What public content can and cannot do

Everything published on Property118 is, by definition, general. It has to be. Every landlord’s portfolio is different; circumstances vary, priorities change, and the structure of each business reflects years of individual decisions.

That means public content can only ever go so far. It can highlight patterns, it can challenge assumptions, and it can introduce new ways of thinking. What it cannot do is apply those ideas to a specific portfolio.

Where the real difference tends to appear

The most interesting conversations rarely happen in the comments section or in general articles. They begin when a landlord’s portfolio is examined in its own context. The properties, the borrowing, the ownership structure and the wider objectives all start to form a complete picture. At that point, the discussion becomes much more specific, not in terms of theory, but in terms of how a particular portfolio actually behaves.

Why this often surprises landlords

Many experienced landlords assume they already understand their portfolio very well, and in many cases, they do. They know their properties, their lenders and their numbers, but what is less familiar is how all of those elements interact when viewed as a single system. That is usually where new insights begin to appear.

The gap between knowing and seeing

There is a difference between knowing your portfolio and seeing it clearly. Knowing comes from years of experience. Seeing it clearly often requires stepping back and looking at how everything fits together. This is not about identifying mistakes; it is about understanding the full picture.

A quiet observation

One of the things we have noticed over time is that landlords who find the Property118 content useful often gain a different level of clarity when they take the next step. The ideas are the same; the difference is the context.

An invitation for established landlords

If you find the Property118 articles helpful and are curious about how those ideas apply to your own portfolio, you are welcome to take the conversation a step further.

These conversations are typically most useful for landlords with established portfolios and relatively modest borrowing who are beginning to reflect on how their assets could work more effectively in the years ahead.

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From there we can arrange a free introductory discussion to explore how your portfolio works as a whole and what that might mean for the years ahead.

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Angela Rayner urges Keir Starmer to pick fights with landlords

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Property118

Angela Rayner urges Keir Starmer to pick fights with landlords

Former deputy leader of the Labour Party, Angela Rayner has told Sir Keir Starmer to ‘pick more fights’ with landlords and freeholders.

At a fundraising dinner in central London, the former housing secretary said voters feel the system is ‘rigged against them’, the Daily Telegraph reports.

She went on to say that she expects a tougher response from the government, particularly on housing.

Ms Rayner’s intervention follows a warning last week that Labour was ‘running out of time’ to shift direction before May’s local elections.

Pick more fights

She described financial strain among working households, including those in professional roles who are taking on additional jobs yet still struggling to meet monthly costs.

Ms Rayner said: “They feel that nobody understands and cares about the difficulties they go through.

“And this isn’t just people who you would naturally associate with struggling, naturally associate with poverty.

“These are professional people, people that are working really hard, people that have got two, three jobs and they’re still not able to get to the end of the month with their wage packet.”

She added: “And they need to know they’ve got a government on their side, and they’re impatient for change and I understand their impatience.

“So, I think we have to pick more fights, personally.”

Freehold ‘rips off’ people

Housing featured prominently in the speech, with Ms Rayner focusing on the leasehold system and the role of freeholders collecting ground rent.

Plans set out earlier this year would cap ground rents at £250 annually, before reducing them to peppercorn levels after 40 years, without abolishing leasehold entirely.

She said: “Those people that sold the freehold, that are ripping off people for no money … You may as well lob the money in the street, they’re not doing anything for it.

“People have bought flats and are now being absolutely fleeced.

“We should be standing up for them, we should be saying we’re not having that anymore and I think we have to keep doing that.

“We have to do that with some in the private sector that are taking huge sums of money for children’s centres et cetera when, let’s be honest, they’re not delivering.

“That’s what Bridget [Phillipson] is doing with the new Send reforms.”

Call for rent controls

Meanwhile, tenant campaigners have renewed calls for direct action on landlords and housing costs.

London Renters Union spokesperson Jae Vail told the Morning Star: “Labour is haemorrhaging support across the country over its pro-landlord, pro-developer stance on the housing crisis.

“If the government wants to win any of that support back, it must take on landlords and put our right to a good home first.

“That means introducing rent controls that bring down housing costs and investing in the council homes we need to end the housing crisis for good.”

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EPCs for listed buildings?

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Property118

EPCs for listed buildings?

Has anyone heard anything definite to answer on this seemingly ongoing subject? I have seen so many comments, sites, suggested possibles etc, including government sites, that I’m beginning to wonder if anybody even cares!

So many forbidden changes would be required to most listed buildings to make them a C grade that it’s a no-no, but where can I find this categorically stated so it is perfectly valid for all to see?

My letting agents insist they have to have an EPC to let all such properties, and as the minimum grade is E, which is easily achievable, it is no problem, but EPC C would be another matter without major changes which are not permitted. And if we are exempt money is being wasted on unnecessary certification.

Any help would be gratefully received.

Thanks,

Graheme

Editor’s Note: The government’s consultation on Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime, partial government response says:

“We recognise the concerns raised from the heritage sector about EPC recommendations not being applicable to their dwellings, and will ensure that any PRS MEES regulatory approaches provide sufficient flexibility for properties where certain retrofit might not be suitable, with further detail included in the ‘Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes’ government response.”

More information can be seen here.

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Renters’ Rights Act – What should be top of the list for landlords?

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Renters’ Rights Act – What should be top of the list for landlords?

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 introduces wide-ranging sweeping reforms to the private rented sector in England, fundamentally changing the legal framework for both landlords and tenants – these aren’t small changes, it’s the biggest set of reform the sector has seen in over 30 years.

Key changes include section 21, more commonly known as ‘no fault’ evictions, being abolished, Assured Shorthold Tenancies becoming periodic tenancies with fixed-term contracts becoming void, and increased oversight by local authorities.

For those falling foul of the new laws, there will be tougher penalties and potentially fines for failure to register and provide accurate information to a new national redress scheme, the landlord database.

Increasing burden for landlords

We have mentioned some of the headlines already, but there are also several other changes coming that will increase the burden for landlords.

• Increased thresholds for ‘fault’ notices – Currently, if a tenant falls within one of the statutory grounds for eviction, for example, rent arrears, or antisocial behaviour, landlords can seek possession under section 8. The Renters’ Rights Act makes this harder by introducing new requirements before courts will grant possession. Perhaps the most significant of these changes, tenants will need to be three months in rent arrears (rather than two) before a landlord can rely on the mandatory rent arrears ground.
• Restriction on rent increases – Landlords will no longer be able to rely on rent increase clauses in tenancy agreements. Instead, they’ll have to rely on a statutory section 13 notice, and not within the first 52 weeks of the tenancy. The notice period will also increase from one month to two. Tenants will continue to have the right to challenge proposed rent increases and any notice at the First-tier Tribunal, which has the power to determine the open market rent. A landlord will also be required to specify a rent amount in adverts for new tenancies and cannot invite or accept offers exceeding these amounts.
• Right to request pets – Tenants may request to keep a pet and landlords must not unreasonably refuse consent except in very limited circumstances. Processes and deadlines for pet requests are set out in the Renters’ Rights Act, and courts may order specific performance against landlords who fail to comply.
• Anti-discrimination measures – Landlords will be prohibited from discriminating against prospective tenants because they either have children living with them or visiting them, or if the tenant claims benefits. Blanket bans and tenancy clauses to this effect are void, saved for very limited exceptions. New financial penalties will be in place for discriminatory practices.

So, with only a few months until the new legislation comes into effect on the 1st of May, what should be top of the list for landlords?

How landlords should prepare

To protect their investments and ensure legal compliance, landlords should prepare for an era of more local authority oversight which will include greater investigatory powers, increased financial penalties (of up to £40,000 in some cases) and new offences for misuse of possession grounds. Some practical next steps include:

• Review and update tenancy agreements – Removal of fixed-terms, bringing rent increase clauses into line with the new statutory provisions, removing outright bans on pet ownership and removing any discriminatory clauses could prevent landlords running into problems in the future
• Serve section 21 notices as soon as possible – Section 21 will be abolished, but this is not anticipated to come into effect before the beginning of May and notices served before this time can be relied upon. Assuming that the landlord wishes to recover vacant possession of the property in the near term and depending upon whether the necessarily formalities have been complied with, landlords should ensure section 21 notices are served correctly before their anticipated abolition date on 1 May. There will be no opportunity to remedy an invalid section 21 notice after this time.
• Familiarise with new offences and penalties – Misuse or reckless reliance on possession grounds, or failure to provide proper documentation, can result in fines up to £40,000, rent repayment orders, and summary convictions
• Understand new database and redress scheme requirements – A landlord should prepare to register themselves and their property details on the private rented sector database and ensure continued compliance. A landlord should also prepare to join a redress scheme
• Prepare for the Decent Homes Standard – While this is not yet required, it is anticipated that the Decent Homes Standard shall be expanded to the private rental sector. This sets out the minimum standards for rented housing and landlords should anticipate upgrades to housing where necessary and seek to address any issues that could impact upon a tenant’s health.

Landlords who use the coming months to prepare, rather than simply watch the clock, will be far better placed to adapt to the changes ahead.

RRA brings more regulation

There’s no denying that the Renters’ Rights Act introduces more regulation and greater scrutiny. But it also opens the door to genuine opportunities.

Clearer rules, more stable tenancies when managed well, growing demand for professionally run properties, and a market reshaped by those willing to raise standards all favour landlords who are ready to engage.

For now, focus on the right priorities at the right time, these actions should help landlords reduce future legal risk and ensure compliance.

Daniel Smith is a senior associate in the dispute resolution team at Gardner Leader, specialising in property disputes. He has been listed in the 2026 Legal 500 rankings as a Recommended lawyer for property litigation.

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