Plaid Cymru promises stronger protections for Welsh renters in manifesto

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Plaid Cymru promises stronger protections for Welsh renters in manifesto

Plaid Cymru has pledged to introduce measures to “better protect renters” by abolishing no-fault evictions and boosting energy-efficiency standards.

The party has launched its manifesto ahead of the Welsh elections next month.

The news comes after nearly half of landlords in Wales (47%) believe the Renting Homes (Wales) Act has been detrimental to the private rented sector.

New measures to better protect renters

The party manifesto says: “The number of renters in Wales has grown rapidly in recent years, with one in six households now privately renting. Renters in Wales are more vulnerable than their counterparts elsewhere in the UK and lack comparable protections.

“We will introduce new measures to better protect renters, including ending no-fault evictions and giving renters greater security of tenure, restricting rental bidding by requiring properties to be let at the advertised price, and limiting rent payable in advance.”

Other proposals include granting renters a legal right to request a pet, with landlords unable to refuse unreasonably, and improving housing standards by introducing strict timeframes for addressing issues such as damp and mould.

Plaid Cymru also wants funds collected through fines to be retained within Wales rather than returned to the UK Treasury, alongside plans to strengthen enforcement and expand the regulatory role of Rent Smart Wales.

Expand access to retrofitting schemes

The party also says it will “make the renewal of Welsh housing stock a national mission”.

Under its proposals, Plaid Cymru would expand access to retrofitting schemes by adopting a tenure-neutral, area-based approach.

The manifesto says: “This means working towards models that upgrade homes across a defined area, owner-occupied, rented and social, so households benefit collectively rather than relying solely on individual applications.”

The party also proposes establishing a new quality control process to monitor the standard of work carried out by installers delivering government-funded home energy efficiency schemes.

This would include a requirement for an independent assessment to be completed and approved before payment is made.

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Landlords holding rather than expanding as confidence shifts

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Property118

Landlords holding rather than expanding as confidence shifts

A notable feature of the latest landlord data is not just how many are planning to sell, but how many are choosing to do nothing at all. According to the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey Q1 2026, a significant proportion of landlords are opting to hold their current positions rather than expand their portfolios.

Based on 2,380 completed responses, while 57% of landlords plan to reduce their portfolios and only 6.8% intend to expand, a substantial middle group indicate that they will simply maintain their current holdings. You can review the full results here.

The implication is clear: growth is no longer the default strategy.

A pause rather than a push forward

For many landlords, the decision is not between buying and selling, but between acting and waiting. Holding a portfolio may appear passive, but in practice it reflects a conscious choice. Rather than committing to new acquisitions or making immediate disposals, landlords are taking time to reassess their position.

This pause suggests a shift in confidence. When expansion slows and holding becomes more common, it often indicates that landlords are uncertain about the direction of the market or the suitability of their current structures.

Why holding can be a strategic decision

The survey findings show that many landlords are operating with relatively low leverage and strong equity positions. This provides flexibility. Without immediate financial pressure, landlords are able to delay decisions, monitor conditions and consider their options more carefully. Holding, in this context, is not inertia, it is optionality. It allows landlords to preserve income while maintaining the ability to act when circumstances become clearer.

A reflection of wider uncertainty

The increase in holding behaviour should be viewed alongside other findings from the Property118 dataset, including rising intentions to reduce portfolios and limited appetite for expansion.

Together, these trends point towards a more cautious sector.

Landlords are not rushing to deploy capital or take on additional commitments. Instead, they are preserving their current position while assessing the implications of regulatory change, financing conditions and long-term strategy.

Implications for market activity

A shift towards holding has practical consequences. If fewer landlords are actively buying, transaction volumes may reduce, particularly within the investment segment of the housing market. At the same time, if those holding eventually transition into selling, this could contribute to a delayed but more concentrated wave of disposals. This creates a different kind of market dynamic. Rather than continuous activity, the market may experience periods of relative quiet followed by more pronounced shifts as decisions are implemented.

A sector waiting for direction

The data suggests that many landlords are currently in a holding pattern, not because they lack options, but because they are evaluating them. This is often a transitional phase. Holding can precede either renewed investment or gradual exit, depending on how conditions evolve and how individual portfolios are structured.

For now, one conclusion stands out: landlords are no longer moving forward by default; many are pausing, reassessing and waiting for clearer direction.

A conversation worth having?

If you are weighing up your own strategy, whether that’s to sell, expand, or restructure to improve profitibility, it is worth having a discussion with a Property118 consultant to take a closer look at how your portfolio is structured as a whole now, and to forecast the outcomes based on multiple scenario’s.

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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More buy to let lenders expand landlord options

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Property118

More buy to let lenders expand landlord options

Paragon Bank is among lenders updating their buy to let ranges, alongside Landbay, Atom bank and Fleet Mortgages, with new fixes, trackers and remortgage deals entering the market.

Paragon has introduced six limited edition five-year fixed products, all carrying a flat £3,995 fee and available up to 70% LTV.

Three cover loans up to £1m, while three extend to £4m depending on structure and portfolio size.

Rates begin at 5.67% for single self-contained homes rated EPC A to C, rising slightly for lower-rated stock.

Larger BTL loans

For larger BTL loans above £1m, pricing starts at 5.79%and there are separate deals for HMOs and multi-unit blocks come in at 5.92% and 6.04% respectively.

There is also a return to higher leverage with an 80% LTV five-year fix is back, starting at 6.60% for stronger EPC-rated property, this time with no fee attached.

Jason Wilde, Paragon’s head of mortgage sales, said: “With loans available at up to £4 million with a flat £3,995 fee, as well as an 80% LTV option with nil fee, these products will particularly appeal to landlords who want to invest in higher value properties.”

Landbay expands Premier BTL range

Landbay has expanded its Premier BTL range with new small HMO remortgage options at 70% LTV.

The products target properties of up to six bedrooms and come with tiered pricing linked to fee levels.

Rates are set at 4.84% with a 5% fee, 5.24% with a 3% fee and 5.64% with a 1% fee.

Valuation costs are now fixed, ranging from £750 plus admin for lower-value homes to £2,150 plus fees for assets approaching £2m.

Rob Stanton, Landbay’s sales and distribution director, said: “These new remortgage products are designed to give brokers a broader range of options when supporting landlord clients, with pricing and fee structures that can be matched to different financial priorities.”

Atom lowers minimum loan

For those wanting a commercial loan, Atom bank has cut its minimum loan size again, this time to £100,000.

The move follows an earlier reduction to £200,000 and targets smaller borrowing requests often declined by high street lenders.

More than half of brokers on its panel report at least a quarter of enquiries fall between £100,000 and £250,000.

Alongside this, the bank has reduced rates for new applications by up to 0.94%, with smaller average cuts across trading and investment cases.

The lender says improved processing speeds are supporting the shift, with application to Agreement in Principle typically taking one working day and offers now averaging five.

The lender’s head of business, Tom Renwick, said: “We know that there are very few other lenders supporting businesses at these lower loan sizes, and as a start-up and challenger to the high street ourselves, we want to be able to make a difference where it matters.”

Fleet unveils new BTL trackers

Meanwhile, Fleet Mortgages has launched three two-year tracker deals at 75% LTV across its standard, limited company and HMO or MUFB ranges.

Pricing starts at Bank Base Rate plus 0.75%, currently 4.5%, with the HMO version at 5.15%.

All come with a 2% completion fee and no early repayment charges, reverting to Bank Base Rate plus 3% at the end of October 2028.

Steve Cox, Fleet’s chief commercial officer, said: “By removing ERCs, we are allowing borrowers to benefit from a competitive tracker rate today, while retaining the ability to switch products as market conditions evolve.”

For assistance with any type of buy to let (BTL), property or commercial finance please complete the contact form below:

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