Citizens Advice helping hundreds of tenants as Renters’ Rights Act comes into force

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Property118

Citizens Advice helping hundreds of tenants as Renters’ Rights Act comes into force

A charity claims it is helping more than 200 renters a day with a combination of issues, including disrepair, Section 21 evictions and rent hikes, as the Renters’ Rights Act comes into effect.

According to Citizens Advice, in March 2026, it helped 2,335 people with Section 21 evictions, 1,829 with disrepair issues such as damp and mould, and just over 1,075 with rent increases.

Across the month, this equates to an average of 214 people a day supported with a combination of these issues.

Historic power imbalance in the PRS

Amy Hughes, advice manager at Citizens Advice, said: “The Renters’ Rights Act is a huge moment for private renters. It will address the historic power imbalance in the private rental sector and give tenants the security they deserve in their homes.

“Our advisers have seen the devastating impact ‘no fault’ evictions can have. Now landlords will only be able to evict tenants for specific reasons, like rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, or where they need to sell the property.

“For too long, tenants have faced the threat of eviction for simply speaking out against bad landlord behaviour or poor conditions. The new laws will see an end to these retaliatory practices and deliver a welcome boost to private renters’ rights.”

PRS plays a vital role

The news comes as the Renters’ Rights Act has now come into force, with charities previously warning of an eviction surge. Acorn told The Guardian that Section 21 evictions accounted for one in five reports from members in October, rising to nearly one in three by January.

However, as reported by The Independent, many landlords are weighing up their options, with rising costs and regulatory changes prompting some to reconsider their portfolios.

Megan Eighteen, president of Propertymark, told The Independent: “Higher mortgage rates, increased taxation and continued regulatory change have all contributed to some landlords reassessing whether their investment remains viable, particularly those with smaller portfolios or tighter margins.

“The private rented sector continues to play a vital role in meeting housing demand, and supporting responsible landlords to stay in the market is key to maintaining stability for both tenants and the wider housing system.”

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A sector moving from growth to transition – An inflection point

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Property118

A sector moving from growth to transition – An inflection point

For many years, the private rented sector has been characterised by steady expansion. Landlords entered the market, built portfolios and reinvested over time, but that pattern now appears to be changing. This marks an inflection point; more landlords are stepping back than stepping forward.

The sector is not collapsing, but it is no longer expanding in the same way.

A shift in momentum

Momentum within a market is shaped by the direction of its participants. When more landlords are selling than buying, and fewer are entering than exiting, the underlying momentum changes. Growth slows, activity becomes more selective and the overall trajectory begins to shift. This is reflected across multiple findings in the latest Property118 survey dataset, including rising exit intentions, limited expansion and a growing tendency to hold rather than invest further.

Transition, not decline

It is important to distinguish between transition and decline. A sector can contract in terms of activity without losing its underlying relevance. The private rented sector continues to play a central role in housing provision, but the way landlords engage with it is evolving. Rather than continuous growth, the current phase is characterised by reassessment, consolidation and repositioning.

What transition looks like in practice

Transition does not happen uniformly. Some landlords are reducing portfolios, others are holding and reassessing, while a smaller group continue to expand selectively. At the same time, structural changes such as shifts towards company ownership and a focus on simplification are beginning to reshape how portfolios are managed. This creates a more complex, but also more deliberate, market environment.

A new phase for the sector

The data suggests that the private rented sector is moving into a new phase. One where decisions are driven less by opportunity to grow and more by clarity of purpose. Landlords are becoming more selective, more strategic and more focused on long-term outcomes.

For now, one conclusion stands out: the UK rental market is no longer in a phase of expansion, it is entering a period of transition shaped by the decisions of experienced landlords.

Five questions landlords often find themselves asking, usually just before something changes

These are the questions landlords tend to ask themselves just before they make a change, even if they haven’t quite admitted it yet.

1. Do I actually feel in control of my portfolio, or am I just keeping things running as they are?

This is often the first shift in thinking. On the surface, everything may be working, but that does not always translate into a genuine sense of control.

2. If I had to simplify everything tomorrow, what would I keep and what would I let go, and why haven’t I done that already?

This question tends to highlight where complexity has built up over time, and whether it is still serving a purpose.

3. Are my financing decisions really supporting where I want to end up, or just maintaining where I am today?

What worked at one stage does not always support the next. The distinction is subtle, but important.

4. If something unexpected happened, would I have options, or would I feel exposed and forced into decisions?

This is less about predicting events and more about understanding how resilient your current position really is.

5. Have I actually designed this portfolio, or have I just arrived here over time without stepping back to reconsider it?

For many landlords, the answer sits somewhere in between. That is often where the most valuable conversations begin.

About these questions

None of these questions are designed to lead you towards a particular outcome, and in many cases, the right answer may be to change very little.

What they tend to do, however, is begin to build a roadmap towards clarity.

For some landlords, that clarity confirms they are on the right path. For others, it highlights opportunities to simplify, strengthen, or realign what they have already built. Either way, it moves things from continuing by default to moving forward with intent.

If any of these questions resonate, it may be worth exploring them in more detail.

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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BTL lenders widen specialist mortgage choice

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Property118

BTL lenders widen specialist mortgage choice

Landlords refinancing specialist buy to let property are being offered fresh fixed-rate options as lenders adjust ranges for HMOs, multi-unit blocks, holiday lets and expat borrowers.

Foundation, the intermediary-only specialist lender, has expanded its BTL range with new Green, HMO, MUFB, holiday let and expat products, saying landlord cases are becoming more varied across both property type and borrower profile.

The lender has launched a Green standard HMO product at 5.59%, with a 4% fee, £500 cashback and no application fee for properties with an EPC rating of A to C.

New fixed BTL products

Two new five-year fixed-rate products have also been introduced for multi-unit freehold blocks and holiday lets.

Both carry a flat fee of £4,995, with the MUFB product priced at 6.24% and the Holiday Let option at 6.34%.

Foundation said the two products are aimed at landlords financing more complex property types, particularly where larger loan sizes are involved.

Its expat range has also been changed, with a new F2 two-year fixed-rate product priced at 6.34% and carrying a 1.5% fee.

HMO buy to let deals

Foundation’s director of sales, Grant Hendry, said: “In the current market, brokers need a lender that can offer both consistency and breadth of product, particularly as landlord cases become more varied and often more complex.

“These latest additions are about making sure brokers have the right options available, whether they are placing standard buy to let business or working across more specialist areas such as HMOs, MUFBs or holiday lets.”

Moneyfacts highlights TSB BTL

Meanwhile, Moneyfactscompare.co.uk has named a TSB five-year fixed rate buy to let mortgage as its BTL Pick of the Week, following selected rate cuts by the lender.

The TSB deal, described by Moneyfacts as a five-year fix at 75% loan-to-value, has been reduced by 0.15% and is now priced at 4.74% until 31 July 2031.

The product has a maximum loan-to-value of 60%.

The mortgage carries a £1,995 product fee, includes a free valuation, allows overpayments and is available in Great Britain to second-time buyers.

Landlord fixed rate mortgage

Commenting on the deal, Caitlyn Eastell, a personal finance analyst at platform, said: “The latest update from TSB sees it reduce selected fixed rate mortgages for landlords.

“One deal to see a 0.15% cut is the five-year deal at 75% loan-to-value, it is now priced at 4.74% until 31 July 2031.

“Despite its large £1,995 fee, the deal sits at the top of its sector, and its free valuation incentive may offset some of the cost which may add to its appeal.”

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

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