Concerns raised over £500 landlord tribunal fees and court delays

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Property118

Concerns raised over £500 landlord tribunal fees and court delays

An industry body has warned that hefty tribunal fees must not detract from wider court reform as the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force.

Propertymark has told letting agents and landlords about a new tiered fee framework for the Property Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal, introduced under the Renters’ Rights Act which will see landlords being thumped with a £500 bill to contest a council fine.

The warning comes as the government claims its reforms will reduce possession cases reaching the courts.

Renters’ Rights Act significantly expands the role of the Tribunal

The government has announced a £47 fee for tenants challenging a rent increase through the first-tier property tribunal.

However, a £200 application fee and £300 hearing fee will apply for landlords appealing new financial penalties that local authorities can impose under the Renters’ Rights Act. New rent repayment order routes introduced by the act will also fall under the existing fee structure, with a £114 application fee and a £227 hearing fee.

Propertymark writes on its website that letting agents need to be aware of the changes.

The industry body said: “The Renters’ Rights Act significantly expands the role of the tribunal in the private rented sector. Tenants will be able to challenge proposed rent increases, challenge the validity of rent increase notices, and, within the first six months of a tenancy, ask the tribunal to terminate a tenancy if they believe the starting rent is above the open market rent.

“For letting agents, this means rent-setting evidence, market comparables, tenancy records and notice processes will become even more important. Agents should ensure landlords understand that rent increases may face closer scrutiny and that clear, well-documented reasoning will help reduce disputes.”

Functioning justice systems underpins the whole PRS

Propertymark is also calling on the government to address court delays, as under the Renters’ Rights Act, landlords will rely on Section 8 grounds following the abolition of Section 21.

According to the industry body, the average time from claim to repossession has risen to more than 68 weeks, compared with just over 20 weeks in 2019.

The industry body said: “A functioning justice system underpins the whole private rented sector. If landlords cannot regain possession when they have a legitimate reason to do so, confidence in the sector falls.

“That risk is especially acute at a time when demand for rented homes remains high, and supply is under pressure.”

The government claims the Renters’ Rights Act will reduce court demand, arguing that cases with clear, well-evidenced grounds will proceed more efficiently and overall caseloads should fall.

However, industry experts have warned that time will tell whether the courts can cope with any influx of cases.

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said on the NRLA website: “The housing minister, Matthew Pennycook, has stressed more than once that landlords will still be able to regain their properties quickly when necessary and that the courts can cope. Time will tell.

“In the meantime, it is essential we and the government actively monitor implementation and consider litigation and the impact of case law as parts of the Act are tested in court.”

As previously reported by Property118, in a letter to the Justice Select Committee, the NRLA warned that the government has not provided clarity on how the courts will be prepared for the digital possession process.

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Think tank urges government to introduce rent controls

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Property118

Think tank urges government to introduce rent controls

A left-wing think tank has called on the government to introduce rent controls to tackle “unaffordable housing costs”.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) warns more than 2.5 million renters could end up living in unaffordable housing without government intervention.

The call comes as the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has urged the next Welsh government not to introduce rent controls.

Current system leaves renters exposed

The think tank claims the government should stabilise rent increases through a “double lock” system, limiting annual rent rises to whichever is lower than inflation or wage growth.

According to the think tank, if the system had been introduced in 2020, rents would be around 7% lower by the end of the decade, saving the average renter about £850 a year in England and more than £1,700 in London.

It also estimates the policy would reduce the number of households facing unaffordable rents by 140,000 compared with no intervention.

Dr Maya Singer Hobbs, senior research fellow at IPPR, explains: “Millions of renters are being pushed to the brink by a housing market that simply isn’t working for them. This is no longer a marginal issue affecting a small group, it is a mainstream cost-of-living crisis hitting working households across the country.

“Without action, things will get worse. The current system leaves renters exposed to global shocks and rising costs they have no power to control.

“The government has taken important steps to strengthen renters’ rights, but it now needs to go further. A fair system of rent caps would rebalance the market, protect households from sharp increases, and ensure that rents grow in line with what people can actually afford.”

Slam the brakes on soaring rents

Generation Rent has also called for rent controls, claiming more than four months of renters’ income in a year now goes directly to their landlord.

Pointing to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), private renters in England spend 36% of their gross income on rent.

Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, said: “It’s not right that over four months of our income every year is being swallowed up by landlords. While it was encouraging to see the government recognise this through its recent consideration of a rent freeze, we need to see longer-term action.

“Renters in some of our biggest cities are facing the most back-breaking costs. The government must urgently give metro mayors the power to slam the brakes on soaring rents through limiting rent increases.”

Drive landlords out of the market

However, industry experts and politicians have warned that introducing rent controls will do more harm than good.

Sir James Cleverly, the shadow housing secretary, told The Telegraph: “Rent controls would be completely disastrous for tenants. Cap what landlords can charge and you shrink supply, push rents for new tenants higher and drive landlords out of the market altogether.”

“Labour’s red tape and higher taxes have already forced up rents and reduced choice for renters.”

Paul Shamplina, founder of Landlord Action, told The Telegraph: “We understand affordability issues, but rent controls simply do not work. Landlord panic has been at its height under the Renters’ Rights Act, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and good landlords are leaving the sector.”

Rent controls would be a disaster

The news comes as Plaid Cymru pledged to “better protect renters” as they emerged as the largest single party in the Senedd in the Welsh elections, although without majority control.

However, the NRLA have warned the next Welsh government introducing rent controls in Wales will disincentivise investment in the private rented sector.

Chief executive of the NRLA, Ben Beadle, said: “Rent controls would be a disaster for renters and the Welsh private rented sector. These measures will reduce the supply of private rented accommodation at a time when Wales is suffering from an unprecedented supply crisis.

“Wherever rent controls have been introduced, they have failed and, in this case, would not address the root causes of high rents, the spiralling costs investors face, which are passed on to tenants through increased rents.

“Whatever the outcome of coalition negotiations, we look forward to working with ministers in the next government to ensure Welsh landlords’ concerns are taken into account.”

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Why financially secure landlords are choosing to reduce their portfolios

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Property118

Why financially secure landlords are choosing to reduce their portfolios

Security was always meant to be the end goal. For many landlords, that meant building a portfolio large enough, and stable enough, to provide long-term income and financial independence. Over time, that goal has been achieved. Debt has been reduced, equity has accumulated and risk has been managed. What follows is not always what people expect.

Instead of accelerating, many landlords begin to slow down. The assumption might be that financial strength naturally leads to further expansion. In practice, it often leads to reassessment. Once the original objective has been met, the question becomes less about what else can be built and more about what should be kept. That shift is subtle, but it changes behaviour. Growth requires effort, attention and complexity. Maintaining a larger portfolio brings with it more moving parts, more decisions and more exposure to factors outside of your control. At a certain point, the trade-off no longer feels worthwhile.

This is where simplification begins to take priority. Rather than adding more properties, landlords begin to refine what they already have. That might mean selling selectively, reducing exposure or restructuring how the portfolio is held. The focus moves towards clarity and control.

Evidence of this can be seen in the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey Q1 2026, where a significant proportion of landlords report low levels of borrowing, yet a majority still intend to reduce their portfolios.

This is not behaviour driven by necessity, it is driven by choice. When financial pressure is removed, decisions become more intentional. Landlords are no longer reacting to the market. They are deciding how much of it they want to remain exposed to. That creates a different kind of signal. It suggests that the sector is not simply responding to external conditions, but evolving internally as landlords reach a stage where preservation, simplicity and long-term alignment become more important than continued growth.

For now, one conclusion stands out: financial security is not leading landlords to expand further, it is giving them the freedom to step back.

For many landlords, the question is not whether the market is changing, but what that change means for their own position.

If you are holding a portfolio with relatively low borrowing, or are beginning to reassess how your assets are structured, this is often the point where a more joined-up view becomes useful.

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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Buy to let mortgage costs climb 64% in 10 years

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Property118

Buy to let mortgage costs climb 64% in 10 years

Buy to let landlords are paying up to £5,839 more over a two-year mortgage term than they were a decade ago, research suggests.

And, tucked behind the headline figure, the sharper squeeze is being felt by those on interest-only loans, where monthly costs have climbed by nearly two-thirds.

The analysis by Benham and Reeves found that the average monthly cost of a full repayment BTL mortgage has risen from £695 to £1,031 over the past 10 years.

That is an increase of 48.4%, or £336 a month, based on the average house price, a 25% deposit and a 25-year mortgage term.

RRA impact

The firm’s director, Marc von Grundherr, said: “The buy to let sector has faced a relentless stream of challenges over the last decade and landlords are now contending with substantially higher mortgage costs at the same time as sweeping legislative reform via the Renters’ Rights Act.

“While house prices have increased considerably over the last 10 years, higher borrowing costs have further intensified the financial burden facing landlords and this has been particularly notable for those utilising interest-only mortgages, which have traditionally formed a large part of the buy-to-let market.”

He added: “Many landlords have already absorbed significant increases in operational costs in recent years, from taxation changes and licensing requirements through to energy efficiency regulations and wider compliance obligations.

“Despite this, the sector continues to demonstrate resilience because rental demand remains extremely strong and, in many parts of the country, vastly outweighs the level of available stock.”

House prices rise

The lettings and estate agent say the average house price has risen from £191,298 to £267,957 over the same period, a 40.1% increase.

As a result, the typical landlord now needs a buy to let mortgage of £200,968 after putting down a 25% deposit of £66,989.

A decade ago, the comparable loan requirement was £143,474.

Borrowing rates have also moved higher, with the average buy to let mortgage rate rising from 3.19% to 3.73%.

Monthly BTL interest-only

The increase has been steeper for landlords using interest-only mortgages, which have long been used in the sector because they keep monthly costs lower.

The average monthly interest-only payment has risen from £381 to £625.

That is a 63.8% jump, adding £243 a month to the cost of borrowing.

Over a standard two-year fixed mortgage term, the firm estimates that landlords are now paying £5,839 more in mortgage costs than they would have done 10 years ago.

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

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