Google searches for Making Tax Digital hit record high

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Google searches for Making Tax Digital hit record high

Searches for Making Tax Digital have surged ahead of the April deadline, according to new research.

Under the controversial scheme, from April 2026, landlords earning more than £50,000 will be required to keep digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC using authorised MTD-compliant software.

Landlords earning between £30,000 and £50,000 will join the scheme in April 2027.

614% increase in search term

Analysis of Google Trends by Censuswide, commissioned by software platform Coconut, shows that interest in the term “Making Tax Digital” peaked on 10 February 2026, reaching an index score of 100, the highest level ever recorded in the UK, and a 614% increase compared with 10 December 2025.

In recent weeks, the government has ramped up its campaign for Making Tax Digital with the government publishing guidance to help landlords find the right software for MTD, including a list of approved software providers.

Alongside this, a new online search tool has been launched, which asks a series of questions tailored to sole traders and landlords, before generating a personalised list of compatible MTD software options.

However, as previously reported by Property118, despite the government claiming Making Tax Digital will help landlords, an accountant says this is not the case.

Simon Misiewicz previously told Property118: “There’s no real benefit beyond maybe streamlining some of the work you already do,” he says. “Does it help with tax returns and submissions? The truth is, I can’t see how.

“There’s no advantage for the individual in submitting quarterly returns, because HMRC doesn’t do anything with them until the end of the year. You don’t pay your taxes any earlier, and there is no real cash-flow benefit for the government”.

The government admitted in the Making Tax Digital impact assessment that landlords earning £50,000 could incur an average transitional cost of £285 and an average annual additional cost of £115.

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The Property118 Housing Research Panel

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The Property118 Housing Research Panel

Property118 has spent more than a decade reporting on the private rented sector, helping landlords, journalists, lenders and policymakers understand the commercial and regulatory realities shaping housing supply.During that time, Property118 has also played a quieter but equally important role. We have helped academic researchers engage directly with landlords, supported university research projects, and ensured that findings reached practitioners rather than remaining confined to academic journals.

Now, Property118 is taking the next logical step. We are formalising that work into a structured research initiative designed to measure landlord sentiment, rental supply intentions, refinancing conditions and sector confidence on an ongoing basis.

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Are tenants beginning to see the problem of landlords leaving?

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Are tenants beginning to see the problem of landlords leaving?

Like Thelma and Louise hurtling towards the cliff edge, more people are beginning to see the problems coming with the Renters’ Rights Act.

Thankfully, tenants are now asking why landlords are leaving and why rents are rising.

I say that after reading the comments under a BBC story this week about rents topping £1,000 a month across more than half of Britain’s neighbourhoods.

The story appeared on Property118 too, but the Beeb’s version didn’t just attract the predictable landlord-bashing.

But sadly, much like Thelma and Louise, I suspect we are already too close to the edge to slam on the brakes and save the private rented sector in its current form.

Zoopla’s research shows the average rent for a new tenancy is now more than £1,000 a month in 52% of British neighbourhoods, up from just 23% in 2020.

Rents have risen 36% over five years. Wages have increased too, though nowhere near enough to keep pace.

Rental supply shrinking

Predictably, the commentators said this was bad because landlords are simply charging more.

However, instead of a pile on of others agreeing that landlords are raking in cash for doing nothing (!), I was struck by a new narrative.

It is probably being driven by growing numbers of tenants discovering the basic economics of supply and demand as they try to find somewhere to live.

Several pointed to something landlords have warned about for years: thousands are selling up.

When supply shrinks but demand stays strong, rents rise. That is not ideology; it is arithmetic.

There was even a nod to the rising costs for landlords, from mortgages to tax and regulation, which inevitably land with the tenant at the end of the line paying more.

For years this argument was dismissed as special pleading from landlords protecting their interests.

But now renters themselves are beginning to feel the consequences.

Who replaces selling landlords?

One tenant explained that their landlord had increased the rent by £150 a month after being forced to pay for professional compliance advice.

Others raised the longer-term structural problem: if smaller landlords exit, who replaces them?

In many cases the answer is not first-time buyers.

It is increasingly likely that institutional investors, property companies or cash buyers expanding portfolios will be stepping in.

And more tenants appear to be appreciating what small landlords offer, rather than faceless corporations.

No one defends rogue landlords or poor housing standards, but government policy often has unintended consequences, particularly when it collides with economic reality.

Young people are struggling

Young people are being hit from all sides: high rents, high house prices and large student debts.

For many of them, renting privately is not a lifestyle choice since it has become the only viable housing option.

If the market continues to shrink, the consequences extend far beyond landlords and tenants.

Labour mobility suffers and graduates cannot easily move cities for work.

Their disposable income drains away into housing costs rather than the wider economy.

And yet much of the political conversation continues to treat landlords as a problem to be eliminated rather than being part of the housing system.

What replaces the small landlord?

The irony is brutal and the very people the Act was meant to protect are about to discover that ‘corporate’ and ‘institutional’ landlords are remote and slower to fix things.

Councils and housing associations leave some properties dangerous for years, yet the narrative is that every private landlord is a pantomime villain.

The Act will see more landlords heading for the exit, rents will keep climbing but tenants are starting to speak.

They can see what is happening now, and that’s without the struggles facing landlords after May’s implementation of the Act.

All tenants need to understand that this crisis was made in Westminster, not by the people who actually provide the homes.

Demonise productive capital and watch it vanish.

The unintended consequence is staring us in the face: fewer homes, higher rents and a generation locked out.

And like Thelma and Louise discovering gravity at the edge of the canyon, the laws of supply and demand have a habit of asserting themselves whether politicians believe in them or not.

Until next time,

The Landlord Crusader

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Councils collect just 25% of landlord fines

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Councils collect just 25% of landlord fines

Councils in England have collected only a quarter of the civil penalties issued to landlords for housing offences over the past two years, research reveals.

The National Residential Landlords Association says its data was obtained through Freedom of Information requests to English councils responsible for PRS enforcement.

Across 2023/24 and 2024/25, 285 councils imposed almost £30 million in civil penalties on private landlords.

Just under £7.5 million of that total was actually recovered.

Fed-up responsible landlords

The NRLA’s chief executive, Ben Beadle, said: “Tenants and the vast majority of responsible landlords will rightly be fed up with our findings.

“For too long a minority of rogue and criminal operators have allowed to act with impunity, bringing the sector into disrepute.

“It is galling then to see that those breaking the law are still failing to pay the price – leaving good landlords to pick up the tab in licensing fees.”

He added: “This also raises serious questions about how ready councils are to enforce the Renters’ Rights Act, and about the adequacy of the upfront funding provided to them to support enforcement action.”

RRA implemented in May

The NRLA says that the same records show that nearly 3,700 civil penalties were issued to landlords during the two-year period.

Its research has been published ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force on 1 May.

Under the legislation, the maximum civil penalty available to councils will increase from £7,000 to £40,000.

According to the NRLA, the figures indicate that councils are not collecting funds that could otherwise be used to support enforcement activity in the private rented sector.

Examine council enforcement funding

The organisation says the issue raises questions about how local authorities will enforce the new regime once the higher civil penalties become available.

Alongside the research, the NRLA is calling for the creation of a new Chief Environmental Health Officer post with a national remit for improving enforcement standards.

It is also urging the government to undertake a full assessment of the resources currently available to local authority enforcement teams.

It says an analysis of the funding they will require to enforce the Renters’ Rights Act is needed.

The organisation also says councils should be required to publish an annual report setting out enforcement activity relating to the PRS in their area.

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Landlords told not to wait until Decent Homes Standard to fix rental homes

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Landlords told not to wait until Decent Homes Standard to fix rental homes

The government insists private landlords must not wait until the Decent Homes Standard 2035 deadline to improve rental properties.

Under the Decent Homes Standard, landlords will need to meet certain criteria, including that homes must be in a reasonable state of repair and provide core facilities and services, including a kitchen with adequate space and layout, an appropriately located bathroom and WC, and adequate protection from external noise.

A government document says homes must also be equipped with child-resistant window restrictors and provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.

Should not wait until 2035 deadline

In a written question, Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft asked the government: “Whether it has an assessment of the potential merits of expediting implementation of the Decent Homes Standard to improve maintenance practices in privately rented properties.”

In response, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook claimed landlords must improve rental properties before the 2035 deadline.

He said: “Private rented sector landlords should address non-decency wherever it exists. While we are giving landlords until 2035 to implement our new Decent Homes Standard, we have made clear they should not wait until 2035 to improve their properties.

“We are also acting in other ways to ensure private tenants have safe, warm, and decent homes, including introducing new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for the sector; strengthening local authority enforcement in respect of unremedied hazards; and applying Awaab’s Law Act to the private rented sector through the relevant provisions in the Renters’ Rights Act.”

The government have previously claimed “too many tenants are living in poor quality housing”, with 21% of homes in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) and 10% of homes in the social rented sector failing to meet the Decent Homes Standard.

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Why Many Investors Stay Busy But Do Not Build Real Wealth

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Why Many Investors Stay Busy But Do Not Build Real Wealth

Many investors never ask themselves an important question. What if this year ends up looking exactly like the last one financially?

Not terrible. Not amazing. Just the same.

You worked hard, stayed busy and maybe even made investments. Yet when you step back and look at the results, progress often feels slower than it should.

One common reason is relying on a single strategy to do everything.

The investors who build lasting wealth usually take a different approach. They understand that different assets serve different roles.

The Three Roles Behind Wealth Building

Successful investors tend to focus on three key areas.

Income
Assets that generate regular cash flow provide stability and support your lifestyle.

Growth
Other assets increase in value over time, building long term wealth.

Compounding capital
Protecting and multiplying the capital you already have allows wealth to grow faster over time.

When these three elements work together, progress begins to accelerate.

Where Most People Get Stuck

Most people become reasonably good at making money.

Some learn how to keep more of it.

But far fewer understand how to multiply what they keep.

Without that third step, investors often find themselves working harder each year while their financial progress remains slow.

Working Hard Is Not Always Enough

Many investors stay extremely busy with deals, calls and opportunities.

But activity does not always equal progress.

The real shift happens when investors focus not just on earning more, but on building systems that grow their wealth over time.

When income, growth and compounding are aligned, wealth building stops feeling random and starts gaining momentum.

Want to learn how this works in practice?

Simon Zutshi will be explaining this in more detail during a live online webinar on Wednesday 11th March.

During the session, he will break down the three assets that build real wealth, how they work together, and how investors can position themselves to grow their wealth more effectively.

Book your place on the webinar here.

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Section 24 timeline of how the debate unfolded

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Section 24 timeline of how the debate unfolded

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Government defends EPC standards claiming they help landlords and tenants

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Government defends EPC standards claiming they help landlords and tenants

The government claims energy performance certificate (EPC) standards are “proportional” to landlords and tenants.

In a written question, Plaid Cymru MP Llinos Medi, asked whether the government would consider the impact of proposed changes to the landlord cost cap and exemptions for Welsh private renters

The news comes as the government announced all private landlords in England and Wales will need to meet EPC C targets by 2030.

Manage the burden placed on landlords

Plaid Cymru MP Llinos Medi asked: “To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of lowering the landlord cost cap and introducing low property value exemptions for minimum energy efficiency standards on private renters in Wales.”

In response, Martin McCluskey, minister for energy consumers, claimed the government’s energy-efficiency standards were fair to landlords and tenants.

He said: “The government’s response to the consultation on increasing the minimum energy efficiency standard for private rented homes was accompanied by the Department’s Impact Assessment. The assessment provides an estimated impact of the final policy based on a range of data available, including HM Land Registry and property price data available for Wales.

“The measures included in the final policy are intended to be proportional to help manage the burden placed on landlords and the impact on the rental market, whilst still delivering improved, warmer, cheaper to heat homes for private rented sector tenants.”

Under government plans, landlords will be able to choose between the smart or heat metrics, and the cap on the amount they are expected to invest to meet the new standards will be reduced from £15,000 to £10,000.

The cost cap will be lower where £10,000 would represent 10% or more of a property’s value.

Any spending on energy-efficiency works carried out since October last year will also count towards the planned cap, and the government will deliver a range of finance options, including Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grants.

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Rent arrears and claim values fall despite rise in cases

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Rent arrears and claim values fall despite rise in cases

The average value of rent arrears fell to £1,980 in 2025, down from £2,143 in 2024, according to new data from Reposit.

It also says that claim values also declined over the same period, dropping from £1,207 to £1,178, a reduction of just over 2%.

However, while the monetary value of arrears and claims fell, the frequency of cases increased across the year.

Also, more tenants fell into financial difficulty last year, but the debt recorded in each case was lower than in 2024.

Arrears value falls

The ‘no deposit’ platform’s chief executive, Ben Grech, said: “It’s encouraging to see the average value of arrears and claims falling.

“However, the marginal rise in case volumes shows that financial pressure across the sector remains.

“At the same time, the Renters’ Rights Act is creating a more complex operating environment for landlords, fundamentally changing how arrears and repossessions are managed.”

He added: “With the abolition of Section 21, many landlords are understandably becoming more cautious in their approach to rent arrears.”

Tenant deposit not enough

Mr Grech went on to say that the average cash deposit is now £1,296, which is £629 below the average arrears value.

That shortfall, he warns, highlights the limitations of traditional five-week deposits which don’t provide adequate protection when arrears escalate.

He said: “As a result, we’re seeing growing demand for deposit solutions that offer greater financial protection for landlords and are FCA-regulated, while also reducing compliance risk for agents in light of the new regulations.”

UK rents rose

The firm is pointing to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures which show average UK monthly rents rose by 4% to £1,368 in the 12 months to December 2025.

That compares with annual growth of 4.4% in the year to November.

UK Finance also reported 9,520 buy to let mortgages were in arrears of 2.5% or more in Q4 2025, 9% fewer than in the previous quarter.

During the same period, 770 BTL properties were taken into possession, down 14%.

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Evictions ‘surging’? The court data tells a very different story

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Evictions ‘surging’? The court data tells a very different story

Claims that evictions are “surging” have become a familiar feature of the housing debate. Campaign groups repeat them in press releases, journalists reproduce them in headlines, and the figures quickly take on a life of their own.

The problem is that eviction statistics are often presented in a way that sounds dramatic but does not fully explain what the numbers actually measure.

When the full set of court data is examined, the picture becomes far more nuanced. In fact, the latest official figures suggest that fewer eviction cases were started in 2025 than in the previous year, even though some enforcement activity increased.

Understanding why requires a look at how eviction statistics are recorded in the first place.

If the eviction crisis narrative were correct, possession claims should be rising. The official statistics show they are not.

The eviction pipeline most headlines ignore

The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly possession statistics covering England and Wales. These figures track the progress of eviction cases through the court system.

There are four key stages:

1. Possession claim issued
2. Possession order granted
3. Warrant issued
4. Repossession carried out by county court bailiffs

Each stage represents a different step in the legal process.

The important point is that cases take time to move through this pipeline. A landlord might issue a possession claim today, but the final repossession could take many months to reach the statistics.

According to the Ministry of Justice, the median time from claim to repossession is now roughly 27 weeks, and that does not include the notice period that precedes a court claim.

In other words, eviction statistics are not a single moment in time. They are the outcome of decisions taken many months earlier.

What the latest data actually shows

When the official figures are examined across the whole pipeline, an interesting pattern emerges.

In 2025:

• Possession claims fell compared with 2024, meaning fewer new eviction cases entered the courts.
• Possession orders and warrants also declined.
• Bailiff repossessions increased slightly in some quarters.

At first glance that combination can look contradictory. If repossessions are rising, surely that must mean landlords are evicting more tenants, but in reality, the statistics suggest something quite different. When early stages of the pipeline fall but the final stage rises, the usual explanation is that courts are enforcing older cases that were already in the system. The repossessions recorded today often reflect claims issued six to nine months earlier.

The statistical illusion behind eviction headlines

This timing effect creates a statistical illusion.

Campaign groups and media reports often focus on the final stage of the process, bailiff repossessions, because it represents the moment a tenant actually leaves the property.

Those numbers can rise even while the number of new eviction cases is falling.

That distinction is rarely explained in headlines, yet it is crucial for understanding what is really happening in the private rented sector.

Possession claims are the leading indicator of landlord behaviour; they show when landlords begin eviction proceedings.

Repossessions are a lagging indicator, reflecting decisions made months earlier.

When fewer claims are being issued but repossessions increase slightly, it normally indicates a backlog of older cases being completed rather than a surge in new eviction activity.

Where the Renters’ Rights Act fits in

The timing of the latest statistics also overlaps with the period following Royal Assent of the Renters’ Rights Act. Some commentators have suggested that landlords may be rushing to evict tenants before the reforms take effect. That behaviour may exist in individual cases, but the broader court data does not yet show a wave of new eviction claims entering the system. If anything, the opposite pattern appears in the figures for 2025.

Looking beyond the headlines

None of this means that eviction is not a serious issue for the households affected. Losing a home is always disruptive and distressing. What it does mean is that the statistics deserve careful interpretation.

Housing debates are often shaped by powerful narratives. Yet when the full dataset is examined, the picture can look very different from the headline version.

The most revealing indicator is not how many repossessions happened at the end of the process, but how many new cases entered the courts in the first place. In 2025, that number went down.

When fewer eviction cases are entering the courts but more older cases are being enforced, the statistics can easily create the impression of a surge even when the underlying pipeline is shrinking.

That leaves an obvious question. If the eviction crisis narrative were accurate, why are fewer new possession claims entering the court system?

Are eviction statistics being misunderstood, selectively presented, or deliberately framed to create a more dramatic picture than the full dataset supports?

Property118 readers are well used to scrutinising housing policy claims, so how do you interpret the figures?

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