Hello, As an informative. I’m 73 and (hand) wrote a letter (a bit scrawly on unlined paper!) to HMRC. I mentioned my age, that my memory was not so good, I’m a bit doddery on my feet and not au fait with software although I can manage a basic spread sheet.

I also said I had tried some free MTD (Making Tax Digital) software (xero) but it was completely incomprehensible to me. I am retiring soon and plan to sell my properties in the nearish future.

I received a letter after about 3 weeks granting me exemption.

There is nothing I can find that mentions a specific age “limit” and it will be judged along with your other “handicaps”.

Embellish or not as you see fit! I hope that helps a few people.

Thank you,

G

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April 2017 marked the beginning of one of the most consequential fiscal shifts in modern private renting. Section 24, the restriction on mortgage interest relief for individual landlords, was phased in over four years. It was presented as a fairness measure. Nearly a decade on, the deeper question is whether it achieved its wider economic purpose.

At the time, the stated objectives were clear. Policymakers argued that highly leveraged landlords were distorting competition, outbidding first-time buyers and benefiting from tax treatment unavailable to homeowners. Restricting finance cost deductibility would, it was said, level the playing field and moderate investor demand.

That was the theory.

What followed was not a uniform retreat from the sector, it was more nuanced. Landlords with significant borrowing saw effective tax rates rise sharply, interest cover ratios tightened, and refinancing became more complex. In some cases, portfolios that appeared profitable before tax became cashflow negative after tax. Behaviour shifted accordingly.

Some deleveraged while others sold selectively. Many explored incorporation, transferring activity into company structures where finance costs remain deductible, a subject frequently debated on Property118 over the past decade. The surge in restructuring conversations was reflected in media commentary. The market adapted, but it did not stand still.

The commercial effects were uneven. Some landlords with low gearing absorbed the change. Those with higher borrowing in regions with slower rental growth felt pressure more acutely. Geography, portfolio scale, and timing mattered.

The supply question, however, is harder to answer and far more important.

If the objective was to expand owner-occupation and moderate investor participation, then the relevant metric is not tax collected. It is housing allocation. Have former rental properties transferred meaningfully into first-time buyer hands? Has total rental stock contracted in specific regions? Have institutional entrants offset any exit by smaller operators? Have rents moved differently in areas with historically higher leverage?

Some data exists, clean conclusions do not.

Incorporation statistics show structural change, yet they do not necessarily reveal whether stock was lost or simply restructured. Rental growth is measurable, but causation is contested. The interaction between fiscal reform, interest rate cycles and demographic demand complicates any simple narrative. Wider reforms, including the evolving Renters’ Reform Bill coverage, have also altered landlord confidence during the same period.

What is clear is that Section 24 altered risk perception. When fiscal treatment changes abruptly, capital responds cautiously. For many landlords, the issue was not ideology but predictability. Business planning depends on stable assumptions, so when those assumptions shift, investment decisions follow.

The international context also adds perspective. Several European jurisdictions retain full finance cost deductibility within their rental sectors. Others impose caps but offset them with capital incentives or longer transition periods. The UK chose a comparatively direct recalibration. Whether that model has produced more stable long-term outcomes remains an open empirical question.

It is also important to disentangle policy from macroeconomics. Interest rates rose sharply after Section 24 was implemented. Pandemic distortions followed. Inflationary pressures compounded operating costs. Untangling the specific impact of tax reform from wider economic cycles requires longitudinal analysis rather than short-term commentary.

Nearly ten years on, the debate should move beyond fairness narratives towards measurable outcomes. If rental supply contracted materially, policymakers need to understand why. If ownership patterns shifted, the evidence should be transparent. If incorporation became the dominant adaptation mechanism, that carries its own financing and regulatory implications.

Section 24 was one of the earliest signals of a broader recalibration of landlord policy. Its long shadow remains visible in refinancing behaviour, portfolio structuring and investment modelling. It also sits within a wider reform landscape that Property118 has documented extensively, including the original Section 24 comprehensive report that examined anticipated commercial consequences at the time of implementation.

Now there is enough distance to assess outcomes with greater clarity.

Expanding the Property118 housing research panel

Property118 has recently launched its Housing Research Panel to examine long-term policy impacts across multiple housing markets. The objective is not to relitigate old arguments; it is to test outcomes against intent.

If Section 24 reshaped the private rented sector, we should be able to measure how. If it did not, that deserves equal scrutiny.

The next phase of housing reform will be more credible if it is grounded in evidence rather than assumption. Landlords who wish to contribute data, comparative insight or independent analysis are encouraged to join the Property118 Housing Research Panel and take part in shaping a more rigorous evaluation of modern housing policy.

We are also inviting the following to contribute to and utlise our research by contacting editor@property118.com:

• Journalists with access to regional rental supply data

• Economists analysing housing allocation trends

• Academics studying the relationship between fiscal reform and housing elasticity

Tax policy rarely ends where it begins; it flows through refinancing decisions, supply pipelines, rent negotiations and household formation.

A decade provides sufficient distance for reflection; the evidence now needs to follow.

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Average monthly rents moved in different directions across the country in February, with several regions recording increases while others registered short-term declines, Arla Propertymark reveals.

Its latest rent and salary tracker shows the East Midlands recorded the strongest monthly rise with increases of 3.4% between January and February to £1,027.

The North West followed with a 2.8% increase, taking the average monthly rent to £1,102.

Scotland also recorded a notable rise of 2.7%, pushing the typical rent to £1,070.

PRS is recalibrating

ARLA Propertymark’s president, Megan Eighteen, said: “February’s data reflects a more varied rental landscape than we saw earlier in the winter, with a number of regions recording modest month-on-month rent increases.

“While some regions are experiencing short-term adjustments, the annual salary required to secure a rental property has generally edged upwards year on year.

“This underlines that affordability pressures remain structurally embedded despite monthly volatility.”

She added: “Overall, the data suggests a market that is recalibrating rather than correcting sharply.”

Regional rent rises and falls

Rents in the South East rose 2% during the month, reaching £1,521, while London recorded a smaller increase of 1%, lifting the average rent to £2,226.

However, Northern Ireland saw the sharpest monthly drop, with rents declining 6.6% from £913 in January to £853 in February.

Wales recorded a slight rise from £1,037 to £1,043 and the South West increased 0.7% to £1,372.

The North East recorded a 1.6% rise to £908.

Rent falls were seen in the West Midlands where the average monthly rent slipped 1.3% to £1,040.

Smaller movements were seen in the East of England where rents fell 0.3% to £1,324, and in Yorkshire and Humberside they slipped marginally by 0.1% to £954.

Salary requirements for rent

An analysis of how much salary tenants need to earn to secure the average-priced home has risen in most regions.

Scotland recorded the largest year-on-year increase from £30,300 to £32,100, a rise of 5.9%.

The North West saw a 5% increase (£33,060), Wales it rose 3.7% (£31,290), and in West Midlands it grew from £30,450 to £31,200 (2.5%).

The North East recorded a 1.9% increase to £27,240, while Yorkshire and Humberside rose 1.8% to £28,620.

The East Midlands was up 1.7% (£30,810), the South West grew by 0.7% (£41,160) and Northern Ireland recorded a 0.5% increase (£25,590).

The East of England increased by 0.2% (£39,720and the South East recorded the same percentage movement, reaching £45,630.

In London, the typical salary needed to secure the average-priced home fell 2.2%, declining from £68,280 to £66,780.

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Three years ago, landlords flocked to us to sell their properties. Interest rates had squeezed them, and they were desperate to steady the ship. Sound familiar? You might be one of them.

We got to work, helping over 4,000 landlords sell their properties or downsize until the ships were indeed steadied. And we got the job done. Now, three years later, those same landlords are back looking to sell. Why? Because in just two months, the Renters’ Rights Bill is coming in, and landlords are getting ready to brace.

For anyone else, especially traditional estate agents, two months might seem like an impossible task to downsize a few more buy-to-lets and get ready to sharpen up for the new regulations, but not for us at Landlord Sales Agency.

This is because there are 51 days left until the Renters’ Rights Bill comes in, and our average sale time is less than 28 days.

If you need help selling, you’re going to want to get in touch with us now.

Just last week, we shared the story of a Derby landlord who came back to us for a fast sale. With the Renters’ Rights Act approaching, he wanted to exit some of his more difficult properties but knew the usual routes wouldn’t work. Estate agents meant long delays and uncertainty. An auction meant accepting far less than the properties were worth.

Specialising in landlord portfolio exits, we stepped in to secure full tenant cooperation, protecting the value of the properties and allowing us to position the sale landlord-to-landlord.

The result speaks for itself. We sold 4 of the landlord’s 6 properties to a cash buyer with no searches and no survey, avoiding what could have been a nine-month court delay. Even better, the final price came in £30,000 higher than the investor market.

His story is not unique. Ian, a Landlord who came to us recently, shared that he initially spoke to Landlord Sales Agency because he had “a rented property which still had the tenant in and I needed to sell the property, hopefully with the tenant in place.” Within a short space of time, he’d not only been matched with one of our top property experts, but he also quickly came to an agreement on price and fees etc. Ian shared that immediately after, we’d advertised the property and had a firm offer with a deposit paid within just one month.

But as with all landlord properties, it wasn’t completely plain sailing, and that’s where our team at Landlord Sales Agency excels.

“The purchaser wanted the tenant to vacate, I left this totally in the hands of Landlord Sales Agency, who served notice on the tenant. They were in contact with the tenant and helped her with relocation expenses.” Ian went on to say that everything was resolved without him having to contribute any input or deal with any stress. The tenant moved and the deal completed. “I am extremely happy with the service received and thoroughly recommend Landlord Sales Agency.”

Another landlord, Ali, echoed Ian’s sentiments, adding that he had an “excellent experience using this company. Many other agents were not interested, as I had a tenant in situ, but these guys reassured me they would sell this place and contribute towards costs to help make this transaction as smooth as possible.” He followed up with saying we were a “5 star rating” and that “the business goes above and beyond to help!”

Landlords still need to be realistic on price. You’re going to get 85% – 90% market value, and a huge part of that strategy is in listing properties for very attractive guide prices, but ultimately, with no fees, full management of the sale and a team that gets the job done faster and better than anyone else, it’s a no-brainer. What’s more, we’ve got hundreds of repeat client landlords coming to us to back that up.

So if you’re looking to sell, and you want to get the job done before May 1^st, let us do it for you.

This week in particular, we’re knocking it out of the park with landlords from the North West, so if your properties are based there, there’s no time like the present to get in touch.

No fuss, no hassle, no tenant issues and money in your bank before the Bill comes into play.

Please contact us using the form below if you need assistance.

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Landlords in England dealt with an estimated £470m in rent arrears over the course of a single year, according to an analysis of government data.

Research of official figures by the compliance platform, Propoly, found that 210,163 households fell into rent arrears during 2024-25.

The average amount owed across the year was £2,238, producing a national arrears total estimated at £470.3m.

London generated the largest volume of arrears with renters in the capital accounting for £109.5m of that figure.

‘Significant’ scale of rent arrears

The group’s chief executive, Sim Sekhon, said: “The scale of rental arrears we’re seeing across England is significant, with more than 210,000 households falling behind on their rent in a single year.

“When this equates to over £470 million in missed payments, it underlines just how exposed landlords can be when tenant finances come under pressure.

“For many landlords, rental income isn’t simply supplementary, it’s essential to covering mortgage repayments, maintenance costs and wider financial commitments.”

He added: “It’s been a challenging period for household finances, with higher living costs continuing to stretch budgets, so it’s little surprise that a growing number of tenants are struggling to stay on top of their rent.

“However, while the pressures may be understandable, the financial impact on landlords can be severe and, in some cases, destabilising.”

Regional rent arrears

The North West also exceeded £100m, with regional arrears reaching £103.1m.

After that came the South East at £61m, the West Midlands at £58.1m, and Yorkshire and Humber with £38m.

However, the South West recorded the lowest total, at just under £14m for the year.

Ratio of rent arrears regionally

The firm also found that a regional breakdown of households in arrears reveals that of the 210,163 households affected, 23.3% were in London.

The North West accounted for 21.9% of the national total.

The South East represented 13%, followed by the West Midlands at 12.4% and Yorkshire and Humber at 8.1%.

Meanwhile, the South West accounted for the smallest proportion, with just 3% of England’s total.

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With less than a month to go until Making Tax Digital comes into force, only 5% of taxpayers, including landlords, have signed up, according to a story in The Telegraph.

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 HM Revenue & Customs using authorised MTD-compliant software.

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

People do not understand MTD

Despite HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) ramping up its campaign to promote Making Tax Digital, sources told The Telegraph that only around 50,000 people, just more than 5% of the estimated 864,000 taxpayers who need to register this year, have signed up so far.

Over the next three years, nearly three million taxpayers are expected to join the scheme.

Rachael Griffin, tax and financial planning expert at Quilter, told The Telegraph that many taxpayers, including landlords, still do not understand how Making Tax Digital will work.

She said: “The low sign‑up figures show that many people still do not understand what quarterly reporting will mean for them, and that gap in understanding risks becoming a pinch-point as we approach implementation.

“The risk is a late scramble among those with mixed income sources who realise too late that the new reporting cycle is not optional.”

No real benefit

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, 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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Rents across England rose by 2% year-on-year in February, with the average monthly cost reaching £1,203, the latest Goodlord rental index reveals.

That compares with £1,180 recorded in February 2025.

The annual rent increase also sits below the 2.4% year-on-year rise reported in January and well under the 4% growth recorded at the same point last year.

The index draws on verified tenancy transactions and reflects agreed rental contracts rather than listing prices or advertised rents.

Market is stabilising

The platform’s chief executive, William Reeve, said: “Another month of cooling rental inflation reinforces the picture that the market is returning to some form of equilibrium after a series of record-breaking years.

“This is good news for tenants, particularly if rental price increases continue to sit below wage growth figures.

“It’s also a positive sign that there isn’t a supply shortage, despite the wider regulatory turbulence that landlords are navigating.”

He added: “If these trends continue into spring, it could provide a relatively benign backdrop for the Renters’ Rights Act implementation on 1 May.”

Average rent falls

Regional figures show different movements across the country and in the East of England, average rents fell to £1,305, down 4.5% from £1,367 a year earlier.

The South West also recorded a yearly fall, with rents edging down from £1,218 to £1,208, a drop of 1%.

Northern regions recorded the largest annual increases with the North West seeing average rents climbing from £1,002 in February 2025 to £1,096, an increase of 9.3%.

The North East posted a 5.3% rise, with rents reaching £806.

Regional rent rises

Elsewhere, rents in the East Midlands rose to £963, a yearly increase of 3.7%.

Greater London recorded a 3% increase, with average rents reaching £2,137.

In the South East, rents rose to £1,366, up 1.1% on the year.

The West Midlands saw rents reach £1,018, an increase of 1.8%, while Yorkshire and the Humber recorded a rise of 2.4% to £930.

Month-on-month movements across England, average rents moved from £1,201 in January to £1,203 in February, an increase of 0.15%.

The North West again recorded the largest monthly increase with rents rising from £1,057 to £1,096, a rise of 3.64%.

Voids are shortening

Goodlord also reveals that voids shortened during February after a marked increase in January.

Across England, the average time between tenancies fell from 26 days to 22 days, a drop of 15.4%.

The most pronounced reduction was recorded in the South West, where voids fell from 28 days to 18 days.

In the East of England, the figure dropped from 31 days to 19 days.

In the East Midlands, they fell from 34 days to 25 days, while in the South East they moved from 27 days to 23 days.

In the North West, void periods dropped from 26 days to 22 days and the North East recorded a reduction from 26 days to 23 days.

The West Midlands saw voids fall from 30 days to 27 days.

In Yorkshire and the Humber, the change was smaller, with vacancy periods moving from 24 days to 22 days.

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Most experienced landlords remember the early logic of their property portfolios very clearly. The strategy was simple; a) acquire residential property with high tenant demand, b) finance it sensibly, c) allow tenants to service the debt, and d) hold the assets long term. Over time, rents increased, and capital values rose.

For many investors that approach produced substantial wealth.

Today, however, a growing number of landlords who successfully built portfolios over the past twenty or thirty years find themselves pausing to ask a difficult question.

Should I abandon the strategy that built my wealth?

The question rarely comes from a single problem; it is usually the result of several pressures arriving at once. Interest rates have increased the cost of borrowing, tax changes have altered the economics of highly leveraged portfolios, and regulation continues to expand across the private rented sector. Some landlords who once saw their portfolio as a straightforward investment now feel they are running a complex operating business.

None of this necessarily means the original strategy has failed; it simply means the environment in which that strategy operates has changed.

For landlords with substantial portfolios, the instinctive response is often to consider selling. At first glance, this can feel like the obvious solution because sales reduce management responsibility and convert property into cash. Yet once the numbers are examined more closely, the decision is rarely so simple.

Capital gains tax can remove a significant portion of the realised value.

Future capital appreciation disappears once the asset is sold.

Rental income, which may have been intended to support retirement, must then be replaced by income from other investments.

Many landlords discover that dismantling a property portfolio can unintentionally destroy the long-term wealth the portfolio created. This is why experienced investors often reach a different conclusion once they step back and analyse their position. The real choice is rarely between keeping everything exactly as it is or selling the portfolio entirely. A third option frequently exists; instead of abandoning the strategy, the portfolio can evolve. In other words, the strategy changes shape rather than disappearing.

For landlords with portfolios worth millions, these decisions become increasingly important. The business that once focused on acquisition gradually shifts towards optimisation, income planning and long-term family legacy. Understanding where your own portfolio sits within that transition is often the most valuable step you can take.

That is why Property118 has developed a detailed Fact Find designed specifically for established landlords. It examines the key elements of a property business including portfolio value, borrowing levels, liquidity and long-term objectives. Completing the Fact Find allows our team to understand your current position and explore what strategic options might exist for the next phase of your property journey. For many landlords the exercise alone provides a moment of clarity. The question then becomes not whether the strategy should be abandoned, but how it should evolve.

Important Notice – Scope of Planning Support

Where our recommendations touch on areas requiring regulated input, we refer clients to appropriately authorised professionals for advice and execution.

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More than seven in 10 of Gen Z renters felt overwhelmed, uncertain or anxious when first looking for a home to rent, research reveals.

Figures from Housing Hand’s Understanding Renters in 2025 report, highlight several gaps in knowledge about the basics of renting.

Gen Z is those aged between 12 and 29, and of the tenants surveyed, 85% said they did not receive enough financial education at school to prepare them for renting.

As a result, 36% said they turn to family members for advice and 31% rely on websites, while 16% seek guidance from friends.

The firm’s sales manager, Dani Smith, said: “Young people should feel excited about heading out into the world and renting their first home, but lack of knowledge is denting confidence and negatively impacting the experience from the start.

“The Renters’ Rights Act presents a huge opportunity to address a range of issues in the rental sector, including knowledge gaps among tenants.”

Unsure about financial checks

The findings also show uncertainty around financial checks used by landlords and letting agents.

While 82% of Gen Z renters said they know what a credit score is, 45% said they do not understand how it affects their ability to secure a home to rent.

Knowledge of standard tenancy requirements appears uneven with 35% of respondents admitting they did not know what a rent guarantor was.

Just 32% said they knew about depositless rent schemes, while half of respondents, said they were aware of tenancy deposit protection schemes.

Overwhelmed looking for a home

When asked how they felt when starting the search for a property, respondents aged 16 to 30 most often selected negative responses.

Around 26% said they felt overwhelmed, 20% uncertain, 19% anxious and 8% scared.

The survey also asked how younger tenants would respond if they encountered financial difficulty.

Among those surveyed, 59% said they would not know what to do if they could not pay their rent.

In that situation, 84% said they would turn to their parents for support.

And two-thirds of respondents, said they were uncertain about how the deposit return process works.

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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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