Stuck between a rock and a hard place when selling a tenanted property?

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Property118

Stuck between a rock and a hard place when selling a tenanted property?

Since Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026, there have been huge increases in the number of landlords searching for information about evicting tenants using Section 8.

Many have convinced themselves they only have two options: keep the property and hope things improve, or evict the tenant before trying to sell, but the problem is that neither option is necessarily as straightforward as it first appears.

The “I’ll just wait until the tenant leaves” strategy can be risky

A surprising number of landlords are effectively doing nothing, they’re concerned about compliance and worried about the future, but reluctant to sell because they assume nobody will buy a tenanted property, so instead they decide to wait, hoping the tenant will leave voluntarily, the market will improve, or the government will change course.

Many do not seem to realise that a landlord who intends to sell “eventually” still needs to remain fully compliant in the meantime.

Sitting tight may feel like a safe option, but in today’s environment, it can be anything but. Tenants are being encouraged to scrutinise their landlords more closely than ever, councils are inviting reports of potential breaches, and a property that appears manageable today can quickly become a source of complaints, enforcement action or compensation claims tomorrow.

Eviction is too slow and a minefield of compliance issues

Section 8 can be a lengthy process, and for many landlords, it is less an exit strategy and more a compliance obstacle course. One mistake with the notice, supporting evidence or court process can derail a possession claim, while landlords who push too hard risk complaints about harassment or improper conduct.

Even if everything goes to plan, regaining possession can take many months and, in some cases, well over a year, which is hardly ideal for landlords trying to reduce risk in an increasingly hostile regulatory environment.

Also, serving a possession notice doesn’t remove a landlord’s ongoing obligations, so if a tenant raises genuine concerns about property condition, safety issues or compliance breaches, those issues may still need to be addressed.

The win, win, win solution – An agreed solution or voluntary surrender

Many landlords facing issues such as missing paperwork, below-market rents, licensing complications or other compliance concerns convince themselves they have no option but to wait for their tenants to leave because they fear any attempt to regain possession could become a lengthy and uncertain legal process. At Landlord Sales Agency, rather than trying to navigate around these problems, we tackle them head on.

One landlord came to us recently with a tenant whose rent had not been increased for years and was significantly below market value. The landlord had had enough of the PRS and wanted out, they didn’t want to raise the rent, or wait for the tenant to leave or to evict the tenant. In short, they wanted to leave but they thought every option presented its own set of problems – they were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

We found a cash buyer looking for turnkey investments from our database of 30,000   investors, owner occupiers and new landlords then got to work making sure the deal worked for everyone.

Unlike any other company selling tenanted properties, we speak to tenants and quickly established they were willing to pay more rent to stay in situ. We mediated negotiations between the tenant and incoming buyer to establish a new rent that everyone would be comfortable with from the start of the new landlord’s ownership.

Crucially, that was only possible because all parties trusted us as an impartial broker. They understood that our role was not to take sides or pursue our own agenda, but simply to find a practical solution that honestly worked for everyone involved.

The tenant kept their home, the buyer acquired a viable investment at a sensible yield, and the seller achieved the clean exit they wanted. A genuine win-win-win for all concerned.

But it didn’t stop there, the buyer wanted to complete in 28 days once their offer was accepted. Landlord sales Agency chased solicitors, answered their queries and solved any issue anyone threw their way to make it happen, just as requested.

We know that sellers don’t complete transactions, buyers do. That’s why we put so much emphasis on looking after buyers throughout the process, helping them solve problems, stay engaged and reach completion, because when buyers are happy, our sellers are far more likely to achieve the outcome they want.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place? Landlord Sales Agency helps landlords take back control

The abolition of Section 21 has undoubtedly changed the landscape, and for some landlords, eviction will still be the correct route – but for many others, it may simply be the most expensive, stressful and time-consuming route.

David Coughlin, CEO Landlord Sales Agency says, “The Renters’ Rights Act has changed the process, but it hasn’t stopped us selling properties. Most successful sales come down to finding practical solutions that work for the buyer, seller and tenant. Every tenanted property we have sold since May 1st has either been sold with the tenant remaining in situ, or the tenant has left after voluntarily agreeing a Deed of Surrender.”

If you’re holding onto a property because you think tenants, licensing issues, compliance concerns or below-market rents make it impossible to sell, don’t make the mistake of assuming eviction is your only option.

Every week we help landlords solve problems that other agents won’t even touch, finding practical solutions that work for sellers, buyers and tenants alike.

Before you spend months navigating Section 8, court delays and ongoing compliance risks, speak to Landlord Sales Agency and discover what your options really are. You may be far closer to taking back control than you think.

Contact us today using the form below for a free, no obligation chat to find out what we can do for you.

(function(){
var uid = “crm-form-ba09a29b”;
var form = document.getElementById(uid + ‘-form’);
var wrap = document.getElementById(uid);
var msg = wrap.querySelector(‘.crm-message’);
var totalPages = 1;
var curPage = 0;

// ── Conditional logic ────────────────────────────────────────────────
var condMap = {};

function getFieldValue(fieldId) {
var els = form.querySelectorAll(‘[name=”‘ + fieldId + ‘”], [name=”‘ + fieldId + ‘[]”]’);
if (!els.length) return ”;
var first = els[0];
if (first.type === ‘checkbox’ || first.type === ‘radio’) {
var checked = [];
els.forEach(function(el){ if (el.checked) checked.push(el.value); });
return checked.join(‘,’);
}
return first.value;
}

function evalRule(rule) {
var val = getFieldValue(rule.fieldId);
var cmp = rule.value;
switch (rule.operator) {
case ‘is': return val === cmp;
case ‘isnot': return val !== cmp;
case ‘greaterthan': return parseFloat(val) > parseFloat(cmp);
case ‘lessthan': return parseFloat(val) < parseFloat(cmp);
case 'contains': return val.indexOf(cmp) !== -1;
case 'startswith': return val.indexOf(cmp) === 0;
case 'endswith': return val.slice(-cmp.length) === cmp;
default: return false; // fail closed — mirror the CRM shared matcher
}
}

function applyConditionals() {
Object.keys(condMap).forEach(function(fieldId) {
var cond = condMap[fieldId];
var rules = cond.rules || [];
var match = cond.logicType === 'any'
? rules.some(evalRule)
: rules.every(evalRule);
var show = cond.actionType === 'show' ? match : !match;
var wrapper = form.querySelector('[data-field-id="' + fieldId + '"]');
if (!wrapper) {
var el = form.querySelector('[name="' + fieldId + '"], [name="' + fieldId + '[]"]');
if (el) wrapper = el.closest('.crm-field, .crm-half');
}
if (wrapper) wrapper.style.display = show ? '' : 'none';
});
}

form.addEventListener('change', applyConditionals);
form.addEventListener('input', applyConditionals);
applyConditionals();

// ── Multi-page navigation ────────────────────────────────────────────

// ── Submit ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
var submitBtn = form.querySelector('button[type=submit]');
var btnText = submitBtn ? submitBtn.textContent : 'Submit';

var crmApiUrl = "https://p118-crm-api.accent.sh";

function collectFormData() {
var data = {};
for (var j = 0; j < form.elements.length; j++) {
var el = form.elements[j];
if (!el.name) continue;
if (el.type === 'file') continue; // handled by uploadFiles()
if (el.type === 'radio' && !el.checked) continue;
if (el.type === 'checkbox') {
if (!el.checked) continue;
var k = el.name.replace('[]','');
data[k] = data[k] ? data[k].concat([el.value]) : [el.value];
} else {
data[el.name] = el.value;
}
}
// GF auto-substituted {user_agent} / {referer} on hidden fields
// at render time. We do the equivalent right before submit so
// fields whose default value carries these placeholders
// resolve to the browser's actual values rather than being
// stored as literal "{user_agent}" / "{referer}" strings.
// The last ARTICLE the visitor read (set client-side on post views by
// P118_Article_Views). Used to attribute the enquiry to the article
// even after navigating away or with a stripped/absent referer.
var lastPost = '';
try {
var lpm = document.cookie.match(/(?:^|;s*)p118_last_post=([^;]+)/);
if (lpm) lastPost = decodeURIComponent(lpm[1]);
} catch (e) {}
var subs = {
'{user_agent}': navigator.userAgent || '',
// Prefer the last article read; fall back to the (lossy) HTTP referer.
'{referer}': lastPost || document.referrer || '',
'{last_post}': lastPost || '',
'{embed_url}': window.location.href || '',
};
for (var name in data) {
if (!data.hasOwnProperty(name)) continue;
var v = data[name];
if (typeof v !== 'string') continue;
for (var tag in subs) {
if (v.indexOf(tag) !== -1) v = v.split(tag).join(subs[tag]);
}
data[name] = v;
}
// Agent/BDM attribution — read LIVE so it works even on a fully cached
// page (the browser always sees the real URL + cookie). URL ?ataid=/?cid=
// first, then the 30-day agent_id/cid cookies set by atat-tracking.php.
var _qp = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
var _ataid = _qp.get('ataid') || (document.cookie.match(/(?:^|;s*)agent_id=([^;]+)/) || [])[1] || '';
var _cid = _qp.get('cid') || (document.cookie.match(/(?:^|;s*)cid=([^;]+)/) || [])[1] || '';
if (_ataid) data.agent_id = decodeURIComponent(_ataid);
if (_cid) data.bdm_id = decodeURIComponent(_cid);
return data;
}

function uploadFiles(data) {
var fileInputs = form.querySelectorAll('input[type=file][data-crm-file-field]');
var uploads = [];
fileInputs.forEach(function(el) {
if (!el.files || !el.files[0]) return;
var fd = new FormData();
fd.append('file', el.files[0]);
var fieldName = el.name;
uploads.push(
fetch(crmApiUrl + '/public/forms/' + "08ceeaae-4809-444e-ba0f-88da5836c463" + '/upload', { method: 'POST', body: fd })
.then(function(r) {
if (!r.ok) throw new Error('File upload failed (' + r.status + ')');
return r.json();
})
.then(function(res) {
if (res.path) data[fieldName] = res.path;
else throw new Error(res.error || 'File upload failed');
})
);
});
return Promise.all(uploads).then(function() { return data; });
}

function submitFormData(data) {
var body = new FormData();
body.append('action', 'p118_crm_submit');
body.append('form_id', "08ceeaae-4809-444e-ba0f-88da5836c463");
body.append('data', JSON.stringify(data));
// Embed-page context for GF-style merge tags ({embed_url},
// {embed_post:post_title}, {embed_post:ID}). Captured PHP-side
// at render time, then echoed to JS so the submit fetch can
// forward to V2 as request headers.
body.append('embed_url', "");
body.append('embed_post_id', "0");
body.append('embed_post_title', "");

return fetch("https://www.property118.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php", { method: 'POST', body: body, credentials: 'same-origin' })
.then(function(r){ return r.json(); })
.then(function(res){
var p = res.data || res;
if (p && p.success) {
if (p.confirmationType === 'redirect' && p.confirmationRedirectUrl) {
window.location.href = p.confirmationRedirectUrl;
} else {
form.style.display = 'none';
msg.className = 'crm-message success';
msg.innerHTML = p.confirmationMessage || 'Thank you for your submission.';
msg.style.display = 'block';
}
} else {
throw new Error((p && p.error) || 'Submission failed.');
}
});
}

form.addEventListener('submit', function(e){
e.preventDefault();
var data = collectFormData();
if (submitBtn) { submitBtn.disabled = true; submitBtn.textContent = 'Processing…'; }
msg.style.display = 'none';

// Standard form (no payment)
uploadFiles(data)
.then(function(d) { return submitFormData(d); })
.catch(function(err){
if (submitBtn) { submitBtn.disabled = false; submitBtn.textContent = btnText; }
msg.className = 'crm-message error';
msg.textContent = err.message;
msg.style.display = 'block';
});
});
})();

The post Stuck between a rock and a hard place when selling a tenanted property? appeared first on Property118.

View Full Article: Stuck between a rock and a hard place when selling a tenanted property?

House prices rise 1.6% as London falls – e.surv

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Property118

House prices rise 1.6% as London falls – e.surv

The latest e.surv report puts the average house price in Great Britain at £327,400, up 1.6% on a year ago.

Its House Price Index reveals that prices have risen 0.2% over the month and 0.4% over the quarter.

Yorkshire and the Humber is the strongest-performing region, with average prices up 3.6% year on year to £235,800.

It has moved ahead of Scotland, which led the table last month.

Home buyers are cautious

The report states: “Higher mortgage rates have made buying more expensive, but the pressure is not evenly spread.

“Mortgage costs take up a much larger share of income in London and the South East than in lower-priced regions.

“Activity remains subdued, but there is little evidence of borrower distress.”

It adds: “Low arrears and repossessions suggest most existing borrowers are coping with higher rates.

“The main drag is buyer caution and affordability, not forced sales.”

Regional house price rises

The data also shows that the North West rose 3.5% to £248,600, Scotland was up 3.3% to £226,100, and Wales increased 3.2% to £236,100.

The West Midlands also remained ahead of the GB average, with prices up 3.1% to £278,700.

The East Midlands recorded annual growth of 2.6% to £265,500.

London was the only region where prices were lower than a year earlier.

The average price in the capital stood at £588,300, down 4.0% annually, although prices rose slightly over the month and quarter.

Southern England continued to lag behind the national figure. Prices were up 1.3% in the South West, 0.9% in the East of England, and 0.3% in the South East.

Wage growth helps

Wage growth has improved some headline affordability measures with average weekly earnings rising risen 8.5% since April 2024.

That compares with 6.4% for CPI and 2.9% for GB house prices.

However, household costs have also risen sharply over the same period.

Food and non-alcoholic drinks are up 6.6%, restaurants and hotels 7.3%, transport 8.0%, energy bills 9.3%, and phones and broadband 10.5%.

e.surv expects house prices to rise year-on-year in the near term, but says growth is likely to remain modest.

The post House prices rise 1.6% as London falls – e.surv appeared first on Property118.

View Full Article: House prices rise 1.6% as London falls – e.surv

Affordable areas see fastest rent rises as supply stays tight

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Property118

Affordable areas see fastest rent rises as supply stays tight

Landlords with homes in cheaper rent markets are seeing some of the sharpest rises in the country, even as rent growth slows across much of the UK.

Zoopla’s latest Rental Market Report says rents in areas where average monthly rents are £750 or less are rising by 5% a year.

That’s more than twice the UK average of 2.1%.

The fastest increases include Carlisle, where rents are up 9.1%, Kilmarnock at 9%, and Halifax at 6.5%.

Those rises are coming from a lower base, with average rents in those markets still around £700 a month and 45% to 50% below the UK average.

Rental gap is closing

Richard Donnell, an executive director at Zoopla, said: “We’re seeing a split in how different regions and cities are responding to changes in the supply and demand for rented homes.

“Our latest report shows just how fast the gap in rents is closing between more affordable regions and major cities where rents are highest.

“Rent inflation is more subdued across most of the UKs major cities due to already stretched affordability levels for renters.”

He added: “While demand for renting is at its lowest level for six years, low levels of new investment in private rented housing means an ongoing scarcity of homes for rent which is keeping an upward pressure on rents.”

Where rents fell

Higher-cost centres are seeing weaker growth, and in some cases falls.

Bournemouth rents are down 1.7%, Nottingham is down 1.5%, and Birmingham has recorded a 1.1% fall.

Nationally, annual rent inflation has eased to 2.1%, down from 2.6% last April.

Average earnings are rising by 4%, meaning wage growth has now outpaced rent growth for 18 months.

Fewer homes to rent

However, supply remains well below pre-pandemic levels and Zoopla says every UK region and country has 20% to 30% fewer homes available to rent than before the pandemic.

The average number of enquiries per rented home reached 5.6 per listing in May 2026, the lowest level for six years and down from almost 16 in 2022.

London is the main exception with demand up 6% year on year, while the number of homes available to rent has not changed.

Rent inflation in London has risen to 2.2%, from 1.9% a year earlier, with the average rent now £2,206 a month.

Zoopla expects rent inflation to remain between 2% and 3% over the rest of 2026.

Tenant demand outstrips stock

Propertymark’s chief executive, Nathan Emerson, said: “In many areas where rents have traditionally been lower, demand remains strong and limited housing supply is pushing prices upwards at a faster rate than the national average.

“The underlying issue remains a chronic shortage of rental supply.

“Propertymark’s own member data consistently shows that prospective tenant demand continues to outstrip available stock, and despite some easing in competition, there are still far too few homes available to meet housing need.

“This is particularly evident in lower-cost locations where renters often have fewer alternatives and less flexibility when prices rise.”

The post Affordable areas see fastest rent rises as supply stays tight appeared first on Property118.

View Full Article: Affordable areas see fastest rent rises as supply stays tight