The biggest changes are hopefully not surprises by this point, and many landlords have already checked their existing tenancies and are either ensuring compliance, working with agencies to help them become compliant or are making plans to sell up.

A landlord estate agent can help in this case, whether you plan to sell the house and tenants to another landlord or help you navigate the new laws surrounding evicting tenants.

However, if an election pledge in Scotland is not only met but is adopted in the rest of the United Kingdom, selling a house could itself change, with private renters getting the right of first refusal to buy the house they rent.

What would this mean? Is it likely to happen and affect landlords? And what are the unintended side effects a scheme such as this could have?

What Is The Right Of First Refusal?

As reported by Landlord Today, the Scottish National Party had pledged to introduce a right of first refusal for private renters, but what does this actually mean?

A right of first refusal, at its broadest definition, is a right bound into a contract which gives the holder of the contract the first option to buy or sell an asset on specific terms.

In the context of housing, the right of first refusal is the right of a leaseholder to buy the freehold or superior leasehold of the flat they are in. This is in place to stop landlords from evicting dozens, if not hundreds of people, by selling the building or its land to a third party without warning.

The SNP’s idea of extending this into the rental sector is to grant renters an exclusivity period to buy the property at a “fair market rate”, which is just as nebulous a term here as in the Renters’ Rights Act.

Renters can then either choose to buy at the fair market rate or decline, and the house goes onto the market.

Is This Right Of First Refusal Likely To Happen?

There are several caveats to this pledge. It is an election pledge, so there is no guarantee of when, how or even if it will become law in Scotland.

As well as this, due to the devolved government, even if the right of first refusal were entered into Scottish law, there is no certainty that it would be implemented across the rest of the UK.

The question of whether many renters would be able to take advantage of the system is one that would need to be answered with a much more robust proposal, as if a renter cannot afford to save for a deposit, a period of exclusivity would not necessarily help them get the money in time.

The SNP have also proposed a “First Homes Fund” in the same manifesto, which would part-fund their deposit, but whether that would be enough remains to be seen.

The post Should Tenants Have The Right Of First Refusal On A House? appeared first on Moore and York.

Finding good tenants at the right rental price can be hard work, especially if you are new to the buy-to-let market. 

Laws and regulations for landlords include the Tenant Fees Act 2019, which outlines the fees landlords can charge and the renter reforms expected in 2026. 

The Renters’ Reform Act aims to strengthen protections and make it fairer for tenants. Among other features, the new regulations mean limits on rent increases and changes to rules about no-fault evictions.

Upcoming plans for Energy Performance Certificate changes will involve additional costs for landlords, requiring all rental properties to have a rating of C or above. The government is also considering extending Awaab’s Law, which covers safety, to private rental properties.

The fact that being a landlord is becoming increasingly complicated with a lot of new laws ahead. According to reports, changes to rental rules are forcing some seasoned landlords to consider selling.

How can using an estate agent help?

A residential property agent can take the weight off your shoulders if you are time-poor or are new to the market. Some of the benefits of using an agent to help rent your property are listed below:

• An agent can assist with finding and vetting suitable tenants. This can include any references and credit checks that may be needed for peace of mind.
• They can deal with any search fees, security deposits and keep them safe until needed. 
• A service can include monthly rent collection, and they can chase rent arrears. If a renter becomes a debtor, they can provide expert advice. 
• They can create contracts, including terms and conditions, and ensure they are up-to-date with new rules. 
• If the property needs regular inspections, an agent can provide this, as well as resolve deposit disputes.
• Some services include full management of the property, from advertising for a new tenant through every aspect of the letting process. They would deal with any issues or problems that arise. 
• An agent will have the knowledge and experience to help a new landlord understand and navigate renting regulations. They can help clarify and cut through any red tape that might otherwise trip up a new landlord.

What fees do estate agents take for renting a property?

The fee an estate agent or lettings agent takes for a property covers their administration fees, insurance, taxes and staffing. The actual cost is dependent on the size of the property or number of bedrooms and the expected rental price.

You will also need to decide the level of service you want from the agent. Fees should always be commensurate with the service offered and an agreement should include what happens when a property is unoccupied. 

The estate agent should be experienced and qualified to be able to talk you through options before you make a decision. 

Speak to our highly experienced lettings staff at Moore & York to discuss your property needs.

The post Why Is An Estate Agent Essential For A New Landlord? appeared first on Moore and York.

For the Midlands to be overlooked amid such binary distinctions is more than just an irritation; it ignores the fact that those living in the heart of England have their own interests to consider.

This is as true for the property market as anywhere else. Estate agents in Leicester will not be dealing with property prices up north or down south, but right here.

However, there are some points where it is worth house buyers noting that the Midlands is sometimes right in between the north and south in more than just geography. Right now, that certainly appears to be the case when it comes to house prices.

How Much Do Properties In The East Midlands Cost?

A table of regional house prices published by the Negotiator in mid-February produced a fascinating picture. Based on the combined surveys of institutions like Nationwide, Zoopla and Rightmove, it showed a very stark contrast.

On the one hand, the cheapest region by price was the north-east, then the north-west, followed by Yorkshire and the Humber. At the other end of the scale, London was the most expensive, the south-east next, followed by the East and then the south-west.

This left the Midlands right in the middle in more ways than one. The typical house price in the East Midlands was priced at £285,611 according to Rightmove, but lower than this, at £238,183, according to Nationwide.

Such prices do not represent a huge gap with the north-west or Yorkshire, although the north-east is well down, with only one survey putting the typical price there at over £200,000.

By stark contrast, the average in London is over half a million and, according to Rightmove, an eye-watering £679,000. 

However, these contrasts are only part of the story:

•       The lower prices are the more they have risen, with towns and counties in the north of England and also Scotland seeing the highest increases
•       By contrast, London prices have either fallen or only risen modestly
•       Reduced interest rates, thanks to recent Bank of England rate cuts (three since August 2024), have encouraged the markets more in less expensive areas by increasing affordability

What Are The Local Price Variations In Leicestershire?

The other element that is always important to consider when looking for a property in Leicestershire is local variations, as well as how the average is skewed by changes in different house types, both of which may change to different extents.

For example, according to the Office for National Statistics, the typical house price in Leicester was £226,000 in December 2025.

Not only was this less than the regional average, but the change in price differed too: It was down by 1.4 per cent year-on-year, whereas across the East Midlands as a whole the average was up by 2.4 per cent.

The difference in house type price trends was also notable, with the price of flats in Leicester down 5.3 per cent year-on-year, whereas semi-detached homes stayed static.

What all this shows is that when it comes to discovering property prices in Leicestershire, there is more to it than working out where the Midlands comes in a report on north-south divides.

The post How Is The East Midlands Property Market Performing? appeared first on Moore and York.

With the Renters’ Rights Act now law and many of its provisions either having already come into effect or are expected to do so within the next 12 months, everyone in the rental sector is working hard to ensure that they are up to date and ready for the transition.

One of the biggest changes expected this year has to do with rent; with tenancy agreements changing and the end of section 21 evictions, there is an expectation that most tenants will stay longer in their current accommodation and rent increases will be more structured and less common as a result.

The new process for many people will involve a section 13 notice (otherwise known as Tenancy Form 4a), but it is important to understand what you can do, what you cannot charge and how professionals can help you navigate the process.

How Can A Landlord Increase The Rent?

Once the law changes on 1st May 2026, there will be only two ways to increase rent payments:

• Get your tenants to agree to a rent increase in writing before filling in a section 13 notice to formalise the process.
• Filing a section 13 notice to propose a rent increase, giving at least two months’ notice.

Given the strengthening of tenant protections to avoid eviction-by-proxy by increasing the rent to unacceptable levels, there are restrictions on how often you can file a rent increase notice and by how much.

How Can You Give A Tenant Notice Of A Rent Increase

• In person by handing over the form.
• By post, by sending it to an address they can reasonably be expected to use.
• Sometimes by email, but only if the tenancy agreement allows it.

How Often Can You Increase The Rent?

Outside of written agreements, a landlord can only increase the rent once a year through a Section 13 notice, and a landlord cannot increase the rent during the first 12 months of a tenancy.

One huge change is that even informal rent increases must go through the section 13 process, which means that there still needs to be at least two months’ notice before you can actually increase the rent, even if your tenants agree to it.

How Much Can You Increase The Rent By?

As well as this, there are greater restrictions on how much you can increase the rent by, largely to protect the rights of tenants by not allowing rent increases to be misused to force people out.

Whilst regulated tenancies (or fair rent) have different rules, the rules most landlords will need to follow are that the rent cannot be more than you would reasonably expect to receive for a new tenancy on the open market.

Tenants will be able to challenge this via an independent First-tier Tribunal without prejudicing their existing tenancy as well, so it is important to get this right.

The process factors in the current condition of the property if the Tribunal agrees that any issues in the home are not caused by the tenant themselves. 

A case reported by LandlordZone in March 2025 found that a proposed rent increase was reduced by 10 per cent, turning what would have been an achievable rent of £2300 per month (itself down from an expected increase to £2500) to a market rent of £2070, just £70 more than the current price.

The post How Will Rent Increases Work Under The Renters’ Rights Bill? appeared first on Moore and York.

These reforms, which collectively form the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, received Royal Assent that year, but many of its most significant changes will take legal effect throughout 2026 and beyond.

This gives landlords time to prepare, but if you are concerned, get in touch with an independent estate agent who specialises in letting to receive tailored, independent advice regarding your next steps.

How long do you have left to prepare? What should you expect to change this year? And what else will change over the next few years?

What Are The First Landlord Reforms To Come In?

The first stage of the Renters’ Rights reforms is set to come into effect on 1st May 2026, but it is perhaps the most immediately significant and the one that landlords should be making arrangements to prepare for now.

It will fundamentally change how tenancies are structured, rental practices, the balance of power between tenants and landlords and how the end of tenancies will be managed from now on.

No More No-Fault Evictions

By far the biggest and certainly the most publicised change is the abolition of Section 21, where a landlord can repossess a property with two months’ written notice without a stated reason.

Instead, either tenants and landlords must agree to a moving out date, or you must rely on a new set of grounds for eviction which, alongside existing grounds such as antisocial behaviour or at least three months of rent arrears, includes evictions for refurbishment and redevelopment requirements or repossession to sell or to allow a close family member to live in it.

If you need to use a Section 21 order to evict a tenant, it must be served before 1st May.

No More Fixed Term Tenancies

By default, assured periodic tenancies will be the default type of rental agreement, working on a rolling basis and only ending with a Section 8 notice or once a tenant gives two months’ notice.

Once A Year Rent Increases

The Act also intends to end the practice of backdoor evictions through serious rent hikes, where long-term tenants are forced out of their homes.

Instead, rent increases must be in line with local market rates and can only be increased once per year, with at least two months’ notice of the intended new rent.

Only One Month’s Rent In Advance

Landlords can only ask for one month’s worth of rent in advance, which, alongside a ban on rental bidding, helps to make the process of renting more transparent and more attainable.

No Bans On Children, Pets And Benefit Claimants

Landlords cannot directly or indirectly refuse or discriminate against tenants simply because they have children or receive Universal Credit or another type of benefit.

Similarly, landlords can no longer refuse a written request to keep a pet without a good reason.

What Other Changes Will Affect Landlords This Year?

By the end of 2026, there will be two new initiatives rolled out:

• A private sector landlord database, which includes contact information, details of properties they own and safety compliance certification and reports.
• A private sector landlord ombudsman, which provides free and independent advice to help mediate disputes between tenants and landlords.

As well as this, work will begin on a Decent Homes Standard for private landlords, which will require landlords to act on serious health hazards according to a legally enforceable timeframe and meet minimum sustainability and stricter energy efficiency requirements.

The post When Will The Renters Rights Act Affect Landlords This Year? appeared first on Moore and York.

Some have responded to this by selling up and getting out of the property sector, but others have found that by working with property management agents like us, they can access the help and expertise they need to remain active in the sector, placing the management of their rental properties in the hands who can run them in changing times.

The biggest change yet to the property sector in decades has been the recent passing of the Renters’ Rights Act. The Act, devised by the Labour government, had many similarities to reforms the previous Conservative government had been pushing through parliament before their Renters Reform Bill lapsed when Parliament was dissolved for the 2024 election.

Why Is There Concern About The Impact Of The Act On Student Lets?

However, some specific elements of the new act have caused major concerns in parts of the rental sector. One of these is a change that is expected to have major ramifications for the student rental market.

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has warned that the timetable for the implementation of the act, which was confirmed this month, poses a major problem.

Because the implementation period begins on May 1st, any landlord taking possession of a housing of multiple occupancy (HMO) student property at this time will, because there is a four-month notice period required under Ground 4A, not be able to get the property back until September 1st.

This means they will not be able to regain possession of their properties by the end of August 2026, too late to rent them out to incoming students whose tenancies will be due to start on September 1st.

According to the NRLA, this will make the shortage of student housing worse. Its chief executive, Ben Beadle, said: “The failure to protect the annual cycle of all student housing will shut people out of higher education and make it harder for others to plan where they will live.“

How Much Uncertainty Is The Renters’ Rights Act Creating?

This is far from the first time that the NRLA has raised concerns about the implementation of the Act. When it received royal assent in October, Mr Beadle called for the implementation of the Act to take place over at least a six-month period to provide as much certainty and adjustment time as possible.

He also warned that the reforms must not deter landlords from investing in the private rental sector, as this is so important to the UK economy.

To protect against this risk, the government “should commit to ongoing monitoring of their impact and ensure its findings are published,” Mr Beadle added.

As the new law beds in, having experts in property management helping with your rental property can be vital in helping you steer through the potentially choppy waters, as the new law beds in, with the potential for some issues to be a problem early on and then settle down, or amendments to be made to tackle clear shortcomings.

With our help, we can enable long-term investors to steer through the shorter-term teething troubles as the ideals behind the new reforms encounter the reality of a complex and diverse rental sector.

The post Will The Renters’ Rights Act Wreck The Student Sector? appeared first on Moore and York.

To find out what the Act involves and how it will impact buy-to-let owners, read on. 

Need a valid reason to evict

Tenants will be protected by the abolishment of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. This means landlords will not be able to give notice of eviction to renters without a legal reason. 

These include selling the property, yourself or a close relative planning to live in the house or flat itself, planning substantial redevelopment of the property, or the asset being repossessed by the mortgage company. 

With these grounds, four months’ notice needs to be given to the tenant, as opposed to the current two months. 

Property owners will also not be able to relet their property for a year after using these grounds to evict the tenant. So if a landlord removes the inhabitant by putting it on the market, they cannot get another tenant in for 12 months after giving notice, even if they change their minds about the sale.

The landlord is still able to evict the tenant if they owe at least three months’ rent, if they cause significant damage to the property, if they exhibit antisocial behaviour, or if they gave a false statement when applying for tenancy. 

Abolition of Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs)

The government will abolish ASTs and replace them with Assured Periodic Tenancies (APTs). This means all tenancies will no longer be on fixed-term contracts, but rather the agreement will be rolling. 

This provides tenants with greater security, knowing their tenancy will not come to an end after 12 or 24 months. 

At the same time, it gives renters the flexibility of being able to move out of the property with just two months’ notice, instead of having to fulfil the term of the contract.

Therefore, landlords will no longer have the reassurance their property will remain inhabited for a particular length of time, and will need to be financially prepared to have an empty asset if the tenant chooses to leave. 

Restrictions on rent increases

Under the new legislation, rents can only be increased once a year to the market rate. This is the same fee that the property would achieve if it was put on the rental market at the time. 

In order to raise the rent, they will have to serve a Section 13 notice, which gives the tenant two months’ notice of the increase. 

However, if the inhabitant disputes the rise, they can challenge this at the First-tier Tribunal, though they will never be made to pay more than what the landlord has asked for. 

Written tenancy agreements compulsory

Before entering into a tenancy agreement, a written contract must be given to tenants. This should cover the changes in the Renters’ Reform Act, setting out their legal rights. 

New tenants are required to sign the agreement before any rent can be paid to the landlord. 

Removal of rental bidding

Demand for rental properties remains high, as a result of steep mortgage costs and a lack of available houses or flats to rent out. 

Research from Rightmove revealed that tenants are now paying £400 more per month for their property than they were in 2020, with rents having climbed by 1.2 per cent from the first quarter of the year to the third outside of London. 

Therefore, the new legislation is removing the possibility of bidding on rents, which would allow landlords to get the best fee for their asset, but also price many out of the rental market.

Instead, the monthly rent that is advertised at the letting agents for landlords has to be what they accept, and keen renters cannot bid higher than this. 

No discrimination against tenants

Rental discrimination will be prohibited, which means landlords will not be able to prevent families with children or people in receipt of benefits from living in their property. 

They can continue to carry out referencing checks and have the final call on who moves into their property, but their decision has to be based on the affordability of the potential tenant. 

Cannot refuse pets

Landlords will also no longer be able to refuse tenants who have pets or prevent them from getting one. 

Instead, they can make sure their property remains protected by drawing up a fair pet policy that stipulates expectations regarding property upkeep and the suitability of the flat or house.

The post How The Upcoming Renters’ Rights Act Will Impact Landlords appeared first on Moore and York.

This means that it is law as of 7:40 pm on the 27th October 2025, but there is a difference between this legal process completing and when what is now the Renters’ Rights Act will start to affect landlords and renters alike.

What it does mean is that there will be no further amendments to this particular piece of legislation and no more recourse for it to be rejected by either of the houses. 

This means that landlords have to work within the new law or get in touch with a specialist estate agent to sell up. 

Exactly which option is best for you will depend on your particular circumstances, and to explain why, here is what the Renters’ Rights Act changes right now, what it is set to change in the future, and your options as a landlord.

What Does The Renters’ Rights Act Change?

For the most part, the fundamental aspects of the Renters’ Rights Bill have remained largely unchanged, and many of the biggest and most controversial elements of the bill remain.

So-called “No-fault” Section 21 evictions have been abolished in favour of a new periodic system of tenancies with a different set of grounds for possession.

Above-market rents have been restricted due to tenants being able to appeal them, and a Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman will provide arbitration and dispute resolution for issues between landlords and tenants.

The Private Rented Sector Database is remaining, as is the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law, which for some landlords will mean very little change, whilst for others could require costly and disruptive upgrades and repairs.

Landlords will be required to allow pets unless they have a reasonable reason to refuse, something that proved particularly controversial as it was not included in line with a pet insurance or pet deposit requirement.

Finally, rental bidding is banned, and enforcement of legal requirements for landlords and rent repayment orders has been strengthened.

When Will All Of This Come Into Effect?

The exact timescale for these rules to come into effect and become legally binding is likely to be revealed at the end of the year, and there will be updates surrounding the entire process. 

The letter of the law says that it is up to the Secretary of State to set the commencement date, which could theoretically mean that the Housing Minister could state that it comes into effect at any time, or they could choose to wait or announce that it starts up to a year in the future.

As some parts of the Act will be far easier to implement than others, it seems likely, albeit not guaranteed, that it will take effect closer to the middle of 2026 than the beginning. 

There will need to be a clear, far-reaching set of communications to explain to landlords what it means and what their new responsibilities are.

Some parts of the Act will enter law far sooner, including the responsibilities of local authorities and the end of the assured shorthold tenancies (AST) trap, which are both set to be in force by 27th December 2025.

However, the rest of the elements of the law are still up in the air, with some parts, such as the implementation of the Decent Homes Standard for private rental properties, potentially being delayed until 2035.

The post When Does The Renters’ Rights Bill Come Into Legal Effect? appeared first on Moore and York.

With the Renters’ Rights Bill rapidly approaching royal assent, and many of its biggest changes likely to be finalised, everyone from people renting bedsits to sprawling asset managers is evaluating their options.

This is particularly true when it comes to self-managed landlords, as a lot of the responsibilities and changes that letting agents and property managers would otherwise handle will fall on their shoulders.

The answer will vary a lot depending on the type of landlord you are, how you ended up getting started with managing properties, and what you personally enjoy about being a landlord.

If You Are Willing To Commit The Time

Some people describe being a landlord as a job with 24/7 commitments, and whilst you will not spend a considerable amount of every day helping with tenant issues, there will be times when you will need to be available to sort out a response to an urgent issue.

Sometimes, emergencies such as gas leaks, broken heating systems, flooded drains, burst pipes, or even fires can happen, and tenants must have a point of contact to get these serious issues fixed as a matter of urgency.

Some days you may need to commit more than a 9-5 to managing your properties, whilst on other days it may take less than an hour. The key is knowing if you have the capacity to commit as if you are on-call 24 hours a day.

If not, make sure you work with professionals who can.

If You Are A People Person

Being a landlord is being a problem solver and an ardent diplomat; you want to find ways to navigate around issues fairly but firmly, and maintain a network of contacts that you regularly keep in touch with.

Tenants often have different negotiation styles that they respond better to, as well as different needs and pain points. A good relationship will necessitate that you understand and work around these.

Similarly, you will need a network of local contractors who can help with plumbing, gas engineering and electrical work, to ensure that you are keeping within the law and keeping your tenants safe.

Some people like to do this themselves, but a property manager will often have their own system for managing issues and a network of contractors who can fix problems.

If You Are Willing To Keep Up With The Law

Whilst the Renters’ Rights Bill is the most recent major change in the law, it is far from the first time landlords have had to keep track of their legal requirements, responsibilities and liabilities in an ever-changing landscape.

The rules surrounding eviction, for example, have fundamentally changed, which is something you will need to take into account, as well as ensuring you have the provisions for (or a good reason for not) allowing pets to stay with your tenants.

It is a lot for one person or a family to handle on their own, but letting agents can help with either some of or the entire process of managing a property.

The post Is It Still Worth Becoming A Self-Managed DIY Landlord? appeared first on Moore and York.

All sorts of things might be targeted in the Budget and that might include having to break some Labour manifesto pledges. However, anyone planning to buy a house will not just be thinking about how this affects their overall finances; some specifically relevant areas, like stamp duty, might be affected.

Estate agents in Leicestershire will be watching the November 26th speech closely and ready to provide help and advice if this is the case, enabling you to take steps accordingly to meet the changes.

Stamp Duty Changes Or A New Property Tax?

Some might expect a simple hike in stamp duty to put more money in the Treasury’s coffers. Among other speculated changes is a new annual property tax on more expensive homes that would be paid either instead of, or in addition to, stamp duty, by the buyer.

A survey by TLF Research found that 96 per cent of homeowners thought this would be unfair, as would a proposal that the stamp duty be paid by the seller, not the buyer. Other findings showed widespread concern that such measures would be very unfair to older sellers wanting to downsize.

Part of the speculation is that an annual property tax would be set at 0.5 per cent on homes valued at over £500,000. This may be of much greater concern to people living in more expensive areas of the country, such as London, where such prices (and higher) are the average, whereas the typical home in Leicestershire is much cheaper.

For example, the average property price in Leicester is £232,000. In Blaby, it is £286,000, which is the highest of any local authority in the county, followed by North West Leicestershire at £272,000.

Nonetheless, there will be some houses in the county that are priced over £500,000. It may be that in the case of those priced just above this figure, sellers will have to drop the asking price to just below, as buyers will want to avoid any new property tax.

Wriggle Room In Manifesto Pledges

In its 2024 election manifesto, Labour’s five pledges included more economic stability, which included a pledge to “keep taxes as low as is possible”. That, of course, is the kind of pledge that can easily be rationalised when a government feels it has little option but to raise taxes.

The only specific stamp duty pledge was a one per cent increase on the rate paid by property purchases by non-UK residents. However, in her first Budget, Ms Reeves did impose more changes.

Some of these were not a concern to most buyers, such as higher stamp duty rates for second home purchases and purchases by companies (the latter acting as a deliberate disincentive for buy-to-let investors).

While such tinkering will bring in some extra revenue while reducing certain types of purchases, more fundamental stamp duty reform was avoided. It remains to be seen whether that is being lined up for this year.

Either way, once whatever is hidden in the famous red box is made public, we can help you understand the implications for your house purchasing plans of any changes that are made.

The post Will The November Budget Bring More Stamp Duty Changes? appeared first on Moore and York.