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Do Landlords Still Need to Provide the How to Rent Guide?

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  Yes, landlords must still provide the How to Rent Guide to tenants in 2026. Despite major changes to tenancy law, this requirement remains firmly in place. Understanding what documents tenants need is directly connected to your ability to regain possession of your property. Without proper compliance, your Section 8 eviction notice may be invalid from the start. What Is the How to Rent Guide? The How to Rent Guide is a government document published on GOV.UK that explains tenant rights and responsibilities. It covers topics including deposits, repairs, eviction procedures, and where tenants can seek help. The document is updated periodically, so landlords must always provide the current version. When Must You Provide It? Landlords must give tenants a copy of the How to Rent Guide before the tenancy begins. For tenancies that started before 1 October 2015, you only need to provide it when a new tenancy agreement is signed, not at renewal. You can provide the guide as a printed do...

How Much Capital Gains Tax Do You Pay When Selling a Rental Property?

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Selling a rental property in the UK can generate a significant profit but it also comes with a tax bill that catches many landlords off guard. Capital Gains Tax is one of the most important costs to factor in before you decide to sell and understanding how it works could save you thousands of pounds. If you have already been managing your taxes on rental income carefully then you will know that HMRC keeps a close eye on property profits and selling is no different. What Is Capital Gains Tax on Property? Capital Gains Tax is a tax on the profit you make when you sell an asset that has gone up in value. When it comes to residential property, you are taxed on the difference between what you paid for the property and what you sold it for, minus any allowable costs. It is important to understand that you are not taxed on the full sale price. You are only taxed on the gain. What Are the Current CGT Rates for Residential Property? As of the 2025 to 2026 tax year, the Capital Gains Tax rates...

Can a Missing Property Inventory Cost Landlords Thousands in Disputes?

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  The tenant has moved out. The property needs repairs. You want to make deductions from the deposit, but you have no inventory to prove the original condition. This scenario costs landlords thousands every year. Without proper documentation, even legitimate claims fail during adjudication. Understanding how inventory protects your investment also helps prevent housing disrepair claims by creating clear records of property condition throughout the tenancy. Why Property Inventories Matter More Than Ever? Data from the Tenancy Deposit Scheme reveals that 4.7 million deposits are now protected in England and Wales. The average deposit stands at £1,175. When disputes arise, adjudicators rely entirely on evidence provided by both parties. Without a signed, dated inventory with photographs, your claim for deductions will almost certainly fail. The statistics tell a reassuring story on one level. Only 1% of all deposits required formal adjudication in the twelve months to March 2025. Th...

How Will the Planning and Infrastructure Act Change Property Development in the UK?

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The government has called it the most significant planning reform in a generation. The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025, promising to transform how Britain builds homes and infrastructure. For landlords and property investors, understanding these changes matters enormously. If you want to explore how this legislation affects property investment, learning about the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and its implications helps you plan ahead. The Problem the Act Aims to Solve Britain's planning system has been broken for years. We need approximately 300,000 new homes annually. We build around 200,000 in good years. The shortfall has created a housing crisis that pushes rents higher and locks buyers out of the market. Planning permission numbers tell the story clearly. In the third quarter of 2025, only 42,000 new homes received planning approval in England. That represents a 31% year-on-year decline and the lowest quarterly total in over ...

Why Real Estate Crowdfunding is the Future of Property Investment?

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Imagine owning a piece of a high-end property without ever dealing with tenants, paperwork, or massive upfront costs. Sounds unrealistic? A few years ago, it was. Today, real estate crowdfunding is quietly transforming how ordinary people step into the property market, and it’s doing so in a way that feels more accessible, more flexible, and surprisingly simple. If traditional real estate felt like a closed club reserved for the wealthy, crowdfunding is the open door that’s changing everything. Let’s walk through why this shift is happening; and why it matters more than you might think. The Old Way of Investing in Property (And Why It’s Fading) For a long time, real estate investing followed a very predictable path: You saved money for years, took on a large loan, bought a property, and then spent even more time managing it. On paper, it sounds straightforward. In reality, it often looked like this: Huge financial pressure upfront Endless maintenance responsibilities Tenants calling a...