Landlords Face Timebomb Warning over EPC Upgrades
Private landlords in England must upgrade rental properties to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C by 2030, with potential costs of up to £15,000 (≈ $19,000) per unit. A recent NRLA analysis shows 62% of landlords are unaware this is a legal requirement, and 33.8% of rented homes already fall short of the mandatory standard. Non‑compliance could trigger fines of £30,000 (≈ $38,000) per property, while the affordability threshold sits around £7,700 (≈ $9,800). The looming deadline is compounded by limited landlord reserves and stretched installation lead times.
Reposit Announced as Goodlord Deposit Replacement Partner
Goodlord has appointed Reposit as its exclusive partner for deposit‑replacement solutions on the Goodlord platform. The arrangement offers landlords up to 60% more tenancy security than a conventional cash deposit, while tenants can secure a property by paying a non‑refundable...
Sellers Seek AI Reassurance on Estate Agent Valuations
Acaboom’s AI Concierge analysis shows homeowners increasingly turn to artificial intelligence after estate‑agent valuation appointments to probe pricing methodology, fee structures and marketing reach. More than half of the anonymised conversations centered on pricing confidence, fees and contract terms, indicating...
Lettings Market Shrugging Off Renters’ Rights Act, Foxtons Claims
Foxtons reports that London’s lettings market is holding steady despite the new Renters’ Rights Act. In April, new listings rose 3.7% year‑on‑year, while applicant registrations jumped 9.5% month‑on‑month but remained 6% below the same period in 2025. Competition eased, with...
Letting Agent Sees Near 80% Jump in New Rentals
Partridge Homes, a family‑run letting agent in south Birmingham, recorded 129 new lettings from January to April 2026 – a 79 percent increase over its previous four‑month record. This surge comes despite a 20 percent national decline in rental demand and the...
New Build Prices Suffer Slump, Propertymark Warns
Propertymark reports a modest decline in average new‑build asking prices across the UK between April 2025 and April 2026, with Wales seeing the steepest drop from £385,488 (≈$493k) to £365,789 (≈$468k). The South West experienced the smallest reduction, falling to...
Asking Prices Rise £4K in a Month, Says Rightmove
Rightmove’s latest data shows the average asking price for a newly‑listed UK home rose by £4,333 (≈$5,500) in May, a 1.2% month‑on‑month increase that pushes the national average to £378,304 (≈$480,000). The gain outpaces the typical 10‑year May rise of...
“Wars Are Fought in Less Time” Says Agent Calling for Conveyancing Reform
Senior estate agent Warren Sanders of Sanders & Sanders has launched a petition demanding a full overhaul of the UK conveyancing system. He highlights that the average property transaction now takes about 120 days from offer to completion, with roughly...
INTERVIEW: Corporate Accountability Comes to Conveyancing
Patricia Rees‑Stott, a former Capita executive, has become Director of Operations at Fix My Legals, a conveyancing concierge that links estate agents, solicitors and brokers. The firm, already completing transactions in about 74 days—faster than the sector norm—plans to shrink...
First-Time Buyers Held Back by ‘Deposit Myth’
A Mortgage Advice Bureau survey of renters planning to buy in 2026 reveals a pervasive “deposit myth” that is deterring first‑time buyers. While 39% believe a 10% down payment is required, only half correctly identify 5% as the typical minimum....
Fine & Country Director Takes on Welsh Walking Challenge
Tom Carter, director of Fine & Country North Wales, is joining six colleagues for a 47‑mile Cross Wales Walk that starts at the Shropshire‑Powys border and finishes in Aberystwyth. The team will set off at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday and aim...
REVEALED: Why Estate Agent Websites Fail AI Search
AI-driven chat tools like ChatGPT are reshaping how homebuyers research estate agents, shifting traffic away from traditional Google queries. Many independent agents still rely on generic template websites that lack the technical foundations needed for AI crawlers. The article outlines...
Agents Reminded They ‘Don’t Sell on Price Alone’ as House Values Fall
Halifax’s latest index shows UK house prices slipped for a second month, falling 0.1% in April to an average £299,313 (about $383,000), down from £299,609 in March. The modest decline follows a 0.5% drop in March and reflects heightened buyer...
Is the Renters’ Rights Act the Housing Nirvana Labour Promised?
The UK’s Renters’ Rights Act has come into force, bringing new obligations for letting agents and landlords while postponing the Decent Homes Standard and a new Ombudsman. Industry insiders praise it as a step forward, but many warn it adds...
Rightmove Expects Profit to Rise up to 5%
Rightmove’s Q1 trading update projects profit growth of up to 5% and revenue expansion of 8‑10% for 2026, reaffirming guidance set after its 2025 full‑year results. The portal reported a 9% revenue increase to £425.1 million (about $540 million) in the year‑end...