r/UKLandlordAdvice

HMRC said more than 864,000 sole traders and landlords were required to enter Making Tax Digital this year. Yet an announcement slipped out last week admits that only around 436,000 have filed their quarterly update.

If your gross income (the rent before any deductions) is over £50k a year then your first submission was due on 7th August. If you missed it then don't panic. But if you don't know what is required then get help. www.landlordaccounts.co.uk are helping new clients with free submissions this year with their self-assessment. There are also options to self file but we know that not all landlords have the time or knowledge to do this every 3 months. So outsourcing it makes sense for professionals in the same way we help landlords who outsource their compliance management.

That is according to the latest research from Pegasus Insight that found 63% of landlords described tenant demand in the areas where they let property as either ‘very strong’ or ‘quite strong’ in Q2 2026, up from 58% in Q1. That was the first increase since the unusual (by historic standards) highs reached in 2024.

Pegasus Insight said the increase in tenant demand comes as the supply of homes in the private rented sector remains under pressure. It's research continues to show that more landlords are decreasing the size of their portfolios as timing allows. Mark Long was quoted "“The concern is that demand is beginning to strengthen again at a time when landlord appetite for investment remains weak, with far more landlords still looking to sell property than buy."

I always take these surveys with a pinch of salt on an individual basis but it does reflect an overall pattern that we are seeing in the market. We all know what happens when supply is constrained but demand starts to grow.

So according to Rightmove's data, what is happening in the housing market? 🏠

👉 Average asking prices of newly listed homes for sale have fallen by 2.0% in August to £364,999, the largest August price drop since 2018.

👉The number of homes for sale is at a 12-year high for this time of year, giving buyers more choice and increasing competition between sellers.

👉 Given continued geopolitical uncertainty and mortgage rate volatility, Rightmove have revised our 2026 asking price forecast to a range of 0% to -2% for the year as a whole.

https://preview.redd.it/pg8u8aio7xjh1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=06f027d368676427a9145ee784989b5d8c0c4931

Bellway became the latest housebuilder to call on the government to do more to increase housebuilding yesterday, following a similar request from Taylor Wimpey last week.

"We call on the Government to act now to improve access to housing across all tenures, both by helping first-time buyers onto the property ladder and supporting the delivery of affordable and social housing for those who need it most," chief executive Jason Honeyman said in a trading update. "In order to ease affordability constraints and stimulate demand, an immediate reduction in Stamp Duty alongside a Government-backed deposit support scheme for first-time buyers would both drive economic growth and accelerate the delivery of much-needed new homes across the country."

Hard to argue with the ever increasing calls. But I am sure some will anyway.

Goodlord (a leading referencing company) has reported it found fake employment references surged 226% last year, while referee fraud and identity manipulation also rose sharply as criminals have used AI to vastly improve their attacks on vulnerable landlords. These fraudsters range from drug gangs to professional rent dodgers.

Fraudsters are using AI to create entire fake tenant identities, complete with bogus employers, doctored ID and invented referees. Criminals target self-managing landlords who do not have the time or experience to keep up with the latest techniques used to defraud them. But they are also a threat to anyone who rents, including agents.

Its analysis reveals incidences of suspected fraud up by almost 40% during 2025 compared with the previous year. The trend in 2026 is another increase.

Our advice? It is advisable to use professional referencing companies. We have always operated this way as a compliance and risk focussed management company. But we have really seen the need for extra checks grow, especially with the lengthening of eviction timelines. We also offer rent guarantee to our clients as standard as protecting your revenue becomes professional landlords number one priority. There is no GUARANTEED way to avoid tenant fraud - but the smart approach can reduce it.

Hi I rent out 3 properties, no problem with money paid, or condition of the house, I charge below market rent, they maintain property and don’t bother me. All
Properties have a rent review due, 1 tenant is making noises about RRA and review. If I don’t get the amount I want can I sell under section 8 ??

This was in the period from 2013 to 2022. Of this approximately 80% were first time buyers getting onto the property ladder.

The figures also show that Government actually MADE money on these loans - £1.24bn at the last count.

So real question? Why did the scheme prove so unpopular and why was it scrapped? On the numbers it not only achieved what it set out to (get people on the housing ladder) but it also made money instead of costing the country.

WARNING - CONTAINS PROMO

Just a heads up for anyone who is struggling with self assessment or MTD. We have partnered with landlordaccounts.co.uk for our clients to get free MTD for the first year if they sign up to have their self-assessment for 25/26 done. The cost for the self assessment starts at £350 for a single property self-assessment with PAYE income. All four MTD submissions will be done free of charge on the basis of information provided. This includes software.

Just email admin@landlordaccounts.co.uk and mention that we referred you and they will honour the offer.

The deadline for the first submission was today and many have missed it. If you have don't panic. There is no financial penalty and if you get on track then the late submission will clear from your account.