Your November 2026 newsletter

October was a very important month, as it saw the Burnham Government’s first Budget, and the MCHLG opened a consultation on how to implement Awaab’s Law in the Private Rented Sector (PRS), and there was the release of government guidance around the PRS Database. It also marked the six-month countdown to Making Tax Digital.

Before we get into this month’s stories, let’s look at the latest rental market performance data.

Rental market performance

The average monthly price for a rental property rose by just 0.6% from September to October October’s average rent of £1,592 is up 5% compared to 2025 figures (£1,516)

The base interest rate in the UK remained at 3.75%

Budget 2026: Landlords face further tax rises as pressure on returns grows

Landlords face another squeeze on rental income after the Chancellor’s Budget on 28 October, with property income tax rates set to rise further from April 2027.

The latest announcement adds to the financial pressures facing the PRS, as landlords continue to navigate rising operating costs and regulatory changes. While the Budget included measures to support homebuyers and increase housing supply, it offered few measures specifically aimed at private landlords.

Property income tax rises from April 2027

The headline announcement for landlords is a further two-percentage-point increase in tax on property and savings income, on top of the increases announced previously.

From April 2027, the property income tax rates will rise to 24% for basic-rate taxpayers, 44% for higher-rate taxpayers and 49% for additional-rate taxpayers.

The changes mean more of your rental income could go to tax, putting further pressure on net returns.

For landlords with properties already facing higher maintenance, compliance and management costs, reviewing income and expenditure will be increasingly important. Landlords should speak to an accountant or tax adviser to understand how the changes may affect their individual position.

Support for homebuyers and housing supply

The Budget also introduced measures intended to help first-time buyers and increase the availability of homes.

The £4.7bn Your First Home scheme aims to help 70,000 first-time buyers onto the property ladder, with eligible buyers able to put down a 2.5% deposit and access a government equity loan worth 20% of the purchase price. A new First Time Buyer ISA is also planned for April 2029.

The government has additionally committed £1.5bn towards social and affordable housing, including around 10,000 homes for social rent in England.

However, the overall impact on the private rented sector remains uncertain. Increased access to homeownership could help some tenants move out of renting, while additional housing delivery may take time to affect supply and affordability.

What should landlords do next?

As letting agents, we expect the Budget to prompt more conversations about rental yields, operating costs and long-term investment decisions.

Landlords should review their finances ahead of the April 2027 changes and seek professional tax advice where needed. It is also worth considering the value of effective property management, particularly as compliance requirements and financial pressures continue to grow.

For further details, read Goodlord’s full Budget 2026 analysis and the government’s official Budget documents.

Landlord register launches in December: What you need to know

The government has published new guidance outlining how landlords in England will register themselves and their rental properties under the Renters’ Rights Act, with the first phase of the rollout beginning on December 15, 2026.

The new Register your rental property service will introduce a national registration system for private landlords, bringing additional administrative responsibilities and costs for property owners. Landlords should familiarise themselves with the requirements now to ensure they are ready when registration opens in their region.

Who needs to register?

Private landlords letting properties in England under assured or regulated tenancies will generally need to register themselves and their properties. This includes landlords operating through companies and other organisations, as well as those who jointly own rental properties.

Registration will be introduced regionally over 12 months, beginning with the West Midlands on December 15, 2026. London landlords will have a registration window from July 15 to October 14, 2027, while the South West will follow from August 15 to November 14, 2027.

During the rollout, landlords will need to register properties that are currently let or become let during the period. The government says that, in future, landlords will also need to register properties before they can market or advertise vacant properties.

What will registration cost?

Landlords will pay an annual fee of £65 per property, excluding VAT. Fees during the initial rollout will be adjusted to reflect the period covered.

The registration process will require landlords to provide property details and compliance information, including gas safety certificates where applicable, electrical safety documentation, Energy Performance Certificates, tenancy details, and relevant licences.

Landlords can submit some information after the initial registration, but must provide outstanding details within 28 days. Landlords must also update information when it changes or expires, again within 28 days.

Failure to comply could result in penalties of up to £7,000 for failing to register. More serious breaches, including knowingly or recklessly providing false or misleading information, could attract penalties of up to £40,000.

What role can letting agents play?

The Government has confirmed that landlords must initiate their own registrations and remain legally responsible for compliance. However, they can ask their letting or managing agent to provide certain tenancy and property compliance information once the registration has been started.

As letting agents, we recommend you speak to your property manager early to confirm who will provide the relevant information and to ensure documents are accurate and up to date.

Landlords can read the full requirements, including regional deadlines and registration instructions, in the Government’s official guidance.

Government opens the consultation for Awaab’s Law in the PRS

On October 9, 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) launched a consultation on extending Awaab’s Law to privately rented properties in England.

Forming part of the wider Renters’ Rights Act legislation, the consultation is seeking views on how the law would operate in the PRS.

What is Awaab’s Law?

Awaab’s Law was introduced following the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s social rented home.

The legislation introduced requirements for social landlords to investigate and address certain reported hazards within specified timeframes. Extending these protections to private rented homes would bring new responsibilities for private landlords when responding to serious housing hazards.

The consultation also considers how the law could apply to accommodation provided under licence, including supported housing, temporary accommodation for homeless households, and accommodation for care leavers.

What does this mean for landlords?

Although the consultation seeks views on how to implement the requirements, landlords should use the opportunity to review their existing property management and maintenance procedures.

Effective maintenance is about more than simply arranging repairs. Landlords need reliable systems to receive and record tenant reports, assess potential hazards, instruct contractors, and keep tenants informed throughout the process.

Damp and mould should be a particular priority. Promptly investigating reports, identifying underlying causes and ensuring that appropriate remedial work is completed can help protect tenants while reducing the risk of disputes and enforcement action.

Landlords should also consider whether their current contractor arrangements, maintenance budgets and record-keeping processes would enable them to respond effectively to tighter statutory deadlines.

Importantly, the consultation is intended to establish how the requirements should work in practice. Landlords should therefore avoid assuming that every proposed detail has already been finalised.

How you can have your say

The government is inviting feedback on the proposed approach, including its likely impacts and costs for landlords, letting agents, and other affected parties. The consultation includes 64 questions, and respondents should only answer the sections relevant to them, rather than completing the entire document.

Landlords and agents can respond through the official GOV.UK consultation page.

We advise staying informed, reviewing maintenance procedures now, and ensuring landlords take tenant reports of damp, mould, and other potential hazards seriously and act on them promptly. Preparing early will help landlords adapt as PRS requirements become clearer.

Six months to prepare for Making Tax Digital

October marked the six-month countdown to Making Tax Digital. Landlords earning more than £30,000 in qualifying income will need to prepare for the next phase of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax, which comes into effect on April 6, 2027.

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has highlighted the six-month countdown and urged affected landlords to start preparing for the changes. HMRC estimates that more than one million people will fall into this next phase, with eligibility based on gross qualifying income from property and self-employment in the 2025/26 tax year.

For landlords, this means a significant change in how they record and report rental finances. Rather than relying solely on an annual Self Assessment return, those within scope must maintain digital records of rental income and expenses, submit four quarterly updates to HMRC using compatible software, and complete a final end-of-year declaration.

Who will be affected?

The £30,000 threshold applies to combined gross qualifying income from property and self-employment, before expenses and tax allowances are deducted. Landlords should therefore assess their total qualifying income rather than looking at rental profits alone.

The rollout began in April 2026 for those earning more than £50,000, with the threshold scheduled to fall to more than £20,000 from April 2028.

Landlords who expect to be affected from April 2027 should check their eligibility, ensure they are registered for Self Assessment and have submitted a tax return within the last two years, and identify software that meets HMRC’s requirements. Spreadsheet users may also be able to continue using their existing records alongside compatible bridging software.

Digital tools offer readiness

To help, our friends at Goodlord are integrating with Hammock, a landlord-focused financial management platform designed to support Making Tax Digital compliance, into its Landlord Hub from November 2, 2026.

The integration will make a Hammock offer available to landlords through the Hub they already use to review and sign tenancy documents. Eligible landlords will be able to access a 10% discount on Hammock’s monthly and annual plans.

Start preparing now

As your agents, we encourage landlords to review their financial record-keeping early, assess whether the new rules apply to them and seek advice from an accountant where necessary. Choosing a suitable system now should help make the transition more manageable when the requirements take effect.

For further guidance, visit the NRLA’s Making Tax Digital update and HMRC’s official guidance.