A New Year brings radical new rules for landlords and their tenants, while in other UK property news, we get a glimpse of what homebuyers want, together with the latest analysis of the housing market.
Let’s look behind some of those headlines …
Landlords: changes for 2026
The Daily Mail recently highlighted some of the changes that will take affect when the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force on the 1st of May.
The following are just some of the new rules for landlords and their tenants:
- so-called “no-fault” evictions will be prohibited, forcing landlords to give a genuine reason (such as the sale of the property or for the landlord himself to occupy it) for requiring a tenant to vacate a tenancy – simply putting up the rent will not be a good enough reason;
- fixed-term tenancies are abolished, while tenants are given the right to quit at any time upon the provision of two months’ notice;
- the legislation is intended to give tenants improved rights to press for better living conditions, without unreasonable increases in rent, and without fearing retaliatory action by the landlord;
- in an attempt to end bidding wars, landlords will be restricted to accepting only the rent initially asked;
- landlords will be limited to requesting no more than one month’s rent in advance;
- landlords and letting agents are prohibited from denying a tenancy because a prospective tenant has children or is in receipt of welfare benefits; and
- tenants have the right to keep a pet – and landlords may not say no without just cause.
What do homebuyers really want?
Whether you have a property to sell or are simply curious, a common question has to do with what homebuyers really want. A survey by the online listings website Zoopla on the 11th of December claimed to have some answers.
A perennial feature of any list of priorities for homebuyers, for example, is a garage –preferably a double garage. New-build buying schemes are also popular because they offer help with the purchase of modern, energy-efficient residences. Third on the list of desirable features is space for an annexe – that might be used by an ageing parent, a fledgling adolescent almost ready to flee the nest, or a home office or retreat.
Current house searching trends suggest a growing desire by homebuyers to escape the city in favour of a rural lifestyle. The appeal of such a move is further enhanced by the prospect of an acre or so of land – or, at the very least, a larger garden.
A home with a sea view is many a buyer’s dream find – but failing that, the luxury of a swimming pool.
Rightmove 2026 house price predictions
On the 18th of December, the online listings website Rightmove ventured some predictions about house prices in the year ahead. In essence, the predictions amounted to:
- an overall increase in house prices of 2% by the end of 2026;
- regional variations are likely to see Scotland with lower than average prices, northern England and Wales experiencing stronger growth, and London falling somewhat behind; and
- first-time buyers are likely to find a wider choice of homes, at more affordable prices, with mortgage rates more favourable than they were in 2025.
Nationwide December house price index
Whereas Rightmove offered some broad predictions, Nationwide published a regular update of its house price index for December.
- this revealed the overall growth in UK house prices had fallen from 1.8% in November to 0.6% in December;
- for the third year in a row, Northern Ireland recorded the strongest growth in prices, which rose by an average of 9.7%; but
- East Anglia showed the weakest rate of growth as prices fell by 0.8% during the course of 2025.
Over the year as a whole, say Nationwide, house prices saw modest growth.
