Welcome to our first Newsround of 2026 which is one of the most important years for landlords. But let’s see what has been in the news this on our first week back.
Tenant Fees Act – Update from government
The government has updated its official guidance for landlord and letting agents on what fees can be charged and who is responsible for council tax and tv licence.
They say that council tax and tv licences now fall outside of the umbrella of utilities. They detail that it depends on who is responsible for them either the landlord or tenant, depending on the type of property and who is occupying it. Council tax liability can vary if it is a single occupancy or HMO property.
Similarly for tv licences where it stipulates that the tenant is responsible for this unless in certain situations where the landlord is offering certain types of shared accommodation.
You can read the updated government guidance here.
Government gives £20m legal support to tenants
The government has announced this week that it is giving £20 million funding to help vulnerable tenants with legal support and advice when dealing with eviction. They claim that this support is there to help prevent tenants getting to the court stage.
David Lammy, Deputy Prime Minister says
This funding will ensure that essential legal support and information is available to those who need it most and will put the sector on a sustainable footing, as part of our Plan for Change.
Propertymark welcomes this funding to help prevent escalations going to court, but say that alot more needs to be done to deal with the existing court backlogs, under resources and delays. They added
Delays, complexity and under-resourcing within the courts system can be damaging for tenants, landlords and agents alike, often prolonging disputes and increasing costs for all parties.
Licensing schemes hit record high in 2025
A regular news item here on our Newsround has been on the increasing number of new licensing schemes launched by councils accross the country. Data newly released from Kamma, a geospactial technology company say that 2025 had the highest number on record of new selective and additional licensing schemes with 22 new additional schemes and 27 selective licensing schemes compared to 2024 which had 23 schemes in total.
This rate is not expected to slow down especially as now councils no longer have to seek permission from the government. Furthermore the government say that they will not be replaced by the PRS Database coming in later this year, but will ‘work alongside it’, as they ‘serve different purposes’ according to the Housing Minister.
Big rise in running costs eats into rental incomes
No one is escaping the ever increasing living costs and landlords are no exception. HMO landlords now have to allocate nearly 45% of their rental income to maintenance and running costs and non hmo landlords are around 25%.
Pegasus Insight who have issued the report say that the average annual cost has now hit £19,604 for private rental landlords and £35,720 for HMO landlords in Q3 of 2025. They also noted that this higher spending does not mean that renters are getting a better ‘rental experience’. They said
Our wider research shows that landlords are investing more than ever to keep properties safe, compliant and habitable, yet maintenance remains a pressure point in the rental relationship.
Landlords other costs such as insurance premiums, professional fees and servicing contracts have also increased considerably and are leaving little headroom for major repairs and upgrade work taking all running costs into consideration.
Snippets
Local housing allowance news: what landlords need to know about the 2026 rates
Growing number of over-60s facing homelessness, charities warn
Newham Council housing service has ‘some way to go’ after C4 grading
New tax reporting regime won’t be taxing, landlords told
See also our Quick News Updates on Landlord Law
Newsround will be back again next week
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