House prices rise in April as market proves ‘remarkable resilience’ May 1, 2026 House prices made a surprise jump in April, as the “remarkable resilience” of the UK’s housing market trumped the hit to consumer confidence caused by the Iran war. Annual house price growth in the UK climbed to three per cent last month, up from 2.2 per cent in March. National house prices grew by 0.4 [...]
I’m a Tory – here’s why I’m voting Labour in the local elections April 30, 2026 In a time of messy, multi-party politics, tactical voting is likely to define contests in next week’s local elections. Alys Denby is not prepared to let the Green Party take control of her bin collection I’m about to do something against which all my instincts recoil, something so shameful I hesitate to admit in this [...]
The housing sector deserves better than being threatened with rent caps April 30, 2026 The rental sector delivers not only homes but creates jobs and sustains communities. The government should recognise that, revalue the rental sector and stop demonising the very people and institutions building the homes Britain desperately needs, says Brendan Geraghty There are moments in life when you read a headline and feel genuine disbelief, and yesterday [...]
Renters’ rights act: what does it mean for landlords, rent hikes, tenants and no-fault evictions? April 29, 2026 The government’s long-awaited renters’ rights act comes into force on Friday, 1 May. Labour says the new law will “level the playing field” between landlords and tenants, but many in the residential rental sector have been alarmed by the scale of the changes and there are concerns that many independent landlords will exit the market [...]
Londoners wait far longer to sell homes as stamp duty weighs on confidence April 29, 2026 The wait for a London house sale is six days longer now than last year, as the capital sees the “greatest impact” from stamp duty and the Iran war’s hit to property confidence. The average time it takes for a house in the capital to be snapped up once it is listed on the market [...]
Chaos: Now Downing Street rules out rent freeze after backlash over ‘reckless’ rumours April 28, 2026 Downing Street has ruled out a rent freeze just hours after the Chancellor refused to distance herself from the policy while speaking in the Commons. The apparent kite flying sparked 24 hours of panic among residential landlords and economists, who dubbed the rumoured policy a would-be “disaster”. Reeves had reportedly been considering the policy to [...]
Reeves rent freeze: How did Chancellor turn to a Mamdani-style policy controversy? April 28, 2026 Reports of plans in Downing Street for a rent freeze came as a shock after a housing minister said Labour opposes the policy. Felix Armstrong explores why rent controls stoke so much controversy, from New York to Sweden. Rumours that Rachel Reeves is considering slapping a freeze on private rents shocked the property market on [...]
Taylor Wimpey sales fall as Iran war pushes up building costs April 28, 2026 Leading housebuilder Taylor Wimpey is bracing for rising costs in its supply chain as the industry warns of soaring building inflation caused by the Iran war. The housebuilder’s warning prompted its stock to dip in early trading, pushing its share price down as much as 4.7 per cent on Tuesday. The FTSE 250 firm’s order [...]
London house prices sink again as wealthiest areas hit April 22, 2026 House prices in London have fallen for the seventh consecutive month, as the capital’s luxury hot spots saw huge slumps in value. House prices dropped more than 12 per cent in Westminster – which includes in-demand areas like Mayfair and Knightsbridge – and 11 per cent in Kensington and Chelsea. The average house price in [...]
Why old ladies mean your house has tiny windows April 15, 2026 Guidance dictating that windows must be of a size that means ’95 per cent of the elderly female population’ could clean them without stretching is just one example of the millions of rules holding Britain back, says Tom Harwood Once you start to notice how pokey windows are on most new builds, you won’t be [...]