Latest news and information

Details

Published: 21 March 2026

Hits: 41

Did you miss it?

If you’re a residential landlord, letting a property out to tenants, there’s something you might have missed this morning (and you can be forgiven if you did!).

The government has just released the official Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet for Tenants – but it is important to take note as it comes with a legal obligation attached.

The Information Sheet has been something we’ve been aware of and waiting for. Its aim is to explain to tenants how tenancies may be affected by the changes introduced by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, and landlords with existing tenancies are required to provide tenants with a copy on or before 31 May 2026.

So what's actually in it? In all honesty, the sheet itself is fairly light-touch – just a brief overview of the headline changes rather than an in-depth guide. Tenants shouldn’t expect it to answer every question they might have about the new legislation.

That said, the length and depth of it doesn’t necessarily matter, when it comes to landlords complying with the Act. It is a legal requirement to send this document to tenants, not a courtesy, and the consequences of missing the deadline are significant. Failure to serve it can result in a civil penalty of up to £7,000 per breach, and in fact continued non-compliance could escalate to fines of up to £40,000 or even criminal prosecution.

If your property is managed by us here at Cherry Picked Residential, you don't need to worry. We're on top of this and will be ensuring the Information Sheet is issued to all tenants on your behalf well within the required timeframe. It's exactly the kind of detail that can slip through the cracks when you're managing a portfolio — which is precisely why having a managing agent in your corner matters.

If you're a self-managing landlord – even if you let your property through an agent on a ‘let-only basis’ – the responsibility sits with you. You may have used an agent to find a tenant, but that doesn't transfer this obligation. We are speaking to many self-managing landlords currently, who are enquiring about our management services, so if you are worried about legislation like this catching you out, please get in touch to find out how our managed service can take all those worries away. 

If you do need to know how to find the Information Sheet, it is available now on GOV.UK and you can download it directly here: Download the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet

Don't leave it until the last minute… 31 May will come around quickly!

Details

Published: 19 March 2026

Hits: 204

March 19, 2026

The Monetary Policy Committee has voted to hold the Bank of England Base Rate at 3.75%. This was not a surprise. But before anyone rushes to write this up as an economic setback, it is worth noting that the property market itself remains in better shape than headlines suggest.

* * *

Just a month ago, there was very little question whether rates would fall at this meeting – it was more a case of pondering how many more times they might be cut this year.

Inflation was retreating faster than most economists had forecast. Energy prices had eased. Food prices were starting to come down. On the housing front, mortgage rates were dropping sharply as swap rates fell, and sub 4% deals were becoming widely available. Confidence was visibly returning.

Rightmove reported the largest jump in asking prices for the month of January in its 25 years of tracking the market – a 2.8% rise, equivalent to nearly £10,000 on the average UK home, the average value of which rose beyond £300,000 for the first time in history according to the Halifax Index – albeit, sold price data from the ONS was more reserved, showing average property values of sold properties to be at just over £273,000.

In any case, the mood was becoming cautiously optimistic. Not euphoric; in many ways, the market has learned its lessons. Nevertheless, the general market outlook seemed measurably better. The trajectory felt clear.

Then geopolitics intervened.
________________________________________

How We Got Here

Conflict in the Middle East has sent oil and gas prices sharply higher over recent weeks. Energy costs, which had been one of the good-news stories in the inflation picture, have quickly swung in the wrong direction again.

This has all fed directly into the forecasts that the Monetary Policy Committee uses to make its decisions, forecasts which have therefore changed materially between the February meeting and today's.

The result of today’s vote was predictable, and financial markets had anticipated it. By the beginning of this week, the implied probability of a rate hold had risen to around 80% - almost the opposite of where odds for a cut had been around four weeks previously. This hold was, in the language of traders, ‘nailed on’ – and so the conversations we have been having with movers over the past three weeks has reflected this expectation.

Swap rates, which underpin the fixed-rate mortgages that most buyers and landlords rely on, had already headed up, and so lenders began repricing.

Moneyfactscompare.co.uk reported earlier this week that the average shelf life of mortgage products has dropped to just 14 days, as lenders have scrambled to reprice ahead of further uncertainty. A further announcement from Moneyfacts just a day or two later has suggested that 4% mortgage deals are set to disappear from the market entirely. In fact, property data site Dataloft has reported that average 5-year fixed mortgage rates are already back to 4% and inching upwards.

So yes – in line with the narrative we have seen building over the past three to four weeks, base rate cuts were held on Thursday 19 March, 2026. A consequence of global events outside anyone's control, priced in before the MPC cast its votes.

________________________________________

The Message for Homeowners and Landlords in Oxford

Despite the economic headwinds the country is facing, there is an important message to still underline: the fundamentals of the property market remain robust.

When this sort of geopolitical tensions, energy price shocks and mortgage market caution come together, it is natural to feel uncertain. But the data we are seeing in the property market tells a story that the headlines are not.

New listings – that is to say, properties being brought to market for sale – are running at almost exactly the same level as 2025 on a year-to-date basis. That comparison is notable because 2025's first quarter was unusually active, driven by buyers and sellers aiming to capitalise on demand ahead of the stamp duty holiday deadline, which was expiring on March 31, 2025.

If we strip out that distortion, the picture becomes even more striking: new listings are running 9% ahead of the same point in 2024, and approximately 20% above the 2017-2019 pre-pandemic average. Confidence in the market has been strong and remains intact.

Transaction volumes tell the same story. Over 220,000 sales have already been agreed across the UK this year. Against 2024, that is 9% higher. Against the 2017-2019 pre-pandemic average, it is 18% higher. These are not the numbers of a market in distress, and even if there has been some caution brought in by recent events and mortgage market hardening, the overall sentiment is still currently positive, and as a whole, that sentiment won’t change quickly.
________________________________________

What About Mortgage Rates?

This is a legitimate concern that shouldn’t be dismissed. The repricing of mortgage products is real, and we are witnessing it happening in real time. Borrowers coming to the end of fixed terms in the next few months will face a different landscape than they had probably been looking forward to, hoping to benefit from the rate-cutting cycle that appeared to be accelerating earlier in the year.

But perspective matters. Rates are not showing signs of returning to the peaks of late 2022 and 2023 at this stage. The Base Rate remains at 3.75%, 75 points lower than it was twelve months ago.

The direction of downward travel has been disrupted, undeniably, but it has not reversed permanently. Most credible forecasters still expect cuts over the course of this year, albeit on a slower timeline than was anticipated in January.

For buyers who can be flexible on timing, perhaps there is some reason to be patient.

But – and it is a significant ‘but’ – it is important to remember how much better rates are today than they were eighteen months ago. For those who do wish to move now, and certainly anyone who needs to move, the mortgage products now available – even repriced products – are considerably more affordable than what was on offer then.
________________________________________

Our View

The property market story in 2026 is not yet written. That said, the opening chapters are much better than the mood music might suggest. Rightmove data, recorded transaction figures, the volume of new instructions… these are not the statistics of a market that has lost its nerve.

Global uncertainty does become an active, almost tangible modifier of markets, and the immediate impact on mortgage pricing is evident. Nevertheless, the desire of people to buy, sell, and let property in this country is equally real — and the numbers show it has not gone away – swelling, in fact, after a depressed second half of 2025, caused largely by uncertainty over what was coming in the Autumn Budget.

________________________________________

What Next for the Property Market?

The groundswell of activity seen in the early part of this year means the market enters this period of uncertainty from a position of genuine strength. That is important. It means the wheels are not showing signs of being likely to come off.

But it would be naïve to pretend that economic conditions will not become trickier in the months ahead, and those thinking of selling should of course factor that into their thinking – particularly if they themselves are under financial pressure. On the other hand, sometimes moving home is the solution to relieve financial pressure, and there is every reason to still look at this as a viable option – because there are certainly buyers for your home out there.

Vendors do need to be thoughtful about asking prices. Over-ambition at the point of listing is the surest way to watch a property sit on the market as buyer confidence wavers. Buyers remain active – our own numbers confirm that, even before we turn to Dataloft for analytics. That said, they are discerning, and a price that feels out of step with the market will simply be ignored.

What history tells us, though, is that people will carry on moving. People carried on moving after the 2022 mini-budget. They carried on moving through the upheaval of Covid. They even carried on moving in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash. Momentum may slow, but it does not stop, and we fully expect this year to see well over a million sales agreed across the UK, with transactions completing in similar numbers. January alone say close to 95,000 sales transact (Dataloft, ONS) – a firm indicator for the year ahead.

As for property prices, a perennial concern: a crash is not in prospect.

The conditions that cause dramatic price corrections – i.e. forced selling, widespread negative equity, a sudden collapse in demand – are not present in any meaningful way. There may be isolated regional softening in some markets, and pockets where values plateau or dip modestly, but the overall picture is nevertheless one of resilience, not retreat.

It doesn’t mean that it will be easy, either! But we have seen this sort of market before, and we do know what we need to do to get you moved.
If you would like to understand what the current environment means specifically for your property, your mortgage, or your plans as a landlord or homeowner, please pick up the phone to us. These are exactly the conversations we should be having – and the sooner the better.
________________________________________
All market data referenced above is sourced from Dataloft by Pricehubble, Rightmove House Price Index (January 2026), Halifax, Moneyfacts, Office for National Statistics and industry transaction data current to the date of publication, 19 March 2026.

Details

Published: 13 March 2026

Hits: 140

You may have seen one or two alarming headlines this week. "Private rented sector shrinks by £79 billion since 2022." "Buy-to-let exodus wipes £48bn from rentals."

To mention a few.

If you're a landlord, it's the kind of thing that can make you seriously pause for thought. And we understand that. Those numbers do sound catastrophic.

But before you call us in necessarily to sell off your existing portfolio, let's actually look at what Savills' analysis – the source behind the £79bn figure – is really telling us, because there's a difference between a market that's contracting and a market that's collapsing.

And here in Oxford, right now, where almost 20,000 households live in privately rented accommodation and where average rental values are now almost £1,918 per month (source: Dataloft by Pricehubble), the difference matters enormously.

What Do the Numbers Actually Say?

Savills puts the total value of England's privately rented homes at £1,556 billion in 2022, falling to £1,477 billion by late 2025, a net drop of 5.1% over three years. And that might be a little alarming, when you consider that the bricks-and-mortar value of properties, generally speaking, has increased in that time. In other words, the shrinkage isn't about falling prices. It's very much about fewer rental properties overall.

But as is so often the case, there is a bit of nuance to consider.

Here's what seems to be happening: traditional smaller landlords – the classic “individual” landlord with one to four properties alongside a full-time career – are selling up to owner-occupiers faster than new buy-to-lets are coming online.

Truthfully, we can all see reasons why. CGT jumping to 24% for residential property (up from 18%), frozen thresholds, plus the administrative weight of the Renters' Rights Act have tipped the scales for plenty of landlords who were already on the fence.

We hear it directly from our own clients. Higher taxes and higher costs to maintain properties, EPC requirements tightening, legislation changes that loom large. There are definitely added costs that weren't on the spreadsheet just two or three years ago. The arithmetic has changed, and it is true that some landlords are deciding it simply no longer adds up. However, whilst it is true that this is happening, there is more to the story – as we will show.

Why Landlords Selling Up Matters (For Everyone)

A smaller private rented sector means tighter supply, and that creates upward pressure on rents for the very tenants that recent changes are intended to help.

Rents rose 8.5% nationally last year. Here in Oxford the rise was even more staggering – up by 14% year on year according to Dataloft analysis.

The lettings picture generally would seem to be one where tenants have fewer options and landlords face more scrutiny. None of this happens in a vacuum.

But the headlines are missing some key information that really matters in order to paint the full picture.

Because the reality is that it's not all doom and gloom. Not even close.

Whilst there has been an undeniable shrinkage in the PRS, corporate landlords and institutions have, at the same time, been more active, buying up portfolios from many small landlords who have decided to exit, cushioning the net loss.

Other landlords – maybe the larger-type of smaller-landlord, for want of an easier way to describe them, with slightly larger portfolios – have moved their properties into a corporate structure (note – it doesn’t suit everyone, and before you rush to do this, it is key to talk to a professional advisor about what it entails!).

Overseas investors have put roughly £40 billion into UK build-to-rent over the past decade, with around £30 billion going into professionally managed blocks, much of it post-2022 (as revealed by Knight Frank in a separate news article last week).

It's not your traditional mum-and-dad buy-to-let model, and the timelines being discussed by Knight Frank’s analysts compared to Savills do differ. That said, it does clearly help to stabilise supply in some high-demand areas.

Whilst all that is happening, the buy-to-let sales market isn’t dead at all. There is a new profile of landlords quietly but actively getting on with it. Millennials and Gen Z investors are stepping into the breach, often via limited companies from the very start in order to sidestep the personal CGT and income tax issues that are encouraging older landlords out.

These are tax-savvy, tech-enabled landlord buyers, laser-focused on yield but also professionalised in their approach. In many ways, they're exactly the profile built for the current regulatory environment.

The Oxford Lettings Picture

The £79bn figure is a UK-wide average, and averages are notoriously good at hiding what's actually happening on the ground.

In Oxford, when it comes to rental stock, demand is consistently outstripping supply. Rents are up 14% year-on-year, as mentioned, and the sector is well supported by a professional and student lettings market. With two universities, a number of major and specialist hospitals, and an incredibly strong and growing research and technology sector, Oxford’s rental demand remains robust.

Yields are also typically beating savings rates – although this is more marginal. Nevertheless, when it comes to investing in Oxford, it is often less about the yield and more about the capital value. Institutional money is targeting managed blocks here, while quality single lets, like many of the homes we look after, continue to hold firm and attract strong demand from tenants locally.

If you own well-maintained property in Oxford and you're managing it properly, this still feels like a hold market, not a sell market – and anecdotally speaking, relatively few of the landlords whose properties we let and manage have opted to sell at this stage whilst rents are so strong and rising.

The Bottom Line

It is certainly a time to be mindful – but there is no need to panic. Now would be a wise moment to review your tax position, review your capital value and yield achieved, and even to do some general housekeeping ahead of legislation changes before they come in – i.e., checking your EPC rating is up to what the new standards will require in 2030 (if it comes to pass), and making sure your compliance is watertight as the Renters’ Rights Act implementation begins to roll in from 1 May 2026.

The Private Rented Sector is certainly not vanishing. But in many ways, it might be professionalising. The loss of value from the PRS might in truth be more representative of a changing reality for lettings in general – a move to professional corporate letting structures, for example, rather than a sign that a black hole is swallowing the market and leaving would-be tenants stranded.

The landlords who are thriving right now are the ones working with experienced, dedicated agents, staying ahead of regulation, and making decisions based on data rather than headlines.

Whether you're weighing up whether to hold, to sell tax-efficiently, are exploring a limited company structure, or are simply wondering whether it is time to place your property in the hands of a professional agent, we're here to help you model all scenarios properly – not to guess at them.

Is it a good moment to have a conversation about your portfolio? Get in touch with us here at Cherry Picked Residential today.

Details

Published: 09 March 2026

Hits: 156

Picture this: you’ve just purchased your dream home, and it’s beautiful! All the right-sized rooms, a perfect layout, and a lovely garden to boot…

But now imagine, after a few months, you find out there is a serious problem with the foundations that will cost tens of thousands to fix and will make it difficult to insure or sell the property in the future.

Also imagine how it feels to realise at that point that it is a problem that would have been identified by the right survey...

Buying a property is exciting, but it’s also sensible to stop for a moment and ask yourself, 'What am I really buying?'

This is where a survey comes into its own.

A survey doesn’t tell you whether to love a home or not. It tells you what shape the property is in and highlights any issues you should know about before you commit.

The survey’s findings aren’t meant to stop you from buying. They help you understand what moving forward really involves.

But which sort of survey should you go for?

This article explains the different types of surveys and when each one is most suitable.

The Three Levels of RICS Surveys Explained

In the UK, surveys under the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) are organised into three levels, which makes it easier to pick the right one for your needs.

Level 1 (or ‘Condition Report’)

Often taken for:

• New-builds
• Recently built homes
• Properties that might seem to be in very good condition, but you still want a professional to check them.

A Level 1 survey is the most basic option. It gives you:

• A snapshot of the property’s overall condition
• Clear “traffic light” ratings for different elements
• Potential identification of urgent issues

It doesn’t look beneath the surface or check things that aren’t visible. If it finds issues, it won’t provide detailed advice about repairs or cost estimates. Think of it as a health check, not a diagnosis. It can highlight areas that may need a closer look, which we’ll discuss later.

Level 2 (or ‘Homebuyers Report’)

Good for:

• Most conventional homes
• Properties built after around 1900
• Homes that look fairly typical for their age and type

A Level 2, the ‘Homebuyers Report’, is a popular choice for buyers. These offer:

• A more detailed inspection of the property, including deeper checks
• Advice on defects and potential problems
• Guidance on repairs and maintenance
• A market valuation and reinstatement cost (if requested)

It’s ideal if you want reassurance without forensic detail, although the detail it provides is still comprehensive.

The report uses a traffic-light system to help you quickly spot urgent and less urgent issues.

One word of caution: red flags don’t always mean major problems. Something that can’t be inspected could be listed with a red flag – for example, electrics. A red flag here doesn’t necessarily mean the property needs a full rewire – it might just mean that the surveyor recommends you get the electrics checked by a qualified person because they were unable to be tested on the day.

Don’t panic if you see amber or red flags. Read the surveyor’s comments, which are intended to inform you and help you decide what to do next.

Level 3 (a Building Survey)

Often taken for:

• Older properties
• Period homes
• Homes with visible issues
• Properties you plan to renovate or extend

This is the most comprehensive survey available and what people often mean when they say “full structural survey”, although that term is no longer officially used. The other option is a structural engineer’s report, but those really focus on other things - i.e., those things pertaining to the structure itself - and won’t look at issues that might otherwise concern you as a buyer (for example, damp).

A Level 3 survey:

• Looks at the structure and fabric of a building in detail
• Explains defects, their causes, and likely consequences if not addressed
• Offers advice on repairs and future maintenance
• Is hyper-focussed on the specific property

If the property is unusual, historic, or clearly in need of work, this is usually the best choice. It again uses the traffic light system, but with more detail provided. This can help you focus on what really matters and give advice in a way that’s more reassuring for issues that aren’t serious.

Do “Full Structural Surveys” Still Exist?

The term ‘full structural survey’ is still widely used in conversation, but under current standards, it has been replaced by the Level 3 Building Survey, which serves the same purpose and is more clearly defined.

If someone suggests a “full structural survey”, they’re almost certainly referring to a Level 3 – but as mentioned earlier, they could mean a structural engineer’s report.

These are not the same thing and are not carried out by RICS surveyors.

Specialist Surveys When Buying a Property

Sometimes a general survey recommends further investigation by a specialist. This isn’t necessarily a bad sign – it is often just a sensible next step recommended by a professional.

Think of it like a GP picking up an irregular heartbeat. They don’t strap the patient down and fit them with a pacemaker; they refer them to a cardiologist to find out what’s going on.

Maybe they do need a pacemaker… or maybe this is just the way they are, and no harm will come from it. The point is, the specialist is there to work that out and tell them.

It’s the same with properties and surveys. Common specialist surveys include:

• Electrical survey – checks wiring, safety, and compliance with modern regulations
• Gas survey – checks boilers, heating systems, and other gas appliances, such as cookers and hobs.
• Damp and timber survey – inspects and measures for damp, rot, or woodworm.
• Asbestos survey – especially relevant in properties built in the last century (i.e., up to 1999, when asbestos was entirely banned!) and even more especially pre-1985, when blue and brown asbestos was banned.
• Drainage survey – checks underground pipes and drainage.
• Roof survey – useful if access was limited during another survey or if the surveyor, buyer, or anyone helping the buyer identifies concerns, such as bowing

These are usually targeted and practical, focusing on a specific risk rather than the whole property.

So… Which Survey Should You Choose?

You should take whatever survey gives you full peace of mind.

Nevertheless, to offer you a general guide:

• Newer, straightforward home? Level 1 or Level 2
• Typical family house? Level 2, unless you have any anxiety or concerns
• Older, altered, or character property? Level 3

Your decision should be based on the property and the risk, not just the price.

Parts of Oxford were settled during Roman times, and the early town grew as an ecclesiastic and scholarly centre into a bustling metropolis by standards of the day, during the early Medieval period. It grew further throughout the Middle Ages, Reformation and Renaissance periods.

Nevertheless, when it comes to housing, much of today’s Oxford developed from the 18^th century onwards, as the University expanded, and once the railway arrived. Large areas of the city are made up of Victorian terraces, many of which were erected – quite quickly, in many cases – as housing for workers, especially around Jericho and East Oxford.

Oxford then experienced a house-building boom through the early part of the 20^th Century and particularly between 1930 and 1970.

What this means, of course, is that Oxford has a large number of older properties – extensive 1930s and post-war period housing estates, as well as significant pockets of Victorian and Edwardian rows, not to mention older period properties particularly around University buildings and the city centre.

Age alone is not the only reason to choose a specific survey – but it isn’t a bad one to base your thinking on. Never think that you are going too far. If you are anxious, it is best to feel as reassured as possible. The last thing you ever want to feel is buyer’s remorse.

A Final Word

A survey isn’t about scaring you off a purchase or giving you reasons to renegotiate the price. It’s about providing clarity and giving you confidence as a buyer, with a greater ability to make well-informed decisions.

Most properties have issues. Even newly built properties can have issues. The important thing is knowing what they are, how serious they might be, and whether you’re comfortable proceeding at the price you are paying.

If you’d like advice on which survey makes sense for a particular property, ask a surveyor – they aren’t there to oversell a survey, they are regulated and accountable professionals. We can recommend a surveyor to you if you are not sure.

Getting a survey can feel like an expense – but it could also turn out to be the best money you ever spent.