Rightmove

Taxes and schemes reshape buyer calculus

A mooted ‘mansion tax’ and potential CGT hike worry owners and investors (council tax surcharge; CGT rise), while Your First Home promises 2.5% deposits and 20% loans (FTB scheme). Scope for scenario modelling and regional winners/losers.

Rental squeeze shifts and spreads north

Competition is easing overall but peaking in pockets: London hit 24 renters per listing in August (Foxtons data), while Rightmove found Birkenhead and Wallasey hit 30 enquiries each (rental hotspots). Useful for heatmaps, budgeting tips and agent guidance.

Buyers return, but deals struggle to finish

Agents report more prospective buyers, yet most homes sell below asking price and exchanges remain slow. Failed sales rose quarter on quarter, while buyers in a separate survey blamed conveyancing delays and poor updates. Attention is shifting from attracting buyers to getting sales over the line.

Climate risk enters the home search

Weather-related property claims reached £1.2bn in 2025, alongside warnings that flood and subsidence exposure is rising. Separately, a ruling allowing 190 homes in a high-risk flood zone has raised questions about insurance eligibility for new builds. Climate exposure is becoming a practical question about what a home could cost to insure.

Housing supply turns to overlooked homes

Planning permissions for new homes fell to their lowest quarterly level since 2012. Meanwhile, proposed changes to empty-home rules would let councils act sooner to bring vacant properties back into use. The conversation is moving beyond building more homes to making better use of those already standing.

Property agents face a standards reset

Government plans to license property agents would introduce qualifications and independent oversight, although costs and timing remain unclear. Separately, warnings about letting-agent failures highlight that landlords cannot assume hiring an agent removes their own legal duties. Together, the stories put agent standards and accountability under a brighter spotlight.

Policy whiplash for landlords and renters

New periodic tenancies now dominate (Lendlord) as a national landlord register arrives with £65 fees (register rollout). Calls grow to relink LHA to rents (Resolution Foundation). Rightmove can brief on likely supply and arrears impacts.

Homes judged by how rooms work

A US buyer survey puts home offices first among extra rooms, with hobby rooms and multigenerational space also featuring. Meanwhile, research links hot and noisy bedrooms to poorer sleep, without proving causation. Together, the stories offer a lifestyle angle on homes: how well individual rooms support everyday routines, not simply how many bedrooms they contain.

AI moves beyond the search box

Airbnb is introducing conversational search and listing summaries to help people compare properties. Separately, OpenAI’s new agents can act across connected apps, rather than just answer questions. These launches point towards digital discovery that interprets preferences, narrows choices and helps users take their next step.

Rent rises deepen housing support shortfalls

Rising rents are widening the gap between housing costs and available support. Hamptons figures reported by STV show newly agreed rents rising at their fastest annual pace in nearly two years. Citizens Advice findings reported by Property Industry Eye show housing support failing to cover rent for nearly a million private renting households.

Unused homes and bedrooms draw housing scrutiny

Housing coverage is examining why existing homes are not meeting people's needs. The Big Issue reports stronger council powers to bring empty homes back into use in the UK. SBS examines barriers to downsizing in Australia, where costs and a shortage of suitable smaller homes leave many older households staying put. Both stories highlight obstacles to making better use of existing housing.

Cheaper homes, costlier mortgages

House prices relative to earnings are at their lowest since 2015, but monthly repayments have risen. Meanwhile, average five-year fixed mortgage rates have reached 6%, and remortgage searches are climbing. Coverage is exposing the gap between an affordable asking price and an affordable monthly payment.

Home energy upgrades face a confidence test

Conservative proposals to scrap the Future Homes Standard are reopening debate about low-carbon housing requirements. Separately, Welsh researchers are studying residents’ experiences of heat pumps and smart controls to improve how technology is chosen and installed. Together, the stories raise questions about both the rules governing greener homes and how well those homes work in practice.

Housing targets collide with building costs

Taylor Wimpey is stepping back from new London developments, citing costs, weak demand and planning risks. Meanwhile, Munich is questioning whether it can afford new residential areas, with infrastructure adding roughly €200,000 per home. Coverage is shifting from where homes could be built to whether building them stacks up financially.

Housing frustration becomes a wider social flashpoint

European protests are increasingly linked by housing and education concerns. Separately, Ireland’s budget surpluses are failing to ease public dissatisfaction, with housing shortages a central grievance. Access to a home is becoming a test of whether economic prosperity reaches ordinary households.

Remortgaging becomes the urgent property decision

Existing homeowners face pressing decisions even if they are not moving. Residential remortgage searches rose 40% in September, while five-year fixed rates reached 6%, prompting advice to explore options six months before deals expire. The commentary opportunity is about preparing for renewal, rather than timing a purchase.

Personalisation faces a consumer trust test

Coverage is questioning what platforms infer about customers and how those insights are used. Amazon's detailed shopper profiles have gone viral for their surprisingly specific observations, while a US city has banned personalised grocery pricing based on personal data and AI. These are different uses of customer information, but both raise questions about transparency and control.

Lenders rethink how they assess mortgage affordability

Lenders are changing what they count when deciding how much buyers can borrow. Barclays will consider eligible company directors’ share of profits, recognising income beyond their pay. Perenna’s new Zero Bills mortgage factors energy savings into affordability assessments, recognising lower household costs.

Landlords face closer scrutiny and seek support

Landlords are facing closer oversight and turning to professional help to manage their responsibilities. Greater Manchester is deploying housing enforcement officers to inspect rentals and act against landlords who break the rules. Letting-agent use has reached a two-year high, as research links growing regulatory demands to landlords seeking support.

Climate risks threaten homes and insurance cover

Climate risks are raising concerns about protecting homes and keeping them insurable. Natural Resources Wales is urging residents to prepare for flooding as autumn approaches. Aviva wants flood-resilience standards for new homes to limit damage and lost value. Insurance insiders warn cover could become unaffordable or unavailable, extending the concern beyond physical damage.

Family finances shape young adults’ housing prospects

Young adults’ housing prospects increasingly depend on what they can save and what their families can provide. A UK survey finds younger movers prioritising deposit savings, showing ownership remains a powerful goal. Research finds widespread financial dependence among young UK adults, highlighting obstacles to saving. German sociologist Jens Beckert describes parental house deposits as an example of family wealth dividing opportunities.

Updates every Monday. Last analysed Monday 28^th September.

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