“Wild West” rental market

“Wild West” was how the London rented homes market was described during a five way debate at the London’s Guildhall on tuesday evening staged by the Evening Standard. Landlords were accused in a heated debate of cheating the public who were forced to pay inflated  rents due to  the capital’s housing shortage.

The five in the debate  are all candidates in the up and coming General Election Lynne Featherstone, Grant Shapps, Chuka Umunna, Natalie Bennett and Mark Reckless.

Each stood their ground during the debate, snippets taken from a report just yesterday is as follows, Labour’s Chuka Umunna said his party would be toughest on bad landlords, Conservative chairman Grant Shapps pointed the finger at the last labour government for housing waiting list doubling, which have now fallen under the Tories, Green Party leader Natalie Bennett stated “We need to defend social housing”, Ukip’s Mark Reckless said his Kent constituents should not have to pay towards homes for Londoners  and Liberal Democrat Lynne Featherstone accused Boris Johnson of failing to release public land for housing.

 

 

 

 

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

Discover Northern Ireland’s top emerging investment hotspots

Derry/ Londonderry and Fermanagh named Northern Ireland’s top emerging investment hotspots Northern Ireland’s emerging investment hotspots are delivering compelling opportunities for landlords in 2026, with new research from Belfast-based estate agency John Minnis revealing a shift in where investors are finding the strongest returns. Drawing on insights from the latest John Minnis Investment Guide, the…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

First-time buyers pay extra £307m in stamp duty since relief ended

New Rightmove analysis reveals that since the end of the temporary relief measure in April 2025, first-time buyers in England have paid an estimated £307 million extra in stamp duty, averaging £4,618 more per buyer: The total estimated first-time buyer stamp duty bill over the past year was £408 million, versus £101 million the previous year In April 2025 the first-time buyer stamp duty threshold was lowered from £425,000 to £300,000. Before the change 62% of homes for sale were stamp-duty free for first-time buyers and that has…
Read More
Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – March 2026

Rents Plateau, But UK Market Tells Regional Story Significant comparisons include across Scotland where average agreed rents rose to £1,123, representing a 4.95% increase month and month across the nation. Northern Ireland saw the second largest average monthly rents rise, bringing an increase of 3.99% to an average agreed price of £887 compared to £853…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 9/4/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Why Rightmove is making all the wrong moves   In a world reshaped by AI, incumbency is no longer protection. It is exposure. Thought Leadership By Andrew Stanton, CEO Proptech-PR Rightmove has long been the unassailable giant of UK property portals—a category-defining platform that, for years, operated…
Read More
Breaking News

Six property firms expelled from redress scheme

Six property businesses have been expelled from The Property Ombudsman after failing to pay compensation awards. The expulsions followed a review by the scheme’s independent Compliance Committee, which agreed that each firm should be removed for breaching their membership obligations by not complying with Ombudsman decisions. The Property Ombudsman, which provides impartial dispute resolution for…
Read More
Home and Living

Best garden renovations to increase property value this spring

With spring fast approaching and warmer weather finally in sight, now is the perfect time to step outside and give your garden the well-deserved TLC and refresh it needs after such a wet and dreary start to the year. Whether it’s refreshing planting beds, updating patio areas or rethinking your layout, investing time into your…
Read More