The Bank of England held its base rate at 3.75% for a ninth straight month on 17 September, but that calm sits on top of a market moving in several directions at once: house price indices disagree with each other, landlords are leaving the sector at the fastest rate in a decade, fresh lending capital is chasing development and bridging deals, and the rules on commercial energy efficiency just got noticeably more forgiving. Here's what matters for you, by property type.
Homeowners & buyers
- Rates held, but house price gauges disagree: Nationwide has prices up 1.6% annually in August (avg £275,465), while Halifax shows a 0.4% annual fall (avg £298,468), its first since 2023 — the two indices are simply weighing different transactions, so treat local agent evidence as more reliable than either headline.
- Mortgage rules are loosening: the FCA's CP26/18 consultation, closed 28 July, proposes letting lenders weigh bank statements and credit history in context rather than applying blanket rules — good news if you're self-employed, have an old credit blip, or are borrowing into retirement. A policy statement is due before year-end.
- First-time buyers are back in the driving seat: ONS data shows FTBs made up a record 52.8% of all 2025 mortgage sales, at a median 85.6% loan-to-value — the highest since before the 2008 crisis. Lenders are visibly competing for this business.
Takeaway: get an Agreement in Principle in place now while lenders are competing for first-time buyer business, and don't assume rates will keep falling — talk to us about locking in a rate you're comfortable with.
Buy-to-let landlords
- The Renters' Rights Act transition is over: Section 21 has been abolished since 1 May, every AST has converted to a periodic tenancy, and Section 8 is now the only route to possession — with fines of up to £7,000 per tenancy for missing the new tenant Information Sheet.
- Landlords are exiting at the fastest rate in over a decade: TwentyCi counted 562 rental properties a day leaving the private rented sector in Q3 2026, up from 495 a year ago — more stock for buyers, but a live sell-vs-refinance decision if that's you.
- The 30-year track record still stacks up: Hamptons research shows £1 invested in buy-to-let in 1996 is worth £22.30 today (+2,130%), ahead of the S&P 500 — useful context if you are asking whether buy-to-let still works at today's higher rates, although past performance is not a guide to future returns. Mandatory short-lets registers are also live in Wales from this month, with England following in March 2027.
Takeaway: if you're weighing selling up, talk to us about timing and refinancing options before you decide; if you're staying in, today's rate environment makes this a good moment for a portfolio and structure review.
Property developers
- Fresh capital is entering development and bridging finance: TAB secured a £200m funding facility from GB Bank this month, alongside new or expanded facilities from Recognise, LendInvest, Alternative Bridging Corporation and Roma Finance — more lenders competing generally means faster underwriting and sharper terms.
- A supply-demand gap is opening: mortgage approvals fell to a two-year low over the summer (56,053 in July) even as first-time buyer demand hits record highs — a sign that funded, ready-to-transact stock is what the market is short of.
- Retrofit remains a live opportunity: with the EPC C rental deadline still set for October 2030 and 2.9 million rentals still below that standard, buy-refurbish-sell propositions on older stock continue to have a ready buyer base among landlords who'd rather sell than retrofit.
Takeaway: with more lenders actively competing for development and bridging deals, it's worth getting quotes on funding lines now, before year-end capital gets committed elsewhere.
Commercial property & retail
- The commercial EPC deadline just moved back four years: the government's revised energy efficiency rules (announced 24 June) drop the 2027 EPC C interim milestone entirely — larger non-domestic buildings (over 1,000 sqm) now have until 2031 to reach EPC B where cost-effective, and smaller premises keep today's EPC E minimum with no new deadline set.
- Investment is holding up: UK commercial real estate investment reached £10.2bn in Q2 2026, led by offices and living-sector assets, with North American investors leading inbound foreign capital.
- Relief for hospitality, reform for leases: a 20% business rates discount for pubs and bars benefits roughly 32,000 businesses (a wider rates review is planned for 2027), while reform of 1954 Act lease renewal rights and dispute resolution remains in progress.
Takeaway: if you own or lease larger commercial premises, re-plan your compliance capex around 2031, not 2027 — and if you're a smaller high-street occupier, you now have even more breathing room.
To talk through what this means for you, contact us or call 0203 971 1234.
Important: This guide is general information, not personal advice. Rules, rates and lender criteria change; speak to an adviser about your circumstances. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.