Expert Knowledge & Professional Service

The Renters' Rights Act contains sweeping reforms, including a landmark ban on Section 21 no-fault evictions, preventing people from being evicted from their homes without a reason.

The Renters' Rights Act: Are you ready?

As of today, Friday, 1st May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act will reshape the landscape for landlords and tenants alike. With new tenant protections and regulations, landlords must get up to speed with the changes. Here's a brief guide to what you need to know. 

This is a link to the official The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 on the UK Government's website. Click here: The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026.  

Key changes at a glance:

• • End of Section 21: Landlords can no longer evict tenants without a valid, legal reason.
  • Rolling tenancies: Fixed-term tenancies have been abolished; all tenancies become periodic (weekly or monthly).
  • Rent control: Rent increases are capped at once per year, and rent must align with market rates. Tenants must be issued with a two-month notice period and no 12-month up-front rent can be taken.
  • Bidding wars banned: Landlords/agents cannot ask for or encourage "bidding wars" or rent offers higher than the listed price.
  • Notice periods: Tenants can end a tenancy with two months' notice. However, landlords must provide four months' notice to sell or move in, and cannot do so within the first year of tenancy. Landlords who try to end the tenancy improperly, such as over the phone or in person (rather than in writing) or without a valid reason, could face a £6,000 fine.
  • Pets & benefits: Tenants have the right to request a pet, and landlords cannot unreasonably refuse the request. Discrimination against tenants with children or on benefits is prohibited.
  • New protections: A new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman will handle disputes, and a "Decent Homes Standard" will apply to private rentals. 

Explainer videos on the National Residential Landlords Association website

The Renters’ Rights Act has come into force for new and existing tenancies, changing your tenancies and the rules you need to follow. Here are links to videos on the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) website:

• Find out how your existing tenancies are affected by the Renters' Rights Act, and access documents to help you comply with the new rules by 31st May.
• Landlord starter pack: https://www.nrla.org.uk/resources/landlord-starter-pack
• The Act makes several significant changes, such as banning rent in advance before a tenancy begins and restricting it during a tenancy; banning rental bidding wars and making it more difficult to increase rents.

Landlords: Avoid a £7,000 fine!

The Renters' Rights Act introduces new risks and obligations for landlords, which must be taken seriously. Some landlords may opt for fixed-rate mortgages to lock in stability, while others may prefer tracker rates to keep pace with economic shifts. No early repayment charges may become more popular as landlords look for flexibility in case they need to adjust their portfolios.

Anthony Emmerson, director at Trinity Financial, says: “Gone are the days where people can think there are ways around the rules because there are severe penalties in play, for example six or 12 months’ rent back if you don’t stick to the rules. We want to make sure action will be taken within the next 30 days so landlords do not face a fine of up to £7,000 for failure to comply. We don’t want our clients to fall foul of the requirements. 

"In the next 30 days, every individual tenant needs to have the renters' reform rights sent to them; this is a standardised document. As a landlord, you should keep a record of your communications with tenants. Thisismoney.co.uk has a good write-up on the new rules.”

What must the local authority do to issue a civil penalty?

The National Landlords Association says that to issue a civil penalty, the local authority must first serve a notice of intent. This notice must contain the following: The amount of the proposed penalty,  the reasons for proposing to impose the penalty. Information on how the landlord can make representations, and this notice must be served within 6 months of the local authority collecting enough evidence to prove the offence was committed, or while the offence is still being committed.

The landlord or agent has 28 days from the service of the notice of intent to make representations to the local authority regarding the notice. Once that period has passed, the local authority will decide whether to issue the penalty and whether to change its amount. Click here to read the full story. 

How many people rent homes in the UK? 

Around 4.7 million households use the private rented sector in England with 11 million renters. Around 450,000 households in Wales are private renters while 887,000 households renting in Scotland, including 323,000 renting privately.

Figures from the ONS show average rents increased to £1,423 (3.5%) in England, £826 (5.8%) in Wales, and £1,021 (2.6%) in Scotland, in the 12 months to January 2026.

How Trinity Financial can help landlords

Navigating the Renters' Rights Act can be challenging, but Trinity Financial’s expert brokers are here to make the process easier for you:

• Tailored Advice: We provide expert guidance on how the changes will affect your mortgage options, helping you find the best deal for your situation.
• Portfolio Management: If you need to upgrade your property to meet new standards, we can assist with refinancing or finding additional borrowing solutions.

Call Trinity Financial on 020 7267 9399 - book a consultation or use our appointment calendar

Most Buy-to-Let Mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

The information contained within was correct at the time of publication but is subject to change.  It is for general information purposes and is not advice.

Your mortgage is secured on your property. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage

HSBC has reduced selected residential fixed mortgage rates by up to 0.31%, giving borrowers access to some of the most competitive deals currently available.

The high street bank’s latest rate changes include a 4.42% two-year fixed rate for HSBC Premier customers, which undercuts Nationwide’s leading fixed-rate deals. HSBC has also launched a sub 4.6% five-year fixed rate, also for Premier customers, which is cheaper than comparable rates from Lloyds and Halifax.

Borrowers who do not qualify for HSBC Premier can still access highly competitive pricing. HSBC’s new two-year fixed rate for non-Premier customers is only marginally more expensive at around 4.45%, while its five-year fixed rate is just over 4.60%.

To qualify as a premier customer, borrowers will need to have an individual annual income of at least £100,000 and pay it into an HSBC Premier Bank Account, or have savings or investments of at least £100,000 with HSBC in the UK.

The rate cuts show that competition remains strong between the major mortgage lenders, with banks and building societies continuing to battle for places at the top of the best-buy tables.

Trinity Financial product director Aaron Strutt says: “HSBC has made a strong move with its latest fixed-rate reductions, and it is encouraging to see lenders still competing hard for mortgage business. It is surprising to see the bank undercut Nationwide. 

“The new Premier rates are particularly attractive, although not every borrower will qualify for them. HSBC’s non-Premier rates are also very competitive and will appeal to borrowers purchasing a property or remortgaging. HSBC actually offers up to 6.5 times salary mortgages to higher earners. 

“This round of rate cuts shows there is still plenty of competition in the mortgage market, even though pricing has been moving around a lot. Borrowers with larger deposits or significant equity in their homes are likely to have access to the lowest fixed rates.”

Representative Example: A capital and interest mortgage of £400,000 payable over 30 years, initially on a 4.42% fixed rate until 31 July 2028 and then on a variable rate of 6.24% for the remaining 28 years, would require 24 monthly repayments of £2,011.07 followed by 334 monthly repayments of £2,439.18. The total amount repayable would be £867,285.94. This amount is illustrative and may vary, made up of the loan amount, plus interest (£468,056.76) and £999 (product fee), £50 (final repayment charge), £17 (completion fee). The overall cost for comparison is 6.1% APRC representative.

HSBC reduces fixed rates by up to 0.31%

According to Moneyfacts, HSBC has reduced fixed-rate mortgages across its residential range, with cuts of up to 0.31%.

One of the biggest reductions applies to HSBC’s two-year fixed rate for home movers at 75% loan-to-value, which has been cut by 0.23% and is now priced at just below 4.8% fixed until 31 July 2028. The deal has no arrangement fee and includes a free valuation, helping it secure a place in the Moneyfacts Best Buys for both the direct and intermediary markets. Moneyfacts has awarded the product an Outstanding rating.

Larger mortgage loans available through HSBC

HSBC also continues to offer mortgage options for borrowers looking for larger loans. Its rate guide shows higher pricing for applicants seeking mortgages between £2 million and £5 million, which may be suitable for higher-value property purchases or larger remortgages. Some lenders do not charge a premium to borrowers seeking larger mortgage loans.

Borrowers taking out larger loans may be able to access competitive rates, but the most suitable option will depend on the loan size, deposit, income, property type and whether the applicant qualifies for HSBC Premier. 

Oli O’Donoghue, head of mortgages at HSBC UK, said: “These changes apply across much of our range and build on existing measures - for first-time buyers, this includes increasing borrowing power to up to 5.5 times income and offering cashback of up to £2,000 for eligible customers - supporting our ambition to help more people onto the property ladder.”

Call Trinity Financial on 020 7267 9399 to secure a fixed or tracker rate mortgage, book a consultation, or use our appointment calendar

The information contained within was correct at the time of publication but is subject to change. It is for general information purposes and is not advice.

Your mortgage is secured on your property. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage

The Bank of England has held Bank Rate at 3.75%, with the next decision due on 18 June 2026. The Monetary Policy Committee voted 8–1 to keep rates unchanged, while Chief Economist Huw Pill voted for a rise to 4%.

The key reason for the cautious decision is the war in the Middle East, which has pushed up energy prices and is expected to feed through to higher petrol, diesel, utility and business costs. Inflation has already risen to 3.3%, above the Bank’s 2% target, and the Bank expects it to rise further this year.

For mortgage borrowers, the message is that rate cuts now look less likely in the near term. The Bank says monetary policy cannot directly reduce global energy prices, but it can act if higher prices start to become embedded through wage demands and businesses raising prices.

Andrew Bailey’s video comments

Andrew Bailey said the Bank thought holding rates was “a reasonable place” given the state of the economy and the uncertainty caused by events in the Middle East. He said the war was causing inflation to rise again and that the Bank would monitor the impact on the UK economy closely. His key reassurance was that “whatever happens,” the Bank’s job is to make sure inflation returns to the 2% target once the initial impact of higher energy prices has passed.

He also warned that deciding whether to raise rates would be a “difficult judgement call”. Waiting for completely conclusive evidence of persistent inflation could mean acting too late, but he stressed that the Bank was not sending a hidden signal that interest rates definitely need to rise.

1. Why has the Bank held interest rates at 3.75%?
   Because the MPC wants more evidence on how the energy price shock will affect inflation, wages, prices and economic growth.
2. Why is inflation rising again?
   The Bank points to the Middle East conflict disrupting energy supply, raising fuel costs and likely increasing utility bills and business costs.
3. Could interest rates rise next?
   Yes, if higher energy costs trigger lasting “second-round effects”, such as firms raising prices and workers seeking higher pay. But the Bank has not committed to a rise.
4. What does this mean for households and mortgage borrowers?
   Borrowing costs may remain higher for longer, and the path of mortgage rates is now more uncertain than it appeared earlier in the year.
5. When could rates fall?
   The Bank’s latest language suggests cuts are unlikely until there is clearer evidence that inflation is returning sustainably to 2%.

What does this mean for mortgage rates?

For mortgage clients, the key takeaway is that the Bank of England has moved into a wait-and-see phase. Borrowers hoping for imminent rate cuts may need to reassess their plans, particularly if they are remortgaging in the next few months. Fixed-rate mortgage pricing could remain volatile as markets react to energy prices, inflation expectations and signals from the Bank ahead of the June decision. Tracker rates look like a better bet, at least over the shorter term.

Speak to a Trinity Financial adviser today

The mortgage market moves fast — and the right advice can make a significant difference to the rate and deal you secure. Get in touch with our team to discuss your options.

Call Trinity Financial on 020 7267 9399 to secure a fixed or tracker rate mortgage, book a consultation, or use our appointment calendar

The information contained within was correct at the time of publication but is subject to change. It is for general information purposes and is not advice.

Your mortgage is secured on your property. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage

After a week of very few rate changes a selection of mortgage lenders have announced pricing improvements at pretty much the same time.

NatWest is improving its fixed rates by up to 0.19% (according to Mortgage Strategy magazine), TSB by up to 0.35% and Accord by up to 0.45% in the latest wave of lender repricing. TSB has made the biggest changes for new borrowers with its two and five-year fixes for house purchases coming down by up to 0.35%. Meanwhile, TSB’s two and five-year fixes for remortgages will fall by up to 0.20%.

Barclays is launching a two-year tracker at 0.21% over the current 3.75% Bank of England base rate, matching Halifax’s best-buy product as the bank looks to attract more of the rapidly increasing number of borrowers keen to take variable rates, while also improving a few of its other fixes.

Mortgage lenders typically use the swap markets to fund their fixed-rate mortgages, and these markets have been quite volatile recently. Many lenders have said they have secured funding to cover them for a few weeks. Hopefully, the Bank of England base rate will stay on hold tomorrow, and this will lead to mortgage funding costs easing.

Aaron Strutt, product director at Trinity Financial, says: "Nationwide has decent two-year fixes priced around 4.50% and a five-year fix priced around 4.7%. TSB now has the most competitive three-year fix priced at just below 4.65%.  

"While it is great to see rates come down again, fixed rate price hikes over the coming weeks can’t be ruled out. The standard advice in uncertain economic times stands: secure a mortgage rate you think suits your circumstances or looks reasonable value for money as soon as you can, then try to switch to a cheaper deal with the lender before your mortgage is due to complete."

Speak to a Trinity Financial adviser today

The mortgage market moves fast — and the right advice can make a significant difference to the rate and deal you secure. Get in touch with our team to discuss your options.

Call Trinity Financial on 020 7267 9399 to secure a fixed or tracker rate mortgage, book a consultation, or use our appointment calendar

The information contained within was correct at the time of publication but is subject to change. It is for general information purposes and is not advice.

Your mortgage is secured on your property. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage

Barclays and Halifax are offering two-year trackers at 3.96%

Barclays is the latest bank to make changes to its tracker-rate mortgages by launching a two-year tracker priced at 3.96%, which is 0.21% above the Bank of England base rate.

Halifax has been offering the same rate to borrowers for quite some time, and it has undercut the current rate of fixed mortgages.

Barclays new tracker rate is available to its higher-earning premier customers buying a property, and it has a £999 product fee. Applicants will need a 25% deposit to qualify, and the minimum loan size is £5,000, with a maximum loan size of £2 million. The mortgage has no early repayment charges, giving borrowers the flexibility to switch to a fixed rate at any time. 

To qualify for Barclays Premier Banking, a customer must have a gross annual income of at least £75,000 paid into a Barclays current account, or at least £100,000 in savings or investments with Barclays.

Halifax's two-year tracker rate is 3.96%, 0.21% above the current 3.75% Bank of England base rate, with no early repayment charges and an arrangement fee of £1,499. Applicants must have a 40% deposit to qualify and pass a credit check at the time of application. The arrangement fee is higher for mortgages over £1 million.

Representative Example: A capital and interest mortgage of £400,000 payable over 30 years, initially on a 3.96% tracker rate for two years and then on a variable rate of 7.24% for the remaining 28 years, would require 24 monthly repayments of £1,905.99 followed by 335 monthly repayments of £2,687.21. The total amount repayable would be £947,965.10. This amount is illustrative and may vary, made up of the loan amount, plus interest (£549,377.76) and £1,499 (product fee), £50 (final repayment charge), £15 (completion fee). The overall cost for comparison is 6.9% APRC representative.

What is likely to happen to the Bank of England base rate?

Mortgage market participants expect the Bank of England base rate to remain at 3.75% for April, but say a rise should not be ruled out. In the last BoE Monetary Policy Committee meeting in March, members voted unanimously to keep base rate at 3.75%. The decision to hold base rate came as most MPC members decided the inflationary impact of the war in the Middle East made cutting rates too risky.

Call Trinity Financial on 020 7267 9399 to secure a fixed or tracker rate mortgage, book a consultation, or use our appointment calendar

The information contained within was correct at the time of publication but is subject to change. It is for general information purposes and is not advice.

Your mortgage is secured on your property. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage

The volume of remortgage applications surged 46% in Q1, prompting overall mortgage activity to jump by a quarter, figures from Stonebridge show.

The mortgage firms' data highlights that in the first quarter of 2026, overall mortgage activity rose strongly with 24.6% more applications year-on-year, driven largely by a 45.8% surge in remortgaging activity as rafts of borrowers continued to come off ultra-low pandemic era mortgage products. Five years ago in March 2021 as the pandemic driven ‘race for space’ was well underway, effective interest rates on new mortgage borrowing fell to just 1.85%.

The Bank of England’s Credit conditions Survey for Q4 had predicted in January that remortgaging activity would increase in the first quarter while secured lending activity for house purchase was expected to fall.  

How many mortgages take fixed or tracker rates? 

Stonebridge's MMI shows mortgage applications for property purchases dipped 3.6% annually in Q1. Meanwhile, the share of variable rate mortgages climbed 0.8ppts from 4.7% to 5.5% YoY, with fixed rate deals remaining by far the most popular at 94.5% of the market.

Mortgage terms of 2 years have been increasing in popularity. Their share rose by a quarter from 51.6% of all home loans to 65.2%. The share of 5 year mortgages fell from 39.4% to 29%. 

Borrowing costs fell annually, despite the impact of rising swap rates due to the Iran conflict in March. The average interest rate dropped 0.43 year-on-year from 4.74% to 4.31%. Loan-to-values remained relatively stable, falling just 1ppt to 61%. This means most homeowners have 39% equity in their property. 

Remortgaging activity is expected to remain strong throughout the year. UK Finance reported in December that 1.6 million fixed-rate mortgages expired in 2025, with a further 1.8 million due to end this year.

Rob Clifford, Chief Executive at Stonebridge, said: “We know many borrowers locked into attractive five-year rates during the pandemic. Now that so many of those consumers are reaching the end of the deals they grabbed at that time, we are naturally seeing huge demand for advice on refinancing options.

“That will continue throughout this year, with plenty of lenders dynamically pricing both product transfers and remortgage deals to win market share. We’re likely to see a reversal in rate volatility in the second half of the year and the popularity of variable or tracker rates might increase. If the energy crisis is short lived, a variable product would allow borrowers to capitalise on a falling base rate once the conflict subsides but this is a time when impartial and expert mortgage advice is worth its weight in gold.”

Source: Stonebridge Mortgage Market Index

Speak to a Trinity Financial adviser today

The mortgage market moves fast — and the right advice can make a significant difference to the rate and deal you secure. Get in touch with our team to discuss your options.

Call Trinity Financial on 020 7267 9399 to secure a fixed or tracker rate mortgage, book a consultation, or use our appointment calendar

The information contained within was correct at the time of publication but is subject to change. It is for general information purposes and is not advice.

Your mortgage is secured on your property. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage