Guides for UK landlords | Ashlar Ledger

How to Calculate Buy-to-Let Rental Yield in the UK (2026/27)

Rental yield is usually the first number anyone quotes about a buy-to-let, and it is also the number most often quoted badly. A listing that promises "7% yield" might be using the asking price, the best-case rent and no costs at all. Yours should be built from figures you can defend.

How to Compare Areas Before Buying a Buy-to-Let (UK Guide)

Many buy-to-let mistakes happen before any viewing, when an area is chosen on a hunch or one impressive yield figure and the numbers are then made to fit.

Tenant Screening Checklist for UK Landlords (England 2026)

Good screening protects you and the people applying. Done well, it is a consistent, documented process: the same questions, tests and paperwork for everyone. Done badly, it can break the law before a tenancy starts.

Right to Rent Checklist for Landlords in England (2026)

If you let a home in England, you must check that the people who will live there have the right to rent before the tenancy starts. The check is quick once you know the steps, but the rules changed on 1 October 2026, when a new Home Office code of practice came into force. This checklist walks through who to check, how to check them, when to check again and what records to keep.

Renters' Rights Act Checklist for Landlords in England

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is the biggest change to private renting in England in more than 30 years. The main tenancy changes came into force on 1 May 2026, and more is still to come, including the new landlord database. This checklist sets out what is already law, what each landlord should have done, what to keep on top of now and what is announced but not yet in force.

PRS Database: When Landlords in England Must Register

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 creates a database of private landlords and rented homes in England. On gov.uk it is called the Register your rental property service, and you may also see it called the PRS Database or the landlord database. Landlords will register themselves and each let property, and pay a fee per property.

Making Tax Digital for Landlords: Dates and Thresholds

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD) changes how many UK landlords deal with HMRC. Instead of one tax return a year built from a shoebox of receipts, you keep digital records, send a short update every three months and then file your tax return through software. It started on 6 April 2026 for landlords and sole traders with qualifying income over £50,000, and the threshold is set to fall in 2027 and 2028.

MTD Qualifying Income for Landlords: What Counts

Whether you have to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD) depends on one number: your qualifying income. For landlords it is easy to get wrong, because it is based on your rent before expenses, not your profit. This guide explains what counts, what does not, and how HMRC works it out, using the examples on gov.uk.