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The government has announced a new scheme for first-time buyers called Your First Home. If it goes ahead as described, eligible buyers could buy a new-build home with a deposit of just 2.5%.
The full details are due to be confirmed in the Budget at the end of October. Here's what we know so far and what it could mean if you're hoping to buy your first home.
At a glance
- Expected minimum deposit of 2.5% on eligible new-build homes
- A 20% government-backed equity loan with an initial interest-free period
- Household income caps and local property price caps are planned
- Eligibility, price caps, lender involvement and the longer-term cost of the equity loan are still to be confirmed
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First Time Buyers and Stamp Duty: Why £500,000 Matters
For first-time buyers, the price of a property can have a significant impact on the amount of Stamp Duty Land Tax payable. Since 1 April 2025, first-time buyers in England can claim Stamp Duty Land Tax relief when purchasing a home for £500,000 or less, provided they meet the qualifying conditions.
That makes the £500,000 mark an important figure for buyers looking at homes towards the upper end of the first-time buyer market.
What are the current first-time buyer stamp duty rules?
For qualifying first-time buyers purchasing a property for £500,000 or less:
- No Stamp Duty Land Tax is payable on the first £300,000
- 5% is payable on the portion between £300,001 and £500,000
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Is It Taking Longer to Find a Tenant in 2026?
The rental market has changed. A few years ago, many rental properties could attract a large number of enquiries almost as soon as they went online. In 2026, landlords may notice that finding the right tenant can take a little more time. That does not mean tenants have disappeared. It means getting the price, presentation and marketing right matters more.
What has changed?
Zoopla reported that rental properties received an average of 5.6 enquiries per listing in May 2026, compared with almost 16 at the peak in 2022. So, rather than expecting a flood of enquiries immediately, landlords may now see interest build more steadily. At the same time, there is still a shortage of rental homes. Zoopla says there are around 25% fewer homes available to rent across the UK than before the pandemic. This means good rental properties are still in demand. Landlords simply need to make sure their property is competing well against the other homes available.
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The material information rules already shaping what your listing must show
The requirement for property listings to include specific, defined material information has been building since 2022 and is already in force across all three of its published parts. For sellers preparing to market a home, understanding what the rules require, what agents are obliged to ask for, and where the direction of travel is heading is the most practical preparation available before any listing goes live.
What material information means and why it applies
Material information is defined as information which an average consumer needs, in the context of a property listing, to make an informed transactional decision. Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, agents are legally obliged not to omit or hide material information from property listings. The National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team published detailed guidance to clarify precisely what that obligation requires, in three phases.
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Tenancy Renewals Have Changed: What Landlords Need to Know
For years, landlords have been used to reaching the end of a fixed-term tenancy and deciding what happens next.
Do you offer another 6 or 12 months?
Do you let the tenancy roll on?
Is it time to review the rent?
Since 1 May 2026, that process has changed for most private landlords in England. Most assured shorthold tenancies automatically became assured periodic tenancies, meaning they now continue on a rolling basis rather than coming to an end on a set date. So, what do landlords actually need to do now? There is no traditional renewal. For most tenancies, there is no longer a fixed-term renewal to arrange. When the date that was previously shown as the end of the tenancy arrives:
