This week’s top headlines: Landlords hit by 4% income tax hike from 2027 and chancellor ignores calls for stamp duty reform
Explore these and other major industry updates below:Autumn Budget 2026: Landlords hit by 4% income tax hike from 2027
Landlords in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will face a further 2 percentage point increase in income tax on rental earnings from April 2027, taking the basic, higher and additional rates to 24%, 44% and 49% respectively. The changes are expected to raise £455m by 2031-32 and have prompted warnings from industry figures that higher costs could discourage investment, lead more landlords to sell and reduce rental housing supply.
Autumn Budget 2026: Chancellor ignores calls for stamp duty reform
Chancellor John Healey left stamp duty unchanged in the Autumn Budget, disappointing industry figures who had called for reform to encourage home moves and boost housing market activity.
Industry representatives argue that the tax is discouraging transactions and preventing downsizers from freeing up larger homes, while the Conservatives have pledged to abolish stamp duty if elected.
Autumn Budget 2026: Your First Home details revealed
The government has confirmed that first-time buyers can register for the £4.7bn Your First Home scheme from December, submit full applications from February and begin purchasing homes from April.
The scheme will offer 20% interest-free equity loans for five years, with a minimum 2.5% deposit, income caps of £110,000 outside London and £140,000 within the capital, and local property price limits.
It aims to help around 70,000 households onto the property ladder and support the delivery of 20,000 new homes.
Autumn Budget 2026: Healey backs FTBs with new ISA plan
The government has confirmed plans to launch a new First Time Buyer ISA in April 2029, retaining the Lifetime ISA’s £4,000 annual contribution limit and 25% government bonus, with no upper age restriction.
From 29 October 2026, existing Lifetime ISA holders buying properties above the £450,000 price cap will also face a reduced 20% withdrawal charge, although campaigners say the cap should be increased to reflect higher property prices, particularly in London.
Average new mortgage rate rises to 5.88% ahead of Budget, Moneyfacts data shows
The average rate on new UK mortgages edged up to 5.88% on 27 October, according to Moneyfacts, following pricing changes from three lenders.
Average two-year fixed rates rose to 5.97% and five-year fixes remained at 5.99%, while ten-year fixes held at 6.31% and two-year variable rates stayed at 4.66%.
Government lays out rules for rental property registry
Landlords in England will be required to register their rental properties under a new scheme, with registrations opening in the West Midlands on 15 December before rolling out across other regions throughout 2027.
The annual fee will be £65 per property, with landlords required to provide property details, safety certificates and tenancy information within 28 days, or risk having their registration deactivated.
Landlord and property registration numbers will also eventually need to appear in rental adverts.
Your First Home ‘to have half the impact of Help to Buy’
Zoopla has warned that the Your First Home scheme could have only half the impact of Help to Buy because of its income and regional property price caps, although the higher limits in London mean almost three-quarters of new homes there could qualify.
Industry figures say the scheme could support first-time buyers and boost the London new-build market, but concerns remain that restricting it to new homes will limit its wider impact and leave buyers exposed to negative equity and rising repayment costs.
Autumn Budget 2026: Tax increase on banks but less than expected
The Chancellor has confirmed a temporary 3 percentage point increase to the bank surcharge, on top of the existing 25% corporation tax rate, lasting 15 months from January to help fund support for household energy bills.
While the shorter-term measure may limit the impact on lenders, industry figures warn that a sustained increase in bank taxation could affect the UK’s competitiveness and prompt international banks to direct investment elsewhere.
Shared ownership income caps to rise after 10-year freeze
The government will increase the income caps for shared ownership schemes from the new year, raising the limit from £80,000 to £90,000 outside London and from £90,000 to £110,000 within the capital.
The changes follow calls for a review after the thresholds remained unchanged since 2016, with industry figures welcoming the move but urging regular reviews to ensure eligibility reflects rising wages and house prices.
House price falls spread to a third of homes: Zoopla HPI
More than a third of UK homes are now in postcode areas where prices are falling, up from 12% a year ago, despite average house prices rising 0.8% to £273,100.
The declines are concentrated in London and the South East, while more affordable areas such as the North West and Scotland continue to see growth, highlighting how higher mortgage costs and greater housing supply are creating an increasingly localised market.
