Practical guides from the people who do the work — fees and costs, HMO licensing, managing property from overseas, and what's actually happening in Manchester's postcodes.
Registration opens 15 December 2026 in the West Midlands; draft rules put Manchester on 15 May 2027. All letting landlords must register by 14 November 2027.
Tenant-find suits hands-on landlords who know the rules. After move-in, safety renewals, rent rises, notices and repairs are yours to handle.
Since 1 May 2026: no section 21, rolling tenancies only, one rent rise a year by formal notice, no bidding, and a month's rent upfront at most.
Gas check every 12 months, EICR at least every five years, EPC rated E or better, smoke and CO alarms: tenant deadlines, fines, and why EPC C is not law yet.
What letting agents in Manchester actually charge, what sits outside the headline percentage, and what a tenant can lawfully be charged under the Tenant Fees Act 2019.
Manchester has a city-wide Article 4 direction, so converting a house into a small HMO needs planning permission. Here is how planning and licensing differ, and the order to do them in.
The Non-resident Landlord Scheme, how to receive your rent without tax deducted, and what a managing agent should be doing for you when you are not in the country.
Who rents where across Greater Manchester, what the property stock is like, and what tends to go wrong — written from the management side rather than the sales brochure side.