These are the main sources we rely on. Each article lists its specific sources at the end.
Official sources (primary for regulation and tax)
- GOV.UK — guidance on the Renters’ Rights Act, tenancy deposits, HMO licensing, the minimum energy efficiency standard (EPCs), Stamp Duty and rental income tax.
- HMRC — Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: eligibility, quarterly updates and penalties.
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE) — landlords’ gas safety duties.
- legislation.gov.uk — regulations such as the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 and the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022.
- Local councils — HMO licence fee schedules and local enforcement.
Professional and representative bodies
- National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) — used for context and implementation timelines, not as a substitute for official guidance.
- Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) — practical guidance on Making Tax Digital software.
- Law firm briefings (for example, Osborne Clarke) — used for details of new schemes before official guidance is published.
Market and cost data
- Insurance: Simply Business customer data (published on MoneySuperMarket and Simply Business), Alan Boswell Group quote data.
- Software: vendors’ own pricing pages, checked directly.
- Certificates: trade price guides (Property Tax Partners, Home Safety UK), clearly labelled as market estimates.
- Running costs, voids and maintenance: published industry research (Pegasus Insight, Rushbrook), attributed with dates.
How we weigh sources
Official sources always take priority for rules and legal requirements. For costs, we prefer the largest and most recent dataset, and we flag any source with a commercial interest in the figure.