Housing Unpacked- Renters’ Rights Act: The End of the Hobbyist Landlord?

In this episode of Housing Unpacked, Tom is joined by Louisa Sedgwick, managing director of mortgages at buy-to-let specialist lender Paragon Bank to explore the Renters’ Rights Act and what it really means for landlords and tenants. They discuss her involvement lobbying two separate governments on issues like the end of Section 21, the shift to periodic tenancies, tighter controls around asking rents, and why well‑intentioned reforms may squeeze supply, push rents higher, and disadvantage more vulnerable renters. The conversation also explores the recent mortgage market shock caused by the Middle East conflict and the looming challenge of meeting new energy efficiency standards.