UK Property

Dallas-based private equity firm Lone Star Real Estate Fund VII has agreed to buy nine purpose-built student accommodation assets for £212 million. The seller is Unite Student, the UK’s largest developer and owner of student accommodation, while the deal is set to go through in August 2025. The portfolio comprises 3,656 beds across nine high-quality PBSA assets in five well-located university markets: Aberdeen, Leicester, Leeds, Nottingham and Sheffield. Jérôme Foulon, global head of commercial real estate for Lone Star, said: “This transaction aligns with Lone Star’s global strategy of investing...

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the Workplace pensions myFT Digest -- delivered directly to your inbox.A contentious change in UK legislation around pensions will push more defined contribution workplace schemes to boost investment in British private markets, pension experts have said. The Pensions Schemes Bill, published on Thursday, sets a framework to allow regulators to force the default funds of workplace DC schemes to invest in specific assets including private equity, private debt, venture capital or property. The power, which would be enforced by the Financial Conduct Authority and...

Discover how AI is transforming UK property accounting with automated bookkeeping, MTD compliance & predictive insights.  Photo by Binti Malu from PexelsProperty accounting is getting simpler – and faster. With Making Tax Digital (MTD), the end of self-assessments is on the horizon, and landlords are leaving behind spreadsheets and paper records in favour of AI tools that can automate admin and help them keep their financial records in order and compliant with regulations. Of course, AI is getting a lot of attention at the moment, and you might think the...

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.What better place to test the health of the UK property market than a doctor’s office? A takeover battle for NHS landlord Assura — which involves a private equity bidder slugging it out with a listed competitor — has renewed the debate over the future of the City of London. Assura, which owns a portfolio of mainly GP surgeries and healthcare centres, seemed set to become the latest in the procession of...

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.What better place to test the health of the UK property market than a doctor’s office? A takeover battle for NHS landlord Assura — which involves a private equity bidder slugging it out with a listed competitor — has renewed the debate over the future of the City of London. Assura, which owns a portfolio of mainly GP surgeries and healthcare centres, seemed set to become the latest in the procession of...

The latest house price data feels about as clear as mud. According to Rightmove, there was a smaller than usual monthly increase of 0.6 per cent in May, leaving prices up just 1.2 per cent on this time last year. But by Nationwide’s measure, annual house price growth was a more buoyant 3.5 per cent. And according to the official UK House Price Index (HPI), the latest monthly rise was 1.1 per cent, leaving house prices 6.4 per cent higher year on year.IndexRightmoveNationwideUK HPIMonthly house price increase (%)0.60.51.1Annual house price...

A fourth man has been arrested for the arsons related to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's property.The 48-year-old was arrested at Stansted airport today, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed.He was initially stopped by officers under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act, 2000, before being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life.The arrest is connected to an investigation into a series of fires and suspected arson attacks across North London last month. They included: vehicle fire in NW5 on Thursday, 8 May; a fire at...

Offering great value for money, a community feel and plenty of green spaces, one part of Derbyshire is rapidly emerging among the county’s most in-demand places to live.The area between Calow and Bolsover was once seen as just a corridor from Chesterfield town centre to the hospital, but now it is becoming a real property hotspot.Chloe McKenzie, Property Consultant at Redbrik Estate Agents, says demand in this region has surged over the last 12 months, fuelled by a blend of affordability, lifestyle appeal and the area’s strategic location.Chloe said, “We’re...

Dearbail Jordan and Mitchell LabiakBusiness reporters, BBC NewsGetty ImagesUK economic growth will suffer because of US tariff barriers and high interest payments on government debt, an influential global policy group has said.The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) cut its expectations for UK growth this year to 1.3% from the 1.4% it had predicted in March.The think tank has cut forecasts globally due to trade tensions, but said the UK faced particular issues due to its "very thin" buffer in public finances, calling on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to boost...

The UK economy continues to send a blend of cautious optimism and underlying uncertainty, driven by improving domestic indicators on the one hand, and global volatility on the other. For UK property investors, interpreting these mixed signals is critical to shaping resilient strategies amid a fast-moving environment. Recent developments, including the Bank of England’s latest rate cut to 4.25%, a stronger disinflation trend, and real income growth, offer a more stable foundation. Yet persistent geopolitical risk, trade tensions, and structural headwinds continue to weigh on the longer-term outlook. Positive signals:...