Rents are rising off the back of a lack of properties to let, which is forcing many would-be renters to stay in their family homes

Following HSBC’s surprise decision to withdraw all its mortgage deals for new customers late last week, ahead of yet another hike in interest rates, several other lenders have followed suit.

The Bank of England is not yet done with rate rises as it battles inflation running at more than four times its target but the economy is still unlikely to fall into recession, a Reuters poll of economists found.

A trade body has criticised the various UK governments for “rushing blindly” into poorly-constructed regulation of short lets.

Two former housing ministers have criticised the Government for scrapping housebuilding targets.

Michael Gove’s proposed rental reforms are already forcing landlords to quit the housing market, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has warned, as rising mortgage rates trigger a slump in landlord lending.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's housing market showed some improvement in May but further interest rates increases by the Bank of England are expected to put more pressure on demand and on prices in the coming months, an industry survey showed on Thursday last week.