What the change in Prime Minister could mean for Liverpool landlords

Andy Burnham became Prime Minister on 20 July 2026, succeeding Keir Starmer. For property investors, a change of leadership at Number 10 is rarely just a Westminster story – it tends to filter down into tax policy, planning powers and the rules that govern the private rented sector.

Burnham arrives in Downing Street with an unusually long track record on housing. As Mayor of Greater Manchester he made the private rented sector a personal priority, introducing a Good Landlord Charter and overseeing a 43% rise in financial penalties against rogue landlords, with fines totalling £1.47 million. That record, plus the appointment of Angela Rayner as Housing Secretary, gives landlords a reasonably clear steer on the direction of travel – even before every policy detail is confirmed.

For Liverpool landlords, the question is not simply whether Burnham’s premiership changes anything nationally, but what it means for a city region that already has its own devolved powers, its own regeneration priorities and its own relationship with central government funding.

What the new Prime Minister has actually said and done so far

A few weeks into the job, some things are settled and some are still speculation. It’s worth separating the two.

Confirmed or announced:

• Burnham has ruled out scrapping council tax or stamp duty, or replacing them with a single property tax, in the near term – stamp duty will not be reformed in this year’s Budget (HomeOwners Alliance).
• Despite his long-standing support for rent controls, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has confirmed the government will not pursue them, citing the still-bedding-in effects of the Renters’ Rights Act (Simply Business).
• Electricity bills for households will carry 0% VAT for six months from 1 October 2026 – a modest but real saving for landlords covering bills on void or all-inclusive tenancies (HomeOwners Alliance).
• Burnham has pledged the largest council housebuilding programme since the post-war period, underpinned by a proposed £40 billion borrowing commitment, and has asked government for powers to suspend Right to Buy on new council housing in areas of acute housing need (Bishop & Sewell).

Still speculative:

• Burnham has previously backed replacing council tax and stamp duty with a Land Value Tax, and property advisers including Savills have warned this could prompt some landlords to sell or raise rents if it materialises – but no firm proposal has been tabled (The Negotiator).
• There is speculation the £2 million mansion tax threshold could be lowered to £1.5 million, though this would affect relatively few Liverpool portfolios directly (HomeOwners Alliance).
• Commentators are watching whether elements of the Greater Manchester approach to licensing and enforcement i.e. stronger compulsory purchase powers for councils over non-decent private rented homes, become a template other regions are encouraged to adopt, though there is no indication this becomes automatic national policy (LandlordZone).

The headline for most landlords is reassurance rather than upheaval: the two policies landlords worried about most – rent controls and an imminent property tax overhaul -have both been explicitly ruled out or delayed, at least for now.

It’s also worth noting that Andy Burnham is a landlord himself, letting out a former council flat in Kennington reportedly now worth around £480,000. Now that doesn’t guarantee a sympathetic hand on policy, but it does suggest a Prime Minister who understands the sector from both sides of the tenancy agreement – which may explain why, so far, his government’s actual decisions have been more measured than his past rhetoric on rent freezes and land value taxation might have implied.

The Renters’ Rights Act is the bigger, more immediate change

It’s worth remembering that much of the regulatory shift landlords are feeling right now predates the new PM entirely. The Renters’ Rights Act, in force since May 2026, is widely regarded as the most significant reform to the private rented sector since the Housing Act 1988. It has abolished Section 21 evictions, introduced a Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman and database, extended the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law to private rentals, and limited rent increases to once a year at market rate, with tenants able to challenge above-market increases through an independent tribunal (LandlordZone).

A change of Prime Minister doesn’t reset this clock. For Liverpool landlords, the practical priority remains the same as it was before 20 July: review compliance, tenancy paperwork and property standards against the Act’s requirements, rather than waiting to see what Burnham does next.

Devolution matters more locally than a change of PM

The policy shift most directly relevant to Liverpool landlords isn’t really about the new Prime Minister at all – it’s the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, which received Royal Assent in April. It hands the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority a £1.5 billion Integrated Settlement for 2026/27 to 2029/30 (£1.1 billion capital, £417 million revenue), consolidating previously separate government funding streams into a single multi-year budget the Combined Authority controls directly.

In practice, this gives the Liverpool City Region more autonomy over how regeneration, infrastructure and growth funding is allocated – the Combined Authority’s chief executive has described it as giving the region more clarity and flexibility to plan for the long term (Liverpool City Region Combined Authority). For landlords, that means local licensing schemes, regeneration priorities and infrastructure investment are increasingly shaped in Liverpool rather than Westminster; exactly the trend Greater Manchester has demonstrated under Burnham’s mayoralty over the past decade.

Liverpool still has strong rental property fundamentals

None of this changes the underlying case for Liverpool as a rental market. The city continues to benefit from a large student population, strong and consistent rental demand, ongoing regeneration schemes and comparatively affordable entry prices relative to other major UK cities. Areas benefiting from regeneration or improved connectivity remain well placed for investors taking a long-term view.

But rental income alone still isn’t the full picture. A property generating £1,000 a month may not outperform one generating £750 a month once you account for capital growth prospects, maintenance costs and tax efficiency, a principle that holds regardless of who is in Downing Street.

What this means for how you manage your property portfolio

Because the biggest near-term risks – rent controls, an imminent tax overhaul – have been ruled out, this is a reasonable moment for a considered review rather than a reactive one. Questions worth revisiting:

• Are you claiming all allowable expenses, and is your ownership structure – personal name versus limited company – still the right one for your circumstances?
• Have you reviewed potential Capital Gains Tax exposure before any future sale, rather than after?
• Does your portfolio meet Renters’ Rights Act compliance requirements now, ahead of further stages coming into effect?
• Would improving energy efficiency or tenant appeal in specific properties protect long-term value, particularly given signals around future EPC requirements?
• Is your succession and long-term investment plan still aligned with where local devolution funding and regeneration activity is heading?

The bottom line for landlords

A change of Prime Minister always brings a wave of speculation, and Burnham’s housing record means landlords have more reason than most to pay attention. But the concrete news so far is reassuring rather than disruptive – no rent controls, no immediate tax overhaul. The more material shifts, for Liverpool specifically, are the Renters’ Rights Act, which is already law, and the devolution settlement that hands the city region more control over the funding and priorities shaping local property markets.

The right response isn’t to guess at what a Burnham government might do next. It’s to make sure your portfolio is structured, compliant and tax-efficient for the environment that already exists, so you’re prepared whichever way national policy moves.

How we can help

At UHY Williamson Croft, we support property investors across Liverpool, the wider Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester with practical, commercially focused advice – from landlord accounts and buy-to-let tax planning to portfolio reviews, Capital Gains Tax planning and limited company structuring. Whether you hold a single rental property, a student let, or a larger HMO business, we can help you understand your options as the policy landscape develops.