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.

Some 11% of the homes on sale right now are owned by landlords quitting the private rental sector.

Residential and non-residential property transactions fell in April.