The rental market is still growing, but the way properties are managed has changed. August is a useful time for landlords to review tenancies, rent processes and record-keeping.

One of the biggest talking points this week has been the 11% week-on-week drop in sales agreed and a drop of 2% on the average asking price of a newly listed properties. While some seasonal softening is entirely normal during the summer holiday period, the scale of this fall has caught the attention of the property industry.

Landlords across England are being given advance notice of an important change to the private rented sector, with the government announcing the regional deadlines for registering rental properties on England's new Private Rented Sector Database.

If moving is starting to feel more realistic, September is a useful time to prepare. Understanding your budget, priorities and local property search now could make things much easier when the right home appears.