The government has announced proposed reforms to the home buying and selling process, led by the Prime Minister, Chancellor and Housing Secretary. The package focuses on digitisation, upfront sales information, binding agreements, and stronger standards for estate agents, with the aim of reducing delays, costs and fall-throughs.
The government has proposed abolishing insured tenancy deposit schemes, meaning all tenant deposits would need to be held in custodial schemes run by approved providers. The change is intended to improve tenant protection and reduce fraud risk, with no implementation timetable yet announced.
The article reports that the government is planning higher fines of up to £7,000 for landlords who fail to address poor conditions in rented homes under the updated Health and Safety Rating System. The NRLA argues that stronger penalties will have limited effect unless councils improve enforcement, citing FOI data that suggests only a quarter of fines issued to private landlords were collected between 2023 and 2025.
The article outlines proposed government reforms to the homebuying process in England, including mandatory sales packs at listing, earlier binding agreements, a new code of practice for estate agents, and mandatory qualifications for agents. It also proposes wider use of digital tools such as property logbooks, digital ID checks, electronic signatures and AI-assisted conveyancing to reduce delays and transaction failure.
The Housing Ombudsman found severe maladministration by Bristol City Council after a vulnerable resident was made homeless and his belongings were disposed of without his knowledge or consent. Following a wider order review, the council has introduced training, stronger record-keeping, revised tenancy processes and a new procedure for handling possessions left in properties.
Industry reactions to the government’s home buying and selling reform roadmap are broadly supportive of earlier, digitalised information sharing, with many seeing it as a way to reduce delays, uncertainty and fall-throughs. Some voices welcome the efficiency gains, while others warn that digitalisation will not remove underlying legal and regulatory complexity and must be implemented cautiously.
The government has announced reforms to the home buying process aimed at reducing fall-throughs, shortening transaction times and increasing the use of digital tools. Measures include upfront sales packs, earlier binding agreements, a new Code of Practice for estate agents, mandatory qualifications, and support for digital identity checks, electronic signatures and AI-assisted conveyancing.
The Regulator of Social Housing has published technical requirements for Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs), setting out how registered providers must calculate and report the measures on an annual basis. The document has been updated to reflect the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard, the Housing Ombudsman Service’s 2024 Complaints Handling Code, Awaab’s Law, and the addition of an electrical safety checks measure.
HM Treasury has confirmed its response to the consultation on moving anti-money laundering supervision for professional services to the FCA, with the regulator set to become the single professional services supervisor by 2029. The new model will retain many existing expectations, introduce a new FCA register for firms, and transfer current investigations and enforcement activity to the FCA.
This corporate report updates on the government’s progress in implementing the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 recommendations up to May 2026. It also provides an update on Phase 1 recommendations relating to Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs), with further progress reports expected later in 2026.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has opened a consultation on new notification requirements that would require law firms to inform it about proposed mergers and acquisitions, and when they begin holding client money. The regulator says the aim is to improve early risk detection, strengthen consumer protection and reduce the chance of failures that could harm clients or client funds.
The Planning Inspectorate has published a first edition Procedure Guide for local plans prepared under the new plan-making system, while confirming that the legacy examination process remains in place during a transition period through 2026. The article also reiterates that local planning authorities should only submit plans when they are ready for independent examination, supported by a pre-examination checklist and an Inspectorate response within 10 working days.
