HMRC is reminding eligible tax advisers, including conveyancers who submit stamp duty returns for clients, to complete mandatory registration before 18 August 2026. The new regime is intended to improve transparency and may restrict advisers who fail to register from acting on behalf of clients, with potential financial penalties for non-compliance.
The Society of Licensed Conveyancers argues that legal services regulation should be based on specialist expertise rather than consolidation into a single larger regulator. It says conveyancing in particular faces distinct risks, including fraud, cybercrime, lender requirements, anti-money laundering obligations and digital transformation, which require deep market knowledge and active oversight.
The article reports a positive reaction from property sector bodies to Andy Burnham’s new cabinet, with Angela Rayner returning as housing secretary, Matthew Pennycook remaining in post, and John Healey appointed chancellor. Commentators emphasise the need for housing delivery, stable policy, leasehold reform, and continued progress on home buying and selling reforms.
The article reports on government-proposed homebuying reforms aimed at reducing delays, fall-throughs and paperwork in the sales process. Estate agents and surveyors quoted in the piece broadly support earlier information sharing and greater digitalisation, while stressing that the system must be accurate, standardised and carefully regulated to avoid adding complexity.
The article argues that reforms to late payment in construction should distinguish between unlawful late payment and legitimate retentions. It warns that a blanket ban on retentions could undermine building quality, complicate payment structures, and create delays in higher-risk residential projects, including gateway three approvals under the building safety regime.
The article reports that the Solicitors Regulation Authority has issued significant fines to conveyancing firms for anti-money laundering breaches, with risk assessment failures and weak source of funds checks featuring prominently. It also notes that the SRA is revisiting historical matters, reinforcing the need for contemporaneous, well-evidenced compliance records.
The article warns that AI-enabled onboarding and marketing language can blur the distinction between Source of Funds and Source of Wealth checks in conveyancing. It explains that while AI can improve the presentation and review of financial evidence, it does not change the scope of the underlying AML check or remove the need for professional judgement.
The article describes a conveyancer’s experience acting for buyers who entered a modern method of auction purchase without fully understanding the implications. A dispute arose over a 56-day deadline and a threatened forfeiture of a reservation fee, alongside concerns that the title was not mortgageable due to missing documents relating to an unregistered leasehold interest.
The article reports reactions from the legal and property sectors to Andy Burnham’s accession as Labour leader and the formation of a new government. The Law Society is urging support for legal aid, court reform and regional legal growth, while property commentators are calling for continued reform of the home buying process and greater clarity on future property tax policy.
The article reports that the government has issued a roadmap for changes to the home buying and selling process, and that a PropTech product is being positioned to help estate agents prepare for those reforms. The extract does not provide further detail on the specific measures or the product itself.
The Society of Licensed Conveyancers has renewed its call for HM Land Registry to review its approach to qualified electronic signatures, arguing that current guidance may not reflect the practical and evidential realities of conveyancing. While supporting digital transformation, the SLC says execution rules need more flexibility for complex, multi-party transactions and mixed-signature scenarios.
A consumer panel has criticised the Council for Licensed Conveyancers over perceived regulatory gaps in referral fee arrangements linked to conveyancing and estate agency relationships. The debate has been reignited by concerns raised after a BBC Panorama investigation into Connells, with the CLC rejecting the criticism and saying it has sought to improve transparency and consumer protection.
