Bolsover Council is hosting the East Midlands Housing Conference 2026 to help landlords, letting agents and housing professionals understand the practical implications of the Renters Rights Act. The event will feature legal and sector experts delivering keynote talks and workshops focused on preparing for the reforms.
Campaigners say there is still no clear timetable for ending the leasehold system, despite repeated government commitments to reform it. The article highlights concerns that leaseholders continue to face uncertainty and rising costs while ministers say legislation will come soon but will take time because the issue is complex.
The Scottish Government has launched a review of the conveyancing process in Scotland, with a focus on reducing delays, cutting paperwork and increasing digitalisation. The review will be led by Jill Andrew and Professor Andrew Steven, and is intended to produce recommendations for improving the residential conveyancing model.
Two rental market analyses indicate that UK rents are continuing to rise, with HomeLet reporting annual growth of 4.1% in August 2026 and Zoopla pointing to tightening supply and stronger demand. The data suggests further rent increases are likely over the coming months, with London remaining the most expensive and one of the fastest-growing markets.
Chestertons reports a rebound in confidence across London’s housing market, with stronger buyer enquiries, higher vendor instructions and an increase in sales agreed. In lettings, tenant enquiries and landlord instructions have also risen, while achieved rents are said to be holding firm despite slower tenant decision-making.
Codi Group has launched a £750m, four-year Welsh housing construction framework covering new-build housing and refurbishment work, with up to 48 principal contractors to be appointed across six lots. The framework is due to start in April 2027 and will be available to Codi Group and partner housing organisations for call-off contracts across Wales.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a contractor for the final phase of its RAAC failsafe programme, with around 18 months remaining on a seven-year effort to make the estate safe. The works, valued at about £6.5m, will involve roof re-covering and additional steel and timber supports rather than removal of the RAAC itself, while a replacement hospital remains part of the national New Hospital Programme.
The Planning Inspectorate reports that development consent has been granted for the Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms Transmission Assets project. The scheme includes offshore export cables, landfall infrastructure, onshore export cables, substations, grid connection cables and related works, following a six-month examination under the Planning Act 2008.
The article examines concerns raised by law firms and compliance advisers about the SRA’s new Rule 8.4, which is intended to separate significant management control from key compliance roles such as COLP and COFA. Critics argue the rule may be unclear, disproportionate and costly for smaller and mid-sized firms, particularly where it applies even to firms that do not hold client money.
The Home Builders Federation says delays and inconsistent requirements in the adoption of new roads are adding cost and uncertainty to housing delivery. Its report argues that long timescales, rising bond values and variable local authority fees are undermining the viability of new developments and increasing ongoing charges for residents on unadopted estates.
Chestertons reports that London rental demand strengthened in August, with tenant enquiries up 13% year-on-year and new landlord instructions rising around 6%. The agency says some landlords had tested higher rents before the Renters Rights Act took effect, and that the market is now adjusting to the new rules, including restrictions on bidding above advertised rent.
The government has announced plans for HMRC’s Valuation Office Agency to take on initial decisions for rent increase challenges in England, replacing the current first step of applying to the First-tier Tribunal. However, the timing is uncertain because the change may need further legislation and will not take effect until a new service is developed.
