Matthew Pennycook has been reappointed as housing minister under new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, continuing his role as a central figure in the government’s housing reform agenda. The article highlights his involvement in the Renters Rights Act and the planned move away from leasehold toward commonhold, alongside wider housing policy priorities.
The Environment Agency has moved Sussex into prolonged dry weather, alongside Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, following continued hot temperatures, low rainfall and rising water demand. South East Water has also introduced temporary use bans in several areas, and the National Drought Group is monitoring the wider situation across England.
A Labour MP has introduced a Private Member’s Bill aimed at tightening regulation of short-term lets such as Airbnb. The proposal would give local councils powers to license all short lets, set health and safety standards, limit letting days, restrict them in certain areas, and penalise anti-social behaviour, with a Commons second reading scheduled for 11 September.
Auction activity has increased markedly, with more lots offered and sold across the UK in June, alongside a higher total value of property transacted. The article suggests some landlords may be reviewing portfolios in response to the Renters Rights Act, while buyer demand for auction stock remains steady.
Manchester councillors are urging the government to devolve powers to test private rent controls in the city, with the proposal framed as a potential pilot for a wider national scheme. The debate cites affordability pressures in the private rented sector and references the Renters Rights Act as part of the policy context.
The article says Angela Rayner is returning to the housing brief and will lead on implementing house-buying reforms previously announced by Steve Reed. It also states that if private rent controls are tested or introduced through a devolution package, she would be responsible for that policy area, alongside wider local government reforms.
Angela Rayner has returned to the role of Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, placing her in charge of implementing previously announced house-buying reforms and potentially any private rent controls linked to devolution. The article also notes her responsibility for local government reorganisation proposals and wider devolution measures.
Andy Burnham has been asked to form the next government and has set out housing and cost-of-living priorities, including more council homes, ending rough sleeping and a 10-year plan for Britain. Industry responses from RICS, Jackson-Stops and Propertymark focus on housing supply, home buying reform, market confidence and the need for planning, regulatory and delivery capacity.
Mace Consult says panic-buying ahead of changes to UK steel import rules has contributed to sharp rises in fabricated structural steel prices and wider construction material inflation. The report links this to supply disruption, higher energy costs and broader uncertainty, warning that lead times and procurement risk may worsen in the near term.
Savills reports a widening gap between landlord and tenant expectations on rent levels in prime rental markets, with many landlords seeking increases to offset higher regulation, tax and borrowing costs. The firm says the Renters Rights Act is now a major concern for landlords, alongside the abolition of Section 21, and that this is contributing to rent growth and some stock moving to the sales market.
Savills reports that prime rental values rose in Q2 2026 across regional markets, outer prime London and, more modestly, prime central London. The firm links the increase to landlords passing on higher regulatory, tax and borrowing costs, alongside reduced stock as some landlords consider selling following the Renters Rights Act.
Labour politicians in Manchester are urging the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to consider the city as a pilot area for private rent controls, with calls for devolved powers to let Greater Manchester set rent caps. The debate also references wider concerns about affordability in the private rented sector and the potential for Manchester to inform a national approach.
