Administrators for collapsed FK Group Ltd have reported an £8.3m cross-guarantee liability linked to its subsidiaries FK Facades Ltd and FK Construction Ltd. They also said a sale of FK Resolv is being lined up, with any proceeds expected to support a dividend to secured creditor HSBC, while unsecured creditors are unlikely to receive a payout.
Propertymark says the enforcement burden on the private rented sector is increasing as the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 raises maximum civil penalties for relevant Housing Act offences and councils expand licensing schemes. The article also highlights forthcoming PRS Database requirements and the risk of rent repayment orders where properties are unlicensed.
Propertymark warns that landlords and letting agents are facing a more complex licensing environment, with higher civil penalties for Housing Act offences and expanding local licensing schemes across England. The article also highlights the forthcoming PRS Database and the risk of rent repayment orders where properties are left unlicensed.
Propertymark is urging the Burnham government to speed up leasehold reform and provide immediate protections for existing leaseholders, arguing that a future move to commonhold will not address current market problems. Its report says high service charges, slow access to leasehold information and unresolved building safety defects are continuing to hinder sales, mortgageability and consumer confidence.
The article reports that eviction disputes are increasing across the private rented sector, with landlords seeking vacant possession more often and tenants more frequently challenging notices. A law firm attributes the trend to worsening economics for landlords, including tax changes, refinancing costs, compliance burdens and uncertainty over future energy standards.
An alliance of SME and boutique law firms is urging the Solicitors Regulation Authority to reconsider proposals that would separate COLP and COFA roles from individuals with unilateral management control in certain firms. The group argues the threshold and implementation approach are not sufficiently evidence-based and could create practical and cost pressures for smaller practices ahead of phased introduction from January 2027.
Propertymark has urged Northern Ireland’s Department for Communities to revise the Warm Healthy Homes Fund so that support for private rented homes is based on the property’s energy efficiency rather than the tenant’s income. It argues that the current approach could exclude some of the least efficient homes from funding, even where improvement is most needed.
FCS Compliance is hosting a free webinar for property professionals on anti-money laundering regulation changes and updated HMRC guidance. The session will be led by AML specialists and is designed to address practical questions on applying the revised framework in day-to-day property business operations.
The article reports early evidence that landlords are increasing advertised rents in response to the Renters Rights Act, particularly because bidding wars are being banned and in-tenancy rent rises are harder to impose. It also argues that broader rental demand has normalised, with fewer enquiries per property and a market increasingly shaped by affordability and turnover rather than a fresh surge in demand.
The Environment Agency has announced two further arrests in its ongoing investigation into large-scale illegal waste dumping at a site in Kidlington, bringing the total number of arrests to six. The site was previously closed by court order and has since been fully cleaned, with more than 22,000 tonnes of waste removed.
New research from Pegasus Insight suggests that 26% of landlords experienced rent arrears in the past year, a figure that has fallen from its 2020 peak but remains significant. The report also highlights persistent void periods, especially among larger portfolios and HMO operators, against a backdrop of ongoing inflationary and regulatory pressures.
A property management specialist argues that replacing leasehold with Commonhold would not, by itself, resolve the underlying causes of poor resident outcomes. The article calls for stronger regulation, better governance and improved standards within the existing system rather than a wholesale tenure change.
