The article reports that landlords are facing rising eviction costs and delays as tenants increasingly challenge possession claims under the Renters Rights Act. It links this to wider pressure in the private rented sector, including landlords selling up, higher financing and compliance costs, and a growing court backlog.
HMRC is reportedly increasing scrutiny of the property sector, with BCLP estimating up to £645m in additional tax under consideration for the largest property firms. The article says the focus is particularly on capital allowances and SDLT, alongside a higher rate of HMRC refusals to give pre-transaction tax clearance on certain matters.
The Building Safety Regulator’s innovation unit has reportedly reduced approval times by half after a year of operation. However, the regulator is still not meeting its statutory requirement, with caseloads continuing to grow.
England’s register for short-term and holiday lets is set to be fully operational by March 2027, with the Government saying it will strengthen regulation and improve visibility over how homes are being used. The article also notes related policy changes affecting holiday lets, including the abolition of the Furnished Holiday Lets tax regime and wider local authority powers over second homes.
Atom Bank has launched a Natural Capital lending product to support the creation and refinancing of Biodiversity Net Gain habitat banks in England. The initial funding has backed three sites that have generated BNG units registered with Natural England, with the article noting the wider applicability of BNG requirements across development types and the future extension to NSIPs in 2026.
The Environment Agency has issued Regulatory Position Statement RPS 376 on the storage of waste PFOA-containing firefighting foams and related decontamination and replacement wastes. It explains when the Agency will not normally take enforcement action if these wastes are stored longer than permitted under non-waste framework directive exemptions, provided the stated conditions are met.
The article indicates that HMRC is preparing a tax clampdown affecting the property industry, with a legal firm reportedly having access to HMRC data. The extract is very limited and does not provide details on the scope, timing or specific tax issues involved.
The article says that global tensions and wider economic uncertainty have pushed swap rates higher, creating pressure for major lenders to reprice mortgage products. This points to the likelihood of mortgage rate increases in the near term.
The Bank of England’s latest Money and Credit report shows a July decline in both mortgage borrowing and mortgage approvals, with approvals falling below recent averages. Commentators cited mortgage pricing volatility, affordability pressures and higher fixed-rate costs as key factors weighing on activity, although remortgaging approvals were broadly stable.
The Building Safety Regulator reported a rise of more than 100 cases in its live gateway two caseload in August, which it said may be linked to the forthcoming Building Safety Levy. It also said its inspection programme had identified a small number of departures from gateway two-approved designs, requiring remedial work, while approval times and approval rates improved across several application types.
The article reports that the Building Safety Levy is due to come into force on 1 October for qualifying building control applications in England, with rates varying by local authority and land type. Industry bodies warn that, alongside other policy costs and weak market conditions, the levy could make more housing schemes unviable and slow delivery.
Construction and property bodies are urging the government to delay the planned introduction of the Building Safety Levy, due to take effect next month. They warn that the levy could undermine scheme viability and reduce the delivery of qualifying residential and purpose-built student accommodation projects.
