The article says UK data protection law has been updated by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, with all provisions now in force from June 2026, including a mandatory complaints-handling procedure. It argues that firms should review GDPR training, policies and staff understanding to ensure day-to-day practice reflects the current legal position and not outdated guidance.
A compliance training card game has been developed to help firms improve how they document source of funds decisions. Its creators say the main weakness is often not the underlying analysis, but the failure to record the reasoning clearly and consistently for audit and compliance purposes.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has fined Leadenhall Law Group Limited £16,092 after it failed to properly identify a politically exposed person in a series of residential property purchase transactions. The firm also did not adequately establish source of funds or source of wealth across 14 transactions completed between March 2017 and January 2020.
The Legal Services Board has concluded that inconsistent guidance following the Mazur case was driven by insufficient cross-regulator engagement and differing interpretations of the Legal Services Act. It said regulators updated guidance constructively after the judgments, but earlier advice lacked clarity and consistency, creating risks of uneven outcomes for regulated professionals.
The article critiques the government’s consultation on quid pro quo ground rents alongside the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, arguing that the proposed exemption test is likely to be difficult or impossible to satisfy in practice. It also questions the proposed fixed valuation approach for a £250 annual ground rent cap, suggesting it transfers value away from freeholders through a prescribed regulatory mechanism rather than case-by-case assessment.
HMRC has introduced a broader sanctionable conduct regime that can penalise tax advisers who intentionally facilitate tax underpayment and can also compel production of files where there are reasonable grounds to suspect misconduct. The article focuses on how this affects conveyancers handling SDLT work, emphasising the importance of contemporaneous records, clear reasoning and client approval trails.
The Legal Ombudsman’s 2025/26 annual report shows a 37% rise in complaints overall, with residential conveyancing accounting for 73% of the increase. The main drivers were delays, poor communication and post-completion registration issues, which the LeO says point to broader service breakdowns and weak complaint handling rather than isolated technical mistakes.
The Open Property Data Association is urging property-sector organisations to respond to the government’s Smart Data Multi-Sector Call for Evidence. The consultation will help shape future policy, scheme design and possible regulation for smart data sharing, including in property transactions.
Propertymark has published a report arguing that leasehold remains problematic for many homeowners despite recent legislative progress. The report says rising costs, complex rules and market uncertainty continue to affect existing leaseholders, and calls for further reform alongside the transition to commonhold.
HM Land Registry data shows SDLT-related requisitions remain a recurring source of registration delay, with 39,967 unique requisition numbers recorded in the year ending 2025. The article highlights that many issues arise from missing or inconsistent SDLT evidence and supporting documentation rather than the tax calculation itself.
X-Press Legal Services has launched a new Leadership in Law CPD event aimed at conveyancing leaders, with the first session focusing on operational leadership, professional indemnity issues and team performance. The article also highlights growing compliance pressures in conveyancing, including AML checks, ID verification, source of funds scrutiny, leasehold reform, SDLT, Land Registry practice and fraud prevention.
HM Land Registry has updated Practice Guide 2 on first registration where title deeds have been lost or destroyed. The revision adds clarity on supporting documentation, who may apply when the last known legal estate owner is deceased, and the class of title that may be granted.
