The Society of Licensed Conveyancers argues that legal services regulation should be based on specialist expertise rather than consolidation into a single larger regulator. It says conveyancing in particular faces distinct risks, including fraud, cybercrime, lender requirements, anti-money laundering obligations and digital transformation, which require deep market knowledge and active oversight.
Ardmore’s moratorium has been extended into next month, with the firm saying the additional time will allow it to prepare an appeal against a BLO judgement. The article indicates an ongoing legal and procedural development rather than a completed resolution.
The article notes that the effects of the Renters Rights Act are beginning to influence the sales market, particularly where properties are sold with tenants in situ. It indicates that estate agents need to adapt their approach when handling tenanted property sales as the legislative environment changes.
The article reports that the Solicitors Regulation Authority has issued significant fines to conveyancing firms for anti-money laundering breaches, with risk assessment failures and weak source of funds checks featuring prominently. It also notes that the SRA is revisiting historical matters, reinforcing the need for contemporaneous, well-evidenced compliance records.
The article reports on a Technology and Construction Court decision in Mallas v Persimmon Homes Ltd [2025], which reiterates how the courts approach proportionality in high-value remedial claims. It highlights that housebuilders may still face substantial liability, while the court’s reasoning provides guidance on when demolition or other remedial works may be considered.
The article highlights concerns raised by lettings expert Paul Shamplina about rental fraud, including fake tenants, false identities and references, and criminals posing as landlords or agents. It cites BBC Panorama cases where properties were taken over and used for criminal activity, illegal subletting, or were left damaged, with landlords facing lengthy possession and legal processes.
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.
Updated government guidance under the Tenant Fees Act, issued after the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, has raised questions about whether some professional rent guarantor contracts entered into before 1 May may still be valid. The guidance also indicates that tenants must be given genuine choice over guarantor services, and that requiring a specific provider could amount to a prohibited payment.
The article warns that AI-enabled onboarding and marketing language can blur the distinction between Source of Funds and Source of Wealth checks in conveyancing. It explains that while AI can improve the presentation and review of financial evidence, it does not change the scope of the underlying AML check or remove the need for professional judgement.
The article describes a conveyancer’s experience acting for buyers who entered a modern method of auction purchase without fully understanding the implications. A dispute arose over a 56-day deadline and a threatened forfeiture of a reservation fee, alongside concerns that the title was not mortgageable due to missing documents relating to an unregistered leasehold interest.
The Society of Licensed Conveyancers has renewed its call for HM Land Registry to review its approach to qualified electronic signatures, arguing that current guidance may not reflect the practical and evidential realities of conveyancing. While supporting digital transformation, the SLC says execution rules need more flexibility for complex, multi-party transactions and mixed-signature scenarios.
The article outlines a proposed shift of AML and counter-terrorist financing supervision from the SRA and other professional body supervisors to the FCA. It says firms should prepare for a more data-led supervisory approach that focuses on whether controls are operating effectively, not just whether policies exist on paper.
