Practice Guide 78 has been updated with a new section on the dissolution of overseas entities. The addition highlights that land registration issues can become more complex where an overseas entity proprietor has been dissolved in its home jurisdiction, even if it is later restored.
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has published a new round of anti-money laundering sanctions totalling £137,000 against multiple law firms for failures in firm-wide risk assessments, policies, controls and procedures, and client/matter risk assessments. The decisions show a range of breaches, with several firms having already taken remedial steps and the SRA noting low risk of harm or repetition in some cases.
The article argues that letting agents should offer tenants genuine choice when recommending rent guarantor services, particularly in the context of changes following the Renters’ Rights Act. It warns that steering tenants toward a single provider, or rejecting a tenant’s chosen provider without valid reasons, could create compliance risks under the Tenant Fees Act and damage trust.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has fined two law firms and one solicitor for breaches of client account rules, including improper use of client money, dormant balances and failures in accountants’ reporting. The cases involved repeated compliance failures over extended periods, although the SRA noted there was no evidence of dishonesty or financial gain in the matters reported.
The article reports new research suggesting a significant rise in tenants in England acquiring pets in response to the Renters Rights Act’s changes on pet requests. It notes that landlords must now consider pet requests individually and cannot unreasonably refuse them, while pet deposits are no longer available under the reforms.
Reports from Savills and the Home Builders Federation indicate that new housing supply in England remains subdued, with completions broadly flat and planning approvals for future delivery falling short of government targets. The article highlights weaker demand, rising costs, and concerns that policy and tax pressures, including the forthcoming Building Safety Levy, are affecting site viability and developer confidence.
Knight Frank data shows prime London sales activity has risen in the latest three-month period, but exchanges remain below recent and five-year averages, with the comparison affected by stamp duty changes and mortgage rate repricing. In lettings, rental supply remains constrained and rents continue to rise in both prime central and prime outer London, with landlords adjusting pricing in response to changes linked to the Renters’ Rights Act.
Poplar HARCA is pursuing a £3.4m claim against Rydon Construction over alleged fire-safety and cladding defects at two east London residential buildings. The housing association says the buildings were not fit for habitation when completed and that remediation has already been carried out using public funding and its own resources.
The article reports that Avant Homes has agreed a repayment plan with MHCLG allowing remediation costs under the Developer Remediation Contract to be funded by government and repaid over several years. The arrangement has drawn criticism from another DRC signatory, while Avant says it provides liquidity support and MHCLG says it protects taxpayers and helps speed up cladding removal.
Bouygues UK reported a significantly larger pre-tax loss, driven by subcontractor failures, labour constraints and ongoing post-completion building-safety liabilities. The contractor also increased its provisions, with most of the balance linked to customer warranty obligations and expected remediation costs, while warning that financial pressure is likely to continue into 2026.
Bouygues’ UK arm has remained in the red, with losses exceeding £200m over the past four years. The contractor says its results have been affected by inflation, subcontractor failures and building safety liabilities.
Chestertons reports that some landlords are increasing advertised rents in response to the Renters’ Rights Act ban on encouraging bidding wars, aiming to preserve target rental income without inviting competitive offers. The article also notes stronger rental growth in the latest Rightmove data, with London outpacing the rest of Britain for the first time since late 2023.
