The article reviews the first six months after the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, arguing that the lettings market has been less disrupted than many feared. It highlights modest landlord exits, steady rent growth, practical issues around rent in advance and overlapping tenancies, and ongoing confusion about pet permissions.
The article reports on property and legal sector expectations ahead of the Autumn Budget, with calls for stamp duty reform, tax stability and clearer support for first-time buyers. Commentators also want progress on home buying and selling reforms, while warning that higher property taxes or uncertainty could weaken market confidence and transaction volumes.
The article previews government budget measures aimed at reducing administrative burdens, including a proposed £116 million annual saving from streamlining the home-buying and selling process. It also outlines expected detail on the Your First Home scheme, a replacement for Help to Buy, with possible changes to income thresholds and property price caps.
The article reports government plans to reduce red tape in the property transaction chain, with an estimated annual saving of £116 million for businesses. The reforms are intended to streamline homebuying and selling through earlier property information and changes to the transaction process, with further detail expected at the Budget.
A flat-sharing service is urging the Chancellor to increase the UK Rent a Room tax-free threshold in the upcoming Budget, arguing that the current £7,500 limit is suppressing lodger supply. The article says lodger rooms are declining in the UK despite being cheaper than traditional rental rooms, and suggests a higher threshold could help unlock more underused bedrooms for the rental market.
The article argues that conveyancing firms should approach AI cautiously and focus first on practical, lower-risk uses such as document review, call handling and consistency checks. The author suggests that AI is most useful in reducing administrative error and compliance risk, rather than replacing core legal judgment in tasks like raising enquiries or drafting reports on title.
The Resolution Foundation says Local Housing Allowance rates have fallen well behind private rents, creating a record affordability gap for low-income renters. It argues the Government should restore the annual link between LHA support and the 30th percentile of local rents in the upcoming Budget.
The Government is consulting on proposals to give tenants and leaseholders stronger rights to request EV charging points, citing barriers created by landlord or freeholder approval processes. The article also notes industry criticism that refusals are not a widespread problem and that existing grants already support installation in flats and rented homes.
The article reviews recent property market and conveyancing data, noting a shift from seller-favourable conditions to a more buyer-favourable market. It reports continued declines in new conveyancing instructions and completions, while exchange and completion timelines are lengthening, suggesting process inefficiencies rather than volume alone are driving delays.
Oldham councillors refused outline permission for 37 affordable homes in Royton, despite a planning officer recommendation for approval. The committee cited highway safety, land contamination, flooding and the loss of a designated green corridor, with members warned that these reasons could be vulnerable on appeal.
A scaffolding contractor has been fined £20,000 after a worker was fatally struck by a falling metal board during dismantling work in Belfast. The investigation found the company failed to properly control the exclusion zone around the scaffold, allowing a person not directly involved in the work to be within the danger area.
The High Court has ordered Leeds-based Torsion Developments to be wound up following a petition from Manchester-based Zentra Group. The article notes that the collapse comes after a period of significant growth, with the company reporting substantial completed and pipeline development values before liquidation.
