The Property Ombudsman has said consumers will not be required to declare whether they used AI to draft a complaint. The Ombudsman is also using AI internally to manage rising complaint volumes, while warning that AI-generated submissions can make relevant evidence harder to identify and increase the burden on complaint handling.
Propertymark has called on the government to ensure housing support for private tenants better reflects actual market rents. It argues that one-off crisis payments are only a short-term safety net and that repeated freezes in Local Housing Allowance have widened the gap between support and rent levels.
Avant has completed an agreement with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to defer building safety payments, which the company says will support liquidity. The announcement comes alongside 2025 results showing a £111m loss.
The Planning Inspectorate has updated procedural guidance for Section 62A planning applications involving authorities in special measures. The changes reflect additional designated local planning authorities, revised application and questionnaire documents, and clarifications to submission, recovery, and Community Infrastructure Levy/planning obligations processes.
The Environment Agency has published findings from an internal review of its regulation of waste pneumatic tyres and their export, with a particular focus on shipments to India. The review introduces enhanced verification requirements from 1 October 2025 for exporters subject to an information notice, alongside mandatory Annex VII movement forms for all waste tyre exports from 28 October 2025.
A revised proposal for a 68-bed care home in Handforth has returned to Cheshire East Council with officers now recommending approval after earlier concerns led to withdrawal. The scheme has been amended to address Green Belt, drainage, tree protection and biodiversity issues, with officers concluding that very special circumstances now outweigh Green Belt harm.
The Environment Agency is advertising an environmental permit application from Amazon Data Services UK Limited for a proposed emergency back-up generation facility associated with Ridgeway Data Centre in Iver, SL0 9JQ. The consultation relates to activities including water discharge, groundwater, medium combustion plant and specified generators, with the public invited to comment on whether the permit should be granted and what conditions should apply.
An outline planning application has been submitted for 180 homes at North Lumb Farm near Woodhouses, Oldham, with the applicant arguing the site qualifies as Grey Belt and should be approved in light of local housing need and a shortfall in deliverable supply. The scheme includes 63 affordable homes and areas of green/open space, and is being promoted as compliant with the NPPF Golden Rules.
HMRC says more than 570,000 sole traders and landlords have now signed up to Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax, with over 436,000 having submitted their first quarterly update. From September 2026, HMRC will begin contacting customers who should be using MTD for the 2026 to 2027 tax year but have not yet signed up, and new guidance is due in late August for those who receive a letter.
RICS reports that the UK rental market remains under pressure from a shortage of good-quality stock, with landlord instructions staying negative as some landlords reduce portfolios or exit the sector. Tenant demand was broadly flat, while expectations for rent increases remain positive over the next three months.
Avant Homes has completed an agreement with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to defer certain building safety payments. The housebuilder said the arrangement is intended to support liquidity, alongside 2025 results showing a £111m loss.
Prime London lettings saw the strongest annual rental growth in 18 months in July, with average rents up 5.3% and new instructions and lets agreed both rising modestly. The article notes that rental growth has accelerated alongside the May start date of the Renters’ Rights Act, although the evidence presented is observational rather than conclusive.
