The professional body
for the property sector

As the property industry waits for the publication of the UK Government’s Housing Strategy, reports suggest that the Treasury is busy considering a proposal to replace Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) with a new national property tax applied to owner occupied homes sold for more than £500,000. This would place the tax burden on sellers instead of buyers - a seismic shift - although it would not apply to second homes.

Hackney Council is consulting on plans to introduce two new five-year licensing schemes in the private rented sector (PRS) from early 2026, arguing that they will improve standards. Propertymark supports the aim of raising housing standards, but we strongly urge Hackney and other local authorities to rethink their approach. A healthy PRS is fundamental to meeting growing housing demand, and under-resourced licensing schemes too often end up penalising good landlords and agents while allowing poor practice to persist.

A consultation on the Fire Precautions (Tall Residential Buildings) (Jersey) Regulations sets out proposals from Deputy Mary Le Hegarat, the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, to introduce mandatory fire safety requirements, directly responding to recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report.