Fact sheets and FAQs

Under the Immigration Act 2014, since 1 February 2016, all landlords of private rented accommodation in England have been required to carry out Right to Rent checks for new tenancy agreements to determine whether all adult occupiers aged 18 and over have the right to live in the UK.

Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF), commonly referred to as spray foam, is a liquid material used to insulate homes. An alternative to traditional building insulation, it's especially advantageous for improving energy efficiency through insulating difficult and tight spaces. However, consumers should carefully consider the impact it can have on valuations, lenders decisions and surveys.

The Fire Safety Order was introduced in October 2006 and covers the ongoing fire safety management of a building while occupied.

The Building Safety Act 2022 aims to provide more rights, powers and protections for residents of high-risk buildings and reduce the chance of death in the event a fire breaks out. The Act establishes specific duties for individuals within high-risk buildings to manage building safety risks.

The Repairing Standard was introduced through the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 and is the minimum level of repair a house must achieve to be used as privately rented accommodation.

The purpose of the Ivory Act is to prohibit commercial activities concerning ivory in the UK and the import and re-export of ivory for commercial purposes to and from the UK. This includes intra-EU trade to and from the UK.

Sections 1-6 of the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 were enacted on 1 April 2023. This FAQ document provides answers to the most common questions that we have received from Propertymark members.

The Charities (Dispositions of Land: Designated Advisers and Reports) Regulations 2023 remove restrictions on who can sell land for charitable organisations. The change required secondary legislation to expand who qualified as a designated adviser.

Mandatory registration for private landlords in Scotland was introduced in 2004 under Part 8 of the Antisocial Behaviour Etc. (Scotland) Act 2004. Local authorities are responsible for maintaining information on landlords in their area.

On 1 June 2023, Ministers announced the intention to extend for the final time, taking the period the regulations are in place to 31 March 2024.

The Renting Homes (Wales) Act replaces existing legislation from the Housing Act 2004 with a new tenancy structure for Wales. The primary purpose is to make the legal framework easier to understand and will also mark a key separation in legislation between Wales and England.

In 2011, the Northern Ireland Assembly passed the Housing (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 and later the Tenancy Deposit Schemes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 which introduced regulations for protecting tenancy deposits in Northern Ireland.

The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 restricts ground rents on newly created long residential leases for single dwellings such as a flat or house to a token one peppercorn per year, effectively restricting ground rents to zero financial value.

The Housing Strategy Action Plan 2012–2017 committed the Department for Communities to review the private rented sector in Northern Ireland. This led to the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 which received Royal Assent on 27 April 2022.

The need to register applies to all landlords of properties let under a private tenancy in Northern Ireland. Landlords must be registered and have a Landlord Registration certificate, which is valid for three years.

Under the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, the changes made to notice to quit periods by the emergency legislation was established as a long-term measure. This permanent extension to the notice to quit period was one of many changes introduced by the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.

The regulations set out the rules for advertising boards, including property sales and lettings boards. They came into force on 6 April 2007 and apply in relation to the display of advertisements on sites in England only.

From 1 December 2022, existing tenancy agreements are automatically converted to either a fixed term or periodic standard occupation contract. Propertymark has liaised with the Welsh Government in response to concerns and questions from members.

Following the implementation of the Fire Safety Act 2021, additional measures have been passed for England that introduces new responsibilities under the Fire Safety Order and expand upon the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Production and possession with the intent to supply is a criminal offense which can carry up to 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine. Landlords and agents who are aware or have suspicions of a Cannabis farm in one of their properties can be liable under law and face the same penalties.