News and reports

Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government Shona Robison, MSP, announced a Budget which, she said would deliver on the priorities of the people of Scotland despite persistent financial pressures. However, her measures do little to address the ongoing housing crisis, and a decision to increase the Additional Dwelling Supplement will discourage new landlords from entering the sector.

The Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee's inquiry aims to investigate the underlying causes of rough sleeping, its recent escalation, and potential solutions in England. The Inquiry will focus on evaluating previous governmental and local authority strategies to assess their effectiveness is the focus of the Inquiry, which commenced with an evidence session on 12 November 2024, featuring testimonies from Lord John Bird, co-founder of The Big Issue, and representatives from councils and homeless charities.

The Older People’s Housing Taskforce has published a final report which includes many recommendations made by Propertymark. We met with the taskforce chair, Professor Julienne Meyer, and responded to the consultation, with proposals to enhance the choice, quality and security of housing for senior citizens.

The Remediation Acceleration Plan is the first scheme to set a deadline for completing work on all buildings in England with unsafe cladding. So far, only 30% of known at-risk buildings have been fully remediated, and it’s estimated that as many as 7,000 are still to be identified. Building Safety Minister, Alex Norris, MP, stated three aims; to fix buildings faster, identify all those with unsafe cladding, and support vulnerable residents.

The Bill passed Stage 1 in the Scottish Parliament on 28 November 2024. During the debate, a spokesperson for the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, criticised the Scottish Government for failure to come to parliament with fully developed legislation, whilst the Scottish Conservatives refused to support it due to the detrimental impact on housing investment. Propertymark continues to vigorously campaign for urgent action to amend the Bill with measures to increase housing supply and balance the market to ensure fairer outcomes for tenants, landlords, and the wider housing sector.

A report, commissioned by the NIHE (Northern Ireland Housing Executive) and supported by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) on letting agent regulation and fees, focuses on developing a new regulatory framework, and spotlights mandatory registration, a fit and proper person test, minimum qualifications, a code of practice and strict enforcement.

Propertymark has long campaigned for incentives and realistic funding for landlords, tenants, and homeowners to upgrade their properties so we can see more energy-efficient homes, lower bills, and reduce emissions in the property sector. We are pleased to support National Energy Action’s Fuel Poverty Awareness Day on 27 November 2024, which highlights how the continuing energy crisis is stretching household, leaving many people struggling in cold, unsafe and unhealthy homes.

From 14 May 2025, letting agents, high-value dealers and art market auctioneers must make an official report to the HM Treasury Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) if they have evidence, or a reasonable suspicion, that a client has broken financial sanctions regulations. Propertymark promotes the important role property professionals have in preventing financial crime; however, it is disappointing that HM Treasury has not taken the opportunity to remove the anti-money laundering (AML) reporting threshold and simplify compliance for all agents.

Ensuring tenant deposits are properly recorded and protected is a vital task for letting and estate agents, and one that carries significant legal and financial responsibilities. The Letting Partnership (TLP), a leading provider of specialist services to the lettings industry, emphasises the importance of accurate reconciliation and highlights the risks associated with discrepancies.