News and reports

The Act equips Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) with stronger rights to investigate whether a landlord or letting agent has breached certain housing laws – measures which apply to letting of private rented accommodation, and actions that may involve illegal eviction, poor standards, and non-compliance.

HM Treasury must not delay any longer on measures to tackle the growing pressures across the housing market. Without bold action, the supply of homes to rent and buy will continue to fall short of demand. Our message to the Chancellor is clear - stability in the property market depends on policies that make investing, renting, buying and selling homes affordable and sustainable. The Budget on 26 November 2025 is the UK Government’s opportunity to restore confidence and drive growth across the housing sector.

The legislation gained Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. Implementation will be staged via secondary legislation, and the UK Government has stated it will allow time for a smooth transition and engage the sector on commencement dates. Propertymark has hit the ground running, with training, events, and downloadable resources to support the sector through the most significant transition in private renting for a generation.

From 27 October 2025, fixed, enforceable timeframes will be in place for social landlords in England to investigate, make safe and start prevention works to address hazards (including damp and mould), with powers to require alternative accommodation if a home can’t be made safe in time. Similar requirements are set to be extended to the private rented sector (PRS), so now is the time for agents to adopt best practice, future-proof their businesses, and protect tenants and properties.

The Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2025 have now been published, which are seen as the vehicle for wider EPC reform. These regulations will include redesigned certificates, clearer metrics, and a five-year validity period, with the new regime coming in on 31 October 2026. The changes are to support the journey to net zero whilst improving the information that buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants receive.

REACH UK has opened applications for its 2026 cohort, inviting high-potential tech companies that are solving real problems for agents, landlords, buyers and renters. Propertymark and TDS are long-standing partners of the program, which connects founders with an unparalleled industry network, expert guidance and routes to adoption—speeding up the journey from promising prototype to practical, scalable tools used in day-to-day agency work.

Propertymark co-signed a letter with a coalition of more than 40 housing, landlord, and homelessness organisations, which was also backed by the Mayor of London, calling on the UK Government to urgently lift the freeze on Local Housing Allowance (LHA) in the Autumn Budget. Inadequate rates are pushing renters to the cliff edge, with many unable to cover rent and forced into poverty or homelessness.

As the Senedd examines the Building Safety (Wales) Bill, Propertymark’s Head of Policy and Campaigns, Timothy Douglas, set out members’ priorities to ensure the new framework is practical, proportionate, and aligned with existing regulations.

The 2025 National Risk Assessment (NRA) has once again placed the property sector in the spotlight as one of the most attractive ways for criminals to conceal illicit wealth. Complex ownership structures, offshore companies, and opaque trusts continue to disguise the identity of the individuals behind transactions, with both residential and commercial sales and lettings vulnerable.