Property industry news

Following the success of the Class of 25 initiative, The Propertymark Trust has opened its 2026 bursary programme, offering vital financial support to individuals working towards industry qualifications. Promoting professionalism and supporting access to education for people who would otherwise struggle to meet the costs of training, membership and assessment sits at the heart of the Trust’s work.

Formal regulation marks a major shift in how these systems are overseen and how consumers are protected. For property agents, this change is important because it will affect how heat networks are operated, what information consumers must receive, and how agents advise clients and market properties connected to networks. Hundreds of thousands of homes, particularly in blocks of flats and new developments, are already connected, and their use is expected to grow as part of the UK’s decarbonisation plans.

Fresh analysis shows that there are fewer homes available in 14 Scottish local authority areas than in 2022, despite the introduction of rent control measures. Propertymark has consistently warned that restricting rents without tackling supply and costs can create unintended consequences for tenants, landlords and the agents supporting them.

The Department for Communities (DfC) plans to extend notice- to-quit periods for tenants who live in homes for longer periods to provide greater stability; however, this goal must be balanced with a structured and predictable framework for letting agents and landlords.

The Scottish Government has introduced legislation which will amend the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024, giving councils more flexibility in how they design and run local schemes. This sits alongside the existing timetable for visitor levies to start from spring/summer 2026, with Edinburgh already committed to introducing a 5% levy on overnight stays from 24 July 2026.

Head of Policy and Campaigns, Timothy Douglas, has followed up our written submission to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee inquiry into housing affordability with in-person evidence on 6 January 2026. Our evidence reinforces the need for a joined-up approach to affordability which considers housing supply, rental market pressures, financial products, taxation, and consumer costs together.

The UK Government has announced a multi-million-pound funding package to expand access to free legal advice for people in England facing eviction or home repossession. The investment aims to ensure more households can get early, practical legal support to help them stay in their homes or secure alternative accommodation where needed. This comes at a time when demand for housing advice remains high, with many households facing affordability pressures and uncertainty.

Propertymark audit visits are receiving excellent feedback and giving firms greater confidence in their compliance processes—challenging the perception that audits are designed to catch agents out. Increasingly, members use the visits as a practical check on how daily procedures work and to identify improvements early.

The UK Government has announced that an expansion of its Rent Repayment Orders (RROs) pilot scheme will see the trial rolled out to 41 local authorities across England following early success in recovering public funds and deterring poor housing practice.

In a major setback for long-awaited housing reform, the UK Government has failed to publish the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill before the end of 2025 as repeatedly promised to Parliament — delaying crucial leasehold overhaul legislation until early 2026. The omission, confirmed in correspondence from Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook to the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee, has drawn sharp criticism from MPs, campaigners and sector bodies alike.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed a wide-ranging review of mortgage rules to support sustainable home ownership while ensuring standards of consumer protection remain high. The reform signals positive change on the horizon for first- and last-time buyers, self-employed people, and vulnerable customers, who may have experienced limited access to borrowing under the current rules.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is keeping up the pace of change by beginning consultation on ‘definitive’ changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) before the ink is dry on the newly approved Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025. The latest proposals are the final step in the regearing of the planning system, which the UK Government says will be followed by a period of stability and laser-focused delivery.