Property industry news
Building Safety Regulator told to tackle delays
The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee continues its inquiry into the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) and quizzed Dame Judith Hackitt, Chair of the Building Control Independent Panel (BCIP), who said that the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) will do more to unblock delays and improve collaboration with industry.
New rules set out on insurance fees for freeholders and agents
The UK Government has confirmed it will move forward with plans to end hidden commission payments on buildings insurance — a change welcomed for improving transparency, but one that raises new challenges for managing agents and landlords. Propertymark has warned that while reforms aim to protect leaseholders, unanswered questions around costs, VAT, and permitted activities could have significant consequences for the sector.
Freeholder court case forces delay in leasehold law
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (LAFRA) was fast tracked through Parliament in May 2024, ahead of the last UK general election, but not all sections of the legislation have yet been brought into force. The reforms affect approximately 4.5 million leasehold homes in England and Wales, but are now being challenged by freeholders, who claim the provisions infringe their human rights.
New regulation shields leaseholders from cladding costs
The UK Government has set a deadline for the removal of unsafe cladding in England and introduced a new Remediation Bill to ensure that building owners will face legal consequences if they do not rectify life-critical fire safety defects in residential buildings over 11 metres in height by the end of 2031.
Leaseholder protections and Managing Agents qualifications consultation
The UK and Welsh Governments have, today, 4 July 2025, launched a two-part consultation that includes proposals seeking to hold landlords and managing agents to account — Strengthening Leaseholder Protections Over Charges and Services.
MPs quiz property management companies over homeowner concerns
The House of Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has held a one-off evidence session to examine how property management companies operate and the impact this has on homeowners. Held on 17 June 2025, the session explored concerns about high service charges, lack of transparency, and limited control over how estates are managed, issues that Propertymark has repeatedly raised in our calls for regulation.
Public Accounts Committee calls for urgent improvements to cladding remediation programme
Eight years after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, which claimed 72 lives, tens of thousands of people remain in unsafe homes, with remediation efforts slow and riddled with uncertainty, according to the new report from the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee.
Leasehold insurance reforms must tackle root causes
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MCLHG) and the Welsh Government have proposed new regulations overhauling how insurance costs are charged to leaseholders in multi-occupancy buildings, to increase transparency and prevent leaseholders from being overcharged through commissions and hidden fees. While Propertymark supports efforts to ensure fairness for leaseholders, we have warned Ministers that these reforms alone will not bring down insurance premiums; a focus on building safety and insurer confidence is needed to achieve real change.
Why commonhold isn't that common and how that's about to change
The UK Government has committed to banning the sale of new flats on a leasehold basis and reforming the legal framework for commonhold, so it becomes the default and preferred tenure. It will also become easier for existing leaseholders to convert to commonhold, although the complexities of this may take longer to work out. Few agents in England and Wales have experience with commonhold, as less than 20 developments currently exist, so Propertymark has broken down some key parts of the proposals to help members understand the change.
Leasehold will be abolished for flats under new legislation
The UK Government has announced its next steps in a significant programme of reform to property ownership, aiming to abolish the traditional leasehold system and promote commonhold as the standard tenure for flats in England and Wales.
Leasehold Right to Manage reforms take effect on 3 March 2025
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (Commencement No. 3) Regulations 2025 mark the latest significant step towards strengthening the rights of leaseholders and providing them with greater powers and protections. These changes will directly impact estate and letting agents across the UK, as they affect how leasehold properties are managed, bought, and sold.
ESW1 warnings: what agents need to know about invalid fire safety forms
Recent developments concerning the company Tri Fire and one of its assessors have raised significant concerns over the validity of the EWS1 forms they have issued. Major banks are refusing to lend on properties assessed by Tri Fire, potentially causing delays or halts in property sales and remortgages.
Key changes on leasehold reform effective from 31 January 2025
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 introduce significant changes to leasehold property rights in England and Wales. The regulations enact Section 27 of the Act, removing the two-year qualifying period that leaseholders previously needed to meet before extending their lease or purchasing their freehold. Importantly, this change applies retrospectively, meaning it is not limited to new leases signed after the commencement date but also benefits existing leaseholders.