Edinburgh Council has approved the Scottish Government’s draft licensing proposals, with regulations to be laid in the Scottish Parliament in December 2020. ARLA Propertymark has been campaigning for greater regulation of short-term lets, monitoring the situation and expect the new rules to come in by April 2021.

Propertymark has strong reservations about the wisdom of proposals for street vote development orders (SVDOs), which will give residents the ability to propose new developments on their streets and vote on whether planning permission should be granted. We are not convinced that the benefits outweigh the additional burden on local planning authorities, who are already under significant pressure.

The long-delayed Bill included over 200 amendments as it returned to the House of Commons for its Report Stage and Third Reading on 24 April 2024. Having been voted through by MPs it will now move to the Upper House, with Housing Secretary Michael Gove MP controversially stating that it’s up to the House of Lords to decide how quickly the Bill can become law.

The Law Commission has recently consulted on its draft 14th Programme of Law Reform, which sets out the areas of law that it intends to review.

The Welsh Government has committed £90 million in low-interest loans to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) to support the delivery of affordable housing and improve existing homes across Wales. The funding aims to help RSLs manage the rising borrowing costs while ensuring the continued development of much-needed affordable homes. The latest round of loans will contribute to the delivery of 277 new homes, with 119 expected to be completed within the current Senedd term.

Although we see key aspects of the economy stabilise, the commercial property sector continues to face challenges, as many business sectors evolve to keep pace with ever-progressing trends and shifts in demand. 

In circumstances where a local council offers a financial incentive to landlords to accept specific tenants (e.g. in receipt of Housing Benefit), can a letting agent be entitled to keep that incentive payment as part of their fee?

The UK Government is proposing changes to the Right to Buy (RTB) scheme intended to create a fairer and more sustainable system which retains the opportunity for social housing tenants to buy their homes while supporting councils to replace properties that are sold. Propertymark is supportive of the proposals, which include increasing the length of time someone needs to have been a public sector tenant, amending discount percentages, and allowing Councils to ask for repayment of discounts if the property is resold within ten years.

Today, 21 December, the Welsh Government has updated its advice on home moves in light of First Minister, Mark Drakeford’s announcement on Wales moving into tier 4.

Our pro-growth solution to tackle challenges the housing sector is experiencing has been sent to HM Treasury which focuses on increasing supply in the private rented sector, will boost home ownership, and generate momentum in the wider property market.