Fact sheet: Homes (Fitness For Human Habitation) Act 2018

A series of enforcement actions relating to licensing breaches, overcrowding, poor property management, and failures to comply with regulatory requirements present a cautionary tale for both agents and landlords. The Renters’ Rights Act has strengthened many of the consequences of non-compliance, whilst local authorities continue to take a firm approach and are increasingly willing to use substantial financial penalties where standards fall short.

Propertymark has urged the UK Government to ensure that reforms to the building lifecycle support property agents, improve the home-moving process, and give consumers confidence that building work has been completed properly. Our members work closely with other professionals throughout the life of a building, and we have highlighted how consistent standards, clear responsibilities, and reliable records would help agents provide a better service to sellers, buyers, landlords, tenants, and leaseholders.

Two linked announcements are intended to reduce unnecessary delay, complexity and cost within England’s higher-risk building regime. One will change how occupied buildings are assessed, while the other could allow a wider range of urgent safety work to proceed without prior approval.