FAQs: Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023

The Future Homes and Buildings Standards will introduce new minimum requirements for energy efficiency, low-carbon heating and renewable electricity in new homes and non-domestic buildings in England. For property professionals, the changes will affect the homes coming to market, the systems buyers and tenants need to understand, and the information agents may need to provide about heating, ventilation, solar panels and energy performance.

Landlords who failed to register or obtain the correct licence accounted for almost all of the 3,198 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued by Rent Smart Wales in the 12 months to May 2026, highlighting the valuable role agents can play in supporting client compliance. All private landlords renting out domestic property in Wales must register with Rent Smart Wales and either employ a licensed agent or become licensed to manage the property themselves.

An early First-tier Tribunal decision under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 offers useful lessons for agents, landlords, and tenants. Evidence of rents achieved for comparable homes proved more persuasive than advertised prices, but Propertymark members report that the speed of the process varies significantly.

The UK Government intends to begin a regional rollout of a Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database in England from late 2026. Its legal framework is already in the Renters’ Rights Act 2025; but questions remain about how the system will work, what information users must provide, and how much time agents and landlords will have to prepare. The final design must reflect how agencies operate to avoid adding a significant new layer of data entry, checks, and liability to every instruction.