Propertymark has written to Housing Minister Lee Rowley, MP, to highlight a growing trend for insurers to decline or charge more for cover on properties that have been remediated within the funding limits provided by the UK Government, leading to more costs for hard-pressed leaseholders.

The UK Government has announced that new powers to enable local authorities in England to regenerate high streets and fill empty shops will be in place by summer 2024. Propertymark welcomes the move, but we would like to see more detail on which areas will benefit the most, how the powers will be funded, and how they will be used in practice by councils.

Propertymark has called on the Welsh Government to think differently from the UK Government and keep Land Transaction Tax (LTT) relief for multiple dwellings as well as maintaining the 6-dwelling rule. Now that the relief is not available in England, the Welsh private rented sector (PRS) could appear more attractive to investors and Ministers should consider other policy approaches to encourage this.

In a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Propertymark has again laid out the benefits of extending full anti-money laundering (AML) supervision to all letting agents, including improved compliance with Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs) and solving the ongoing issue with access to pooled client accounts which has hampered agents for far too long.

The Scottish Law Commission has opened a consultation on the Tenancy of Shops (Scotland) Act 1949, which deals with commercial lease renewals for retail, food and drink, hair and beauty and wholesale tenants. They are seeking the views of agents, tenants, and landlords on whether there is still a need for the Act, and whether it should be repealed, replaced, or reformed.

In February 2023, Marc Christopher Davies won a Court of Appeal case against Bridgend Council after Japanese knotweed encroached into his property from council land. He was awarded £4,900 for the diminution in value of his home, due to the stigma associated with it. However, Bridgend Council appealed, and the Supreme Court has now ruled that he is not entitled to any compensation.

The Welsh Government has launched a new scheme to help support leaseholders in medium and high-rise buildings affected by fire safety issues in Wales. Launched on 10 May 2024, the scheme offers free and bespoke legal advice to help resolve potential disputes.

The cross-party Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee (LUHCC), chaired by Clive Betts, MP, is gathering evidence on the stumbling blocks to improvements, and has highlighted a lack of transparency around conveyancing services, ‘referral fees’, and the regulation of estate agents as key areas of focus. Propertymark has submitted written evidence to the LUHCC and our Head of Policy and Campaigns, Timothy Douglas, spoke to the Committee in person on 13 May 2024.

Over 30 Conservative MPs have written to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt expressing concern that plans for reform are being weakened as the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill progresses through parliament. In particular, and despite a promise in the 2019 Conservative manifesto, it is now expected that ground rents will be capped at £250 per year instead of being cut to zero.

Following the enactment of Sections 1-6 of the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 on 1 April 2023, the Department for Communities has outlined that two further phases, Sections 8 and 10, will come into force by the end of 2024.

Propertymark has urged Scotland’s new First Minister, John Swinney following his appointment on 7 May as leader of the Scottish National Party, to end the housing crisis across the country.

The Summary of Responses to the Green Paper Call for Evidence on Securing a Path towards Adequate Housing Including Fair Rents and Affordability has been published, which showed an aversion to rent controls being implemented as a long-term measure, a view shared by Propertymark.

The Housing Minister, Lee Rowley, MP, and Philip White, Director of Building Safety for the Building Safety Regulator, have published a joint open letter to building managers addressing the issue of charges associated with managing safety in buildings over 18 metres.

Demand increased within the residential sales sector, with the number of buyers registered and the number of viewings per property both increasing. In the residential lettings sector, tenant demand decreased, and stock levels increased marginally. However, legislative change including the Renters (Reform) Bill and Housing (Scotland) Bill, continues to dominate the wider discourse.

On Thursday 2 May 2024, Londoners will cast their votes for the next Mayor and 25 Assembly Members. With a population of over nine million, and the highest house sales and rental values in the country, London presents unique challenges. Propertymark has written to the candidates outlining our housing plan for London, highlighting key priorities for the next four years and our proposals for addressing the city’s crisis in housing availability.