Property agents will remain firmly on the frontline of the fight against economic crime as plans are afoot to strengthen anti-money laundering supervision, improve intelligence sharing and consider changes to the rules covering letting agents.

As the dust settles following the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act, lettings agencies are finding alternative ways to mitigate uncertainty and financial risk for landlords. A range of services are growing in popularity that replace traditional, abolished methods like rent in advance, not least professional rent guarantor provision. This service offers reassurance for good tenants who can afford the rent but don’t quite meet the right criteria on paper, including students, self-employed people or those on benefits, or retirees.

To reduce the tax burden on the housing market rather than introduce further changes in isolation, we warn the Scottish Government that plans for two new council tax bands risk adding complexity while doing little to increase revenue.

Letting agents in Scotland should review their reporting, inspection, and repair processes after the Scottish Government published new guidance to support the Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026, which come into force on 6 October 2026. The Regulations apply to private rented homes covered by the Repairing Standard, as well as relevant social housing.

Legislation to modernise Scotland’s compulsory purchase system will be brought forward during this parliamentary term, following a consultation in 2025. Propertymark’s views are quoted in the Scottish Government’s published consultation reports, reflecting the value of member insight in shaping reforms that can support housing, regeneration, and infrastructure while protecting the rights of property owners and occupiers.

HM Land Registry will add property and spatial identifiers to its monthly Price Paid Data from 28 August 2026, helping estate agents provide more reliable information to buyers and sellers. Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs) and INSPIRE IDs will be available in separate lookup tables alongside the dataset. The change will make it easier to connect sale prices with other property, address, and location data.

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.

The housing market remained active during June, but buyers and renters continued to show caution. Buyer registrations dipped, while sales agreed remained broadly stable. Demand for rental properties continues to outstrip supply, with nine applicants per available property.

Behavioural research suggests that around 60% of landlords in the private rented sector do not fully understand their responsibilities and often fail to meet basic regulatory requirements as a result. This unintentional non-compliance is driven not by bad intent but by four interconnected behavioural patterns.

Propertymark has written to Baroness Sherlock, OBE, Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), calling for action to ensure housing support matches real rents, following her statement that local authority Crisis and Resilience Fund housing payments are available to private tenants who cannot meet their rent. The Fund is a welcome safety net for people facing short-term financial difficulties; however, one-off crisis payments cannot replace adequate levels of Local Housing Allowance to meet ongoing rental costs.

Rent pressures are real, but controlling the price of a scarce product does not create more of it. Rent controls can protect some tenants in the short term, but they do not address the shortage of homes that drives high rents. They can also weaken investment, reduce the number of properties available and make it harder for people seeking a new tenancy to find a suitable home. Evidence from schemes implemented around the world backs Propertymark’s opposition to rent controls and work to challenge and reshape the policy in Scotland.

Cyber crime incidents can impact property businesses of all sizes. A lack of cyber security can leave firms vulnerable to substantial losses and the impact can be huge and long lasting. Even using third-party hosting companies or sites doesn't remove the risk of exposure to crime and subsequent liabilities. Propertymark industry supplier, Gallagher, explains the steps property agents can take to prevent and manage risk.

Revenue Scotland has refreshed its guidance on how Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) applies to leases. The update does not introduce new tax rules but provides a useful reminder that further returns may be required when a lease is reviewed, varied, assigned or ended. By treating LBTT as an ongoing responsibility, rather than a one-off task at the start of a lease, property professionals can support compliance by building tax prompts into their lease processes.