The Department for the Economy (DfE) is consulting on reforms which, if progressed, will shape how tourist accommodation is defined and regulated for years to come. For agents involved in short-term lets, clarity on categories and criteria will be critical to ensure compliance without disrupting business models, and any final regulations must recognise the role of professional agents, reflect the realities of the market, and strike the right balance between consumer protection and practical delivery.

Propertymark supports the UK Government’s ambition to reform the home buying and selling process and agrees that change is long overdue. Reform must be practical, proportionate and focused on outcomes. By improving upfront information, raising professional standards, embracing digital solutions and reducing duplication, reform can deliver faster, more reliable transactions that work for agents, consumers and the wider economy.

Proposals to standardise the details provided in property listings are intended to improve transparency, speed up transactions and reduce fall-throughs, but without the right structure, shared responsibility, and practical implementation, the reforms risk placing unrealistic burdens on agents and slowing the process further. Propertymark supports the principle of better upfront information, but stresses that the current approach does not reflect how transactions work in practice.

Propertymark has provided the Welsh Government with clear evidence on how short-term and holiday lets affect housing supply, communities and the work of property agents in response to the latest plans for the regulation of self-catering visitor accommodation.

Formal regulation marks a major shift in how these systems are overseen and how consumers are protected. For property agents, this change is important because it will affect how heat networks are operated, what information consumers must receive, and how agents advise clients and market properties connected to networks. Hundreds of thousands of homes, particularly in blocks of flats and new developments, are already connected, and their use is expected to grow as part of the UK’s decarbonisation plans.

Head of Policy and Campaigns, Timothy Douglas, has followed up our written submission to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee inquiry into housing affordability with in-person evidence on 6 January 2026. Our evidence reinforces the need for a joined-up approach to affordability which considers housing supply, rental market pressures, financial products, taxation, and consumer costs together.

Propertymark shared member survey data to illustrate the challenges faced by agents when the UK Government requested evidence on how the UK Money Laundering Regulations could be improved. Ministers have listened, and regulations expected to take effect in early 2026 will have sensible changes to Customer Due Diligence and improve access to compliant business banking services for agencies.

Plans for a transparent and balanced system are welcome and could have significant benefits for Scotland’s regeneration and housing ambitions. However, reform must not come at the expense of fairness. Clearer legislation, early engagement, and collaboration with qualified property professionals will ensure that public projects can proceed efficiently while protecting the rights and confidence of property owners and agents.

Following major changes in global sanctions since 2018, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has sought views on how to update its penalty, disclosure, and settlement frameworks. Reforms should both strengthen deterrence and make it easier for businesses, including property agents, to comply and report breaches confidently.

Proposals to remove consultation requirements from the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects process could result in poorer-quality developments being fast-tracked at the expense of long-term outcomes. While a faster system is important, this must not come at the cost of scrutiny and public confidence. Skipping or shortening consultation stages risks creating legal challenges and public backlash that could ultimately delay, rather than speed up, projects.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is considering the design of transparency and standardisation measures to be implemented in England and Wales under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. In addition, it has outlined new proposals around the fees and charges leaseholders pay, reform of the major works regime, and mandatory qualifications for managing agents.

Propertymark has responded to the Government of Jersey’s consultation on new Fire Precautions (Tall Residential Buildings) Regulations, which will extend protections to around 8,500 islanders living in 125 high-rise homes. The proposed framework would cover buildings over 11 metres in height and introduce measures drawn from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1, including stricter duties for building owners and managing agents.

The Northern Ireland Dilapidation Bill aims to modernise and consolidate the rules which equip local authorities to tackle run-down, dangerous, or dilapidated buildings and land. It creates a single toolkit to support earlier action to protect amenities, aid regeneration, and keep people safe. The overall direction of the legislation is sound, and Propertymark is engaging with Ministers and MLAs to make improvements so that it will work better in practice.

Propertymark has responded to proposals on how future changes to the Welsh Tax Acts should be made, recommending that the Welsh Government should adopt a Land Transaction Tax (LTT) system that promotes accessibility, simplicity, and predictability, while avoiding excessive surcharges or complex rules that could slow transactions.

We have responded to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on its draft price transparency guidance under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA). From 6 April 2025 the DMCCA replaced the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, so the CMA’s approach will shape day‑to‑day advertising for every agent. Our message is clear: property is different, and the guidance must reflect that.

Propertymark has responded to the Welsh Government’s consultation, which looks at changes to the way holiday lets are assessed for business rates and Council Tax. The consultation considers averaging days let over multiple years, recognising charitable donations, and introducing transitional arrangements for properties moving from non-domestic rates to Council Tax.