This guidance note helps members understand the steps they should take when a client requests payments to be made into a new account. This will support agents in protecting landlords who may have been compromised and in avoiding potential penalties from HMRC.

The Building Safety (Wales) Bill sets regulations for the occupation phase of buildings. Propertymark members managing and letting individual flats within these buildings should be mindful of any requirements for residents, so that any key documents for contract-holders can be provided.

Under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, the UK Government introduced a new regime of issuing financial sanctions following the UK’s departure from the European Union. Under the Act, businesses specified in the Act have to report to Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) if they suspect they are engaging with a client who is under financial sanctions.

Under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (the MLRs) all Estate Agency Businesses and Letting Agency Businesses with properties that have a monthly rent that is the equivalent to 10,000 Euros or more, must produce a risk assessment.

Under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, the UK Government introduced a new regime of issuing financial sanctions following the UK’s departure from the European Union. Under the Act, businesses specified in the Act have to report to the OFSI if they suspect they are engaging with a client who is under financial sanctions.

The Regulations introduce the requirement for landlords to ensure that electrical safety checks are conducted at a private tenancy and at regular intervals following the first inspection. Local authorities will also have the ability to serve notices to landlords if they believe the property does not have a valid inspection report.

The Bill was published on 11 September 2024 with the aim of changing the law about rented homes in England. The legislation will abolish fixed term assured tenancies and assured short hold tenancies, whilst delivering on the Labour Party’s manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting—including by ending Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 makes a number of changes which will affect long term homeownership for leaseholds and homeowners on managed estates. Key changes within the Act include restricting the granting of new long residential leases for houses.

The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1992 apply to Wales and some aspects of the regulations were updated by the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2017.

A ministerial working group, established in 2020, sought to review the existing issues with cladding and found that the process for remediation was overly complex and was preventing the sale of homes. The Act is designed to help facilitate more buildings to have their cladding remediated to higher standards, so they are less likely to lead to further loss of life in the event of a fire.

In Scotland, the Tolerable Standard states that properties should have an adequate piped supply of wholesome drinking water. Statutory guidance on the Repairing Standard, which came into effect on 1 March 2024, now specifies that the property should be free of lead pipes from the boundary stopcock to the kitchen tap.

Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF), commonly referred to as spray foam, is a liquid material used to insulate homes. An alternative to traditional building insulation, it's especially advantageous for improving energy efficiency through insulating difficult and tight spaces. However, consumers should carefully consider the impact it can have on valuations, lenders decisions and surveys.

The Building Safety Act 2022 aims to provide more rights, powers and protections for residents of high-risk buildings and reduce the chance of death in the event a fire breaks out. The Act establishes specific duties for individuals within high-risk buildings to manage building safety risks.

In 2011, the Northern Ireland Assembly passed the Housing (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 and later the Tenancy Deposit Schemes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 which introduced regulations for protecting tenancy deposits in Northern Ireland.