The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MCLHG) and the Welsh Government have proposed new regulations overhauling how insurance costs are charged to leaseholders in multi-occupancy buildings, to increase transparency and prevent leaseholders from being overcharged through commissions and hidden fees. While Propertymark supports efforts to ensure fairness for leaseholders, we have warned Ministers that these reforms alone will not bring down insurance premiums; a focus on building safety and insurer confidence is needed to achieve real change.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Welsh Government seek agents’ views on proposals to limit the building insurance charges that freeholders, property managing agents and landlords can ask leaseholders to pay. There are long-standing concerns about unjustified and unfair fees which leaseholders are unable to properly scrutinise and challenge.

Wonder how to find a good estate agent? In this episode of the Move iQ podcast, Phil Spencer talks to NAEA Propertymark President Liana-Loporto Browne about what to look for – from identifying a good agent through to how to get what you want from them including relevant market information.

Working in partnership with local authorities across England and Wales, HM Land Registry is migrating their local land charges data to a central, digital register.

A new Report and Open Letter have been sent to the Secretary of State for Housing to highlight the negative impact the Tenant Fees Act has had on renting with pets.

Issues around the current rules when renting with pets have caused some confusion for agents. Propertymark provides some relevant information to help answer those key questions.

As a letting agent, it is not only important to be up to date with permitted fees to avoid potential deposit disputes; it can also save you costly legal penalties too. Debbie Davies, former letting agent and now Head of Sales and Marketing at Propertymark Industry Supplier, Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), explains what agents need to know about tenancy deposit disputes and tenant fees.

During a plenary debate on the general principles of the Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill on 13 October 2020, ARLA Propertymark was referenced by Mark Isherwood, Housing Spokesperson for the Conservatives, stating our arguments that the Bill will not secure the security of tenure and will make letting a less viable business for landlords, which in turn could push prices up if there is less housing stock available.

We put together a series of short videos to help explain the different aspects of residential lettings which are impacted by the ban.

From today, 28 February 2020, within the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019, landlords and agents will have to provide specified information to a tenant, and without it, a tenant is not required to provide a Holding Deposit.

Is it misleading for a letting agent not to display penalty fees in their adverts?

National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) issued Guidance on Transparency of Fees Involving Property Sales. It aims to ensure that consumers are equipped with all relevant information before making a transactional decision.

On 4 December, David Cox, Chief Executive, ARLA Propertymark and Board Member for Wales, Angela Davey, met with the Welsh Housing Minister, Julie James AM, to explain the massive difficulties agents face when Governments give the industry very little notice of changes in legislation. The Minister has now extended the date the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Specified Information) (Wales) Regulations 2019 will come into force to 28 February 2020.