Fact sheet: Lead in drinking water
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.
FAQs: Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023
After the invasion of Ukraine, the UK Government took steps to address growing concerns of money laundering and other economic crime from Russian and foreign entities operating in the UK or with UK companies. This led to the introduction of the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act in March 2022.
Expiry of emergency measures will not end complexity
Proposals have been laid in the Scottish Parliament for the transition away from the rent cap and eviction moratorium under the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022, which ends on 31 March 2024. We acknowledge that provisions to prevent rents rising to a level that will cause hardship to some tenants are justified, however, the Scottish Government must provide more detail about how the transition measures will be applied.
Cost of Living transition plans will continue to supress rents
Patrick Harvie, MSP, Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights, has contacted Propertymark with details of the Scottish Government's plans to introduce temporary changes to rent adjudication as part of the transition away from the Cost of Living Act. These measures will continue to limit rent increases to protect tenants.
Abandoned belongings left at a property
The Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 outlines what a landlord should do with left-behind belongings. We've provided a step-by-step guide of what you need to do.
Building Safety Act guidance on managing high-rise safety
To help sales and letting agents navigate the complexities of new regulations released under the Building Safety Act 2022, Propertymark has created a series of fact sheets to understand the rules and how they impact home buyers and sellers, and landlords and tenants.
Wales to align building safety measures with England
The Welsh Government has adopted many of the proposals from the Building Safety Act 2022 into their own building reforms and will introduce new fire safety duties for Responsible Persons that will commence on 1 October 2023, which is the same time it is enacted in England.
FAQs: Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022
Sections 1-6 of the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 were enacted on 1 April 2023. This FAQ document provides answers to the most common questions that we have received from Propertymark members.
Propertymark Members can expand services with the sale of charity land
New powers in the Charities Act legislation simplify legal requirements for charities who want to sell, transfer or lease land in England and Wales, plus the UK Government has recognised the high professional standards achieved by Propertymark Fellow Members which means they can provide valuation reports and help sell land for charities.
FAQs: Charities Act 2022
The Charities (Dispositions of Land: Designated Advisers and Reports) Regulations 2023 remove restrictions on who can sell land for charitable organisations. The change required secondary legislation to expand who qualified as a designated adviser.
Permitted Development Rights relaxed to help improve energy efficiency
Ground or water source heat pumps and the installation, alteration or replacement of an air source heat pump are now included under the General Permitted Development Order in Northern Ireland.
Renters (Reform) Bill published
Introduced to the House of Commons on Wednesday 17 May 2023, the Bill sets out the UK Government’s plan to deliver on the Conservative Party’s policies to reform the private rented sector in England.
Fact sheet: Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Act 2022
The Housing Strategy Action Plan 2012–2017 committed the Department for Communities to review the private rented sector in Northern Ireland. This led to the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 which received Royal Assent on 27 April 2022.
Fact sheet: Notice to quit periods
Under the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, the changes made to notice to quit periods by the emergency legislation was established as a long-term measure. This permanent extension to the notice to quit period was one of many changes introduced by the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.
Cost of Living Act causing rents to rise
On Tuesday 21 February 2023, Propertymark’s Head of Policy and Campaigns, Timothy Douglas, gave evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee on the Cost of Living Act highlighting that the majority of letting agents are continuing to see landlords exit the market and the legislation is causing landlords to increase rents between tenancies to cover future costs.
Fact sheet: Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016
The Renting Homes (Wales) Act replaces existing legislation from the Housing Act 2004 with a new tenancy structure for Wales. The primary purpose is to make the legal framework easier to understand and will also mark a key separation in legislation between Wales and England.