News and reports

Following the enactment of Sections 1-6 of the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 on 1 April 2023, the Department for Communities has outlined that two further phases, Sections 8 and 10, will come into force by the end of 2024.

Propertymark has urged Scotland’s new First Minister, John Swinney following his appointment on 7 May as leader of the Scottish National Party, to end the housing crisis across the country.

The Summary of Responses to the Green Paper Call for Evidence on Securing a Path towards Adequate Housing Including Fair Rents and Affordability has been published, which showed an aversion to rent controls being implemented as a long-term measure, a view shared by Propertymark.

The Housing Minister, Lee Rowley, MP, and Philip White, Director of Building Safety for the Building Safety Regulator, have published a joint open letter to building managers addressing the issue of charges associated with managing safety in buildings over 18 metres.

Letting agents have access to a wide array of industry tools to elevate their business operations, including CRM platforms, marketing software, referencing providers, accounting tools, and deposit services. Integrating suppliers is a straightforward method to maximise the utility of existing resources, streamline operations, prevent fraud, and improve the experience for both tenants and landlords.

On Thursday 2 May 2024, Londoners will cast their votes for the next Mayor and 25 Assembly Members. With a population of over nine million, and the highest house sales and rental values in the country, London presents unique challenges. Propertymark has written to the candidates outlining our housing plan for London, highlighting key priorities for the next four years and our proposals for addressing the city’s crisis in housing availability.

The UK Government has set out the actions it will take over the next two years to facilitate the data economy and drive growth and innovation in a range of sectors including the property market. By Summer 2024, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is expected to launch some pilot projects which will inform future digitalisation of the home buying and selling process.

Eight in ten people are charging, storing, or repairing their devices in a way that greatly increases the risk of fire, according to a survey by NFU Mutual. With lithium-ion batteries used in almost every household in the UK, and insurers reporting an increase in fire claims associated with them, it is advisable for agents to inform their landlords and tenants on how to reduce their risk.

The long-delayed Bill included over 200 amendments as it returned to the House of Commons for its Report Stage and Third Reading on 24 April 2024. Having been voted through by MPs it will now move to the Upper House, with Housing Secretary Michael Gove MP controversially stating that it’s up to the House of Lords to decide how quickly the Bill can become law.