Policy
Planning Reform & Levelling Up: What is the government planning to do this year?
Last year's "radical" Planning Bill is long gone, replaced with watered-down reforms that promise local referenda on planning decisions and a few other tweaks.
Government outlines ‘the biggest change to renters law in a generation’
The Renters Reform Bill promises a "new deal" for England's 4.4 million private rented households, says Downing Street.
Opening of Parliament heralds planning and rental reforms
There's not a lot of detail to go on, but early property industry reactions to the latest proposed planning reforms have been less than positive.
Talking Heads: Prime property agents on the end of POA
A longstanding feature of high-end listings, ‘price on application’, is on the way out after Trading Standards deemed the term both ‘misleading’ and ‘unlawful’.
Queen’s Speech to put planning reform back on the agenda
The Queen's Speech sets out the government's legislative agenda for the year ahead.
Westminster ditches Tory council in ‘totemic’ local election result
The Labour Party has won control of Westminster Council for the first time since it was created in 1964.
‘POA’ listings banned as Trading Standards deems price-less properties ‘unlawful’
“The use of ‘POA’ or ‘price on application’ in relation to a listing on a property portal or an agent website is likely to be misleading as it withholds – or in some cases masks – the asking…
Price on Application & The Law: Explaining the new rule on material information in property listings
Following this afternoon’s big announcement, the NTS Estate & Letting Agency Team offers its view on the use of ‘POA’ in property listings and whether this contravenes consumer protection legislation……
Overseas buyer register ‘progressing at pace’
The Land Registry has confirmed that work is "progressing at pace" on a new public register of overseas property owners - but there's still no launch date.
Ground rent ban comes into force in June
"This is an important milestone in our work to fix the leasehold system and to level up home ownership," says the Leasehold Minister, Lord Stephen Greenhalgh.
Gove declares ‘a victory for leaseholders’ as major housebuilders sign building safety pledge
"This is just the beginning," says Housing Secretary Michael Gove. "We will do whatever it takes to hold industry to account, and under our new measures there will be nowhere to hide."
Overseas Entities: The real estate effect
The effects of the Economic Crime Act will be felt far and wide across the UK real estate industry, writes Nathan Rees.