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HM Land Registry has confirmed the appointment of Iain Banfield as its permanent chief executive and chief land registrar, following a successful year-long tenure as interim CEO. Banfield joined HMLR in 2019, spending over five
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has issued a rebuke to a firm for failure to comply with an undertaking within the agreed timescale in a conveyancing transaction. Preston-based Gowlings Solicitors Limited was acting for the seller
A report from Propertymark has found leaseholders remain trapped by rising costs, complex rules and an uncertain market, despite legislative progress. Leasehold: Still a Life Sentence?, produced in partnership with the National Leasehold Campaign and
The Open Property Data Association (OPDA) is calling on organisations to respond to the government’s newly launched consultation on smart data schemes to help shape the future design of property data sharing. The Smart Data
The Legal Services Board is seeking experienced senior leaders to help drive “a major reset” of legal services regulation. The legal services oversight body is recruiting for three senior positions in what chief executive Richard
Average UK house price annual inflation provisionally estimated by HM Land Registry was 2.7% in the 12 months to May 2026, down from a revised estimate of 3.9% in the 12 months to April 2026.
Donations totalling £32,500 have been shared among UK charities thanks to the initiatives of two firms in the conveyancing sector. Conveyancing and property services group Simplify (pictured) has donated £22,500 to nine charities via the
Andy Burnham has taken up his position as prime minister and appointed his cabinet. Angela Rayner returns as housing secretary, Matthew Pennycook remains in post as minister of state for housing and planning, and John
Legal services regulation should be built around specialist expertise, strong oversight and effective collaboration, the Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) says. Responding to the Independent Public Bodies Review of the Legal Services Board (LSB), which
HMRC is urging eligible tax advisers, including conveyancers who submit stamp duty returns on behalf of clients, to register under the new mandatory requirements before 18 August 2026. Anyone who has not yet registered should
Angela Rayner has been appointed housing secretary in Andy Burnham’s cabinet, returning to the role she resigned from in September 2025 after admitting underpaying stamp duty on the purchase of an £800,000 flat. Rayner was
HM Land Registry made meaningful progress in reducing the number of outstanding applications last year, its annual report and accounts for 2025 to 2026 reveal. All five major post-completion application types are now less than
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers says it is “extremely disappointed” with the “inaccurate representation” levelled at it by the Legal Services Consumer Panel (LSCP) in a position paper released this week. The CLC was singled
The government has launched a consultation on extending judicial review reforms beyond Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) to major housing, transport and energy developments such as solar projects, road building or affordable homes. Thousands of
The Legal Services Consumer Panel (LSCP) has called for immediate action to overhaul a regulatory framework that is “fragmented, inconsistent and increasingly disconnected from the realities of a modern, technology-enabled legal market” and install a
The government has confirmed leaseholders will be given clearer information about service charges and stronger protections against unfair costs, in reforms set out in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (LFRA). Following consultation with
The Q2 Residential Property Trends Report from Landmark Information Group shows the housing market remained relatively stable in the second quarter of 2026, despite ongoing economic and political uncertainty. The data suggests the industry is
The operations director of UK search provider X-Press Legal Services has been appointed to the Digital Property Market Steering Group (DPMSG). Christian Lister (pictured) joins the cross-sector group of government and industry leaders at a
The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) has shared its new five-year strategy, which places a strong emphasis on making the legal profession more accessible and campaigning for regulatory reform to break down barriers caused
Fixed mortgage rates have fallen at their fastest pace since October 2024, Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report data reveals. Average two- and five-year fixed rates fell by 0.16% and 0.11% respectively, with both reaching
New regulations coming into force in April 2027 will require certain contractual control agreements affecting registered land in England and Wales to be submitted digitally to HM Land Registry. Following changes announced by the government
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced a series of changes to the Cladding Safety Scheme and building assessment certificates (BACs) issued by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). In a joint
New analysis from Rightmove reveals that the number of new build housing developments coming to market is at its lowest level since January 2017, despite the government’s target to build 1.5 million homes over the
Total mortgage searches increased by 7% month-on-month and were 2% higher than this time last year, according to the June mortgage market snapshot from Twenty7tec. First-time buyer searches rose 9% month-on-month and are now 5%
UK Finance has shared a video explaining how the use of tokenised sterling deposits are the “visionary” next step in the digital finance transformation. The Great British Tokenised Deposit (GBTD) initiative is a collaborative industry
The newly renamed Lloyds House Price Index, formerly Halifax, reveals a slight increase in house prices in June, up by 0.2% after falling by the same amount in May. The small but significant shift offers
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced planning reforms it says will cut pre-application time by up to a year and save developers £1 billion on major infrastructure projects. Delivered through the
The government is seeking views on whether ‘quid pro quo’ leases should be exempt from, or treated differently to, proposals to a proposed cap on ground rents in residential leases. The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has launched a public consultation on new rules for complaint handling by regulated law firms, after proposals in its October 2025 consultation were withdrawn. The additional draft rules build on the
All the latest innovations brought together in a regular round up of news, updates and upgrades for conveyancing firms. Legalito, the technology provider created by The Partnership property lawyers, has released a new source of
More than 100 people have entered Simplify’s Trainee Conveyancer Programme since its launch. With further cohorts planned this year, Simplify says it is focused on developing future talent and supporting the long-term sustainability of the
Smith & Co Solicitors has strengthened its residential property team with the appointment of Pauline Hodgson (pictured above) as new department head. The appointment recognises more than a decade of specialist legal expertise and an