News brought to you by the Today’s Conveyancer editorial team.
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner says she has settled a £40,000 bill for stamp duty land tax after being cleared by HMRC of deliberate wrongdoing or carelessness over her tax affairs. In an interview
The housing market is in the “grip of macro headwinds stemming from the Middle East conflict” and, with interest rate rises on the horizon, the outlook for buyers remains challenging, according to the Royal Institution
A new group has been launched to standardise the production of material information and digital sales packs, under the umbrella of the Residential Logbook Association (RLBA). Upfront Information Group (UIG) has been established by the
The King’s speech to Parliament outlining the upcoming legislative agenda has confirmed plans to continue with leasehold reform under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. A new Remediation Bill will include powers to make construction
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) has published new guidance on the correct VAT treatment of disbursements. The guidance note brings together information and resources with the aim of supporting firms in determining how to
Almost nine out of every 10 digital ID checks are now successful, according to compliance software company Credas. The company, which supplies software to the legal and property sectors, said its figures demonstrate pass rates
Average transaction times have extended by four weeks since 2019, according to statistics published by Connells Group this week. Leasehold transactions are driving much of the increase in average timescales, with a typical leasehold transaction
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) is introducing new requirements for individuals and firms to undertake and report on ongoing competence, as part of a new Ongoing Competence Code. The code, effective from 1st November,
An EWS1 form is intended for valuation and lending purposes only and is not a fire safety certificate and does not replace a professional life safety fire risk assessment, according to new guidance. The Royal
Nearly half of all homes listed for sale in the UK do not sell, according to Zoopla. Analysis of listings on the property portal identified 44% of homes listed in the past three years didn’t
Nina Hood is the head of residential property at Cumbria firm Thomson Hayton Winkley. She is a licensed conveyancer with more than 25 years’ experience in the property sector. Nina leads a 14-strong team of
A growing line-up of speakers and sessions has been confirmed for the Bold Legal Group Conveyancing Conference & Soirée 2026, which takes place on Wednesday 17th June at Regent’s University in London. Confirmed speakers include
The winners of the 19th annual Land Data Local Land Charges Awards for Excellence have been announced, with councils up and down the country recognised across eight separate categories. This year also saw the inclusion
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has proposed a £50 increase in individual practising fees, taking the annual fee to £240. Compensation fund contributions are expected to be set at £120 for an individual solicitor and
A cooling of the property market is anticipated “in the short term” according to the latest house price data from Halifax, which shows little movement in average property prices. Price are down by 0.1% in
The Conveyancing Association (CA) has backed recommendations made by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee aimed at improving the home buying and selling process, including upfront property information and stronger regulation of estate
Local authority searches from Bracknell Forest Council remain unavailable after an issue with the transfer of data to a new system supplier. In an email update shared on Friday, the council wrote: “We’re continuing to
New research from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) reveals £76,000 has been added to the cost of building a home since 2020, which the organisation says raises serious concerns about the viability of new housing
Are law firms making the most of their technology investment? Most businesses only use a fraction of the capability of their existing technology, underestimating what platforms such as Microsoft 365 or their case management systems
Networking and collaboration group Women in Residential Property has hosted regular property market updates since its inception in 2017, drawing on the experience of its members from across the residential property sector, with representation from
LawCare, the mental health charity for the legal sector, is encouraging legal professionals to take simple practical actions to support their own and others’ wellbeing during Mental Health Awareness Week, which runs from the 11th
A new cross-sector initiative in Wales is aiming to leverage technology and upfront information to improve the home buying experience. Backed by FinTech Wales, Legal News Wales, PEXA, the Open Property Data Association and openmoove,
The parent company of legal brands Taylor Rose, FDR Law and Kingsley Wood has reported record profits of nearly £10 million; a 118% increase on the previous financial year. AIIC Group’s latest results report an
The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) is encouraging solicitors, barristers and Fellows of CILEX in England and Wales to apply for 128 Recorder roles, with vacancies across all jurisdictions. Recorders deal with cases within a mid-range
Paula Higgins is the founder and CEO of HomeOwners Alliance, which exists to give practical help to homeowners facing some of the biggest and most complex decisions of their lives. At www.hoa.org.uk visitors will find
Mortgage approvals in March 2026 sat slightly higher than the six month average and average mortgage rates decreased slightly, according to the latest Bank of England (BoE) Money and Credit statistics. Net mortgage approvals, a
Economic growth is likely to be “somewhat weaker” with higher inflation than previously projected because of geo-political tensions in the Middle East, according to Nationwide Building Society in its latest appraisal of the UK housing
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) is once again running its Quarterly Confidence Tracker to gather the views of the profession on the current state of home buying and selling. The regulator says the results
HM Land Registry (HMLR) is offering a series of interactive workshops designed for post-completion specialists to support efforts to reduce errors and save time and money. The webinars explore some of the most common issues
The Law Society has published a question and answer section on its website relating to the upcoming requirement for conveyancers to register as tax advisers with HMRC. Despite efforts to convince the government that conveyancers
In a slightly shorter podcast host David Opie welcomes on usual guests Ben Robinson and Rob Gurney of Landmark to discuss their latest Property Trends Report for the first quarter of 2026. It’s a mixed
The government has reaffirmed plans to introduce commonhold as the default tenure to “stop the renewal of the leasehold system” and give homeowners back control of their homes. Speaking at the Institute for Government, Matthew