MHCLG Consultation - Extending Awaab's Law to the Private Rented Sector
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published a consultation on extending Awaab's Law to private rented sector tenancies and to certain types of accommodation occupied under licence.
Awaab's Law was introduced in social housing sector in October 2025 and requires social landlords to investigate and address hazards such as damp and mould within set timescales. The consultation will use these existing social housing requirements as its starting point, however, it recognises that there are significant differences between the social and private rented sectors and seeks views and evidence on whether the same requirements would work effectively in the private rented sector, or whether modifications are needed to achieve the best outcomes.
Provide User Feedback for the PRS Database Development Team
Following a TLIC meeting last week, Theresa Wallace has asked us to share an opportunity for letting agents to trial the Government's Register Your Property Service as part of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database private beta.
The PRS Database team at MHCLG have advised that the most effective way for letting agents to provide feedback on the service is to participate in the private beta.
A Sector in Transition - Angela Rayner announces Crackdown on 'Cowboy' Leasehold Property Agents
Ewan Somerville - Political reporter - BBC
Labour Party Conference - 29th September 2026
Leaseholders will be given extra protections from "cowboy" property agents and hidden fees, Angela Rayner has announced.
The housing secretary told Labour's annual conference the government would legislate for a new independent regulator and launch a consultation to cap "rip off" administrative fees.
A Sector in Transition - Possession Claims to go Digital
Possession proceedings in England and Wales are moving online. A new digital court service is being launched in stages, and while most private landlords and their agents are unlikely to use the service, the direction of travel is clear. PCOL already exists but only for claims that relate to rent arrears or breach of a mortgage agreement.
What has changed?
The Online Procedure Rules 2026 came into force on 7th September 2026 with the introduction of a separate set of court rules for cases run online, sitting alongside the Civil Procedure Rules rather than within them. Possession claims are the first type of case to be brought under the new rules.