Material Information for Property Listings Announced
Yesterday, Trading Standards and the Government jointly announced compulsory new data which must appear on property listings.
A property's council tax band or rate (for lettings and sales) and the property price and tenure information (for sales) must be included on all property listings by the end of May.
The changes signify the first phase of a project by the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) which defines exactly what constitutes ‘Material Information’ for property listings.
Part A of this three-phase project includes information that is considered “material” for ALL properties. A further two phases are being developed, which will incorporate further material information such as restrictive covenants, flood risk and other specific factors that may impact certain properties.
The property portals (Zoopla, Rightmove, Boomin, On the Market, etc. will start to implement “Data Fields” for this additional information over the next few weeks and if they are left empty by an agent, this will be flagged on the listing so consumers can see what information is missing.
This will link to advice on why that information is important and how it may be obtained.
Levelling Up the United Kingdom
Today, 2 February 2022, the Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove unveiled the government’s flagship Levelling Up White Paper. This document sets out a plan to transform the UK by spreading opportunity and prosperity to all parts of it.
Twelve bold national levelling up missions, given status in law, will shift government focus and resources to Britain’s forgotten communities throughout 2020s
-
Biggest shift of power from Whitehall to local leaders in modern times announced - every part of England to get ‘London style’ powers and mayor if they wish to
-
Starting gun fired on decade-long project to level up Britain, with radical new policies announced across the board
-
Domestic public investment in Research & Development to increase by at least 40% across the North, Midlands, South West, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
This paper sets out the next stages in this programme to level up the UK.
This programme has to be broad, deep and long-term. It has to be rooted in evidence demonstrating that a mix of factors is needed to transform places and boost local growth: strong innovation and a climate conducive to private sector investment, better skills, improved transport systems, greater access to culture, stronger pride in place, deeper trust, greater safety and more resilient institutions.
Court of Appeal Clarifies Formalities for Signing of s.8 Notices and Prescribed Information
Written by David Smith - Partner JMW Solicitors
Court of Appeal clarifies formalities for signing of s.8 notices and prescribed information certificates for corporate landlords
The Court of Appeal (the “CoA”) heard the second appeal of Northwood Solihull v Fearn & Ors last week. The outcome of this case has serious implications for landlords, tenants and agents in England and Wales and possibly in recognition of this, judgment was handed down today only 8 days after the hearing. JMW acted for the landlord.
The main questions before the CoA in summary were:
-
What is the correct way for a deposit prescribed information certificate to be signed by a landlord who is a company?
-
What is the correct way for a section 8 notice to be signed by a landlord who is a company?
The CoA also considered what the consequences are where these documents are not signed in compliance with the relevant statutory provisions.
In summary, the following cheat sheet contains the practical essence of the CoA’s decision:
i. Possession notices and prescribed information certificates may be validly signed by an authorised individual on behalf of a corporate landlord or agent.
ii. These documents may also be signed in accordance with s.44 of the Companies Act 2006.
iii. Non-compliance with i. & ii. or other relevant statutory requirements does not necessarily invalidate the document and the effect of non-compliance will depend on the specific defect and factual context.
Post-Pandemic Change
Scenes from almost 2 years ago as the pandemic began to unravel will forever be etched in our minds, and the disruptions, not only to our personal lives but also our professional lives, have not quite bounced back to normal.
Today and info February 2022, the Government have reverted back to Plan A.
In 2022, many property professionals expect a lot of change around the way in which we work and as a result we will witness a transformative change with a fundamental shift in business. As the government in England and the devolved countries announce that the measures put in place as a result of will be lifted, changes that were implemented in the work place will evolve once again
"Tsedal Neeley, Harvard Business School’s Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business Administration, said the lockdown highlighted the ease with which modern technology handled the shift from one location to another, as well as the ability of many office workers to get the job done even when not under their manager’s eye. It also showed companies that there may be benefits — like saving money on office space."
The housing industry re-opened in May 2020 and made sure that adapting to the Pandemic, restrictions, covid-protocols and implementing drastic change was dealt with efficiently and effectively. Now we are going to focus on the reverse with some tweaks (understatement) as the shift from pandemic to endemic takes place.