Join us every fortnight when we'll be taking a look at the UK housing headlines making the rounds. Breaking down the key information and giving you our thoughts!
Key property data to be digitised to speed up homebuying, government announces
The government is planning to digitise property transaction data to streamline the home-buying process. A 12-week project will establish rules for sharing data between lenders, conveyancers and other parties, aiming to modernise the largely paper-based process. 10-month pilots will be run by The Land Registry with councils to open up and digitise more property data.
The reforms are part of Labour’s wider housing plan, which include building 1.5 million homes, overhauling planning rules and improving leaseholds. New legislation will give leaseholders more control over service charges and will remove the requirement to pay freeholders’ legal fees in Right to Manage claims, which could potentially save them up to £3,000.
Rightmove and industry experts support the digitisation, noting that it currently takes around five months from offer to acceptance to moving in, with more than 20% of sales falling through. The government believes a fully digital system will reduce delays and costs resulting in a more efficient home purchasing process.
Lumensol Says: "Anyone who has been through the process of buying or selling a house will no doubt agree—this reform is long overdue. What should be an exciting and emotional milestone is too often overshadowed by stress and inefficiencies. While technology has transformed many aspects of society, streamlining and simplifying our lives, the property transaction process has lagged behind.
The government and steering committee face a significant challenge in getting this right—ensuring interoperability across platforms, creating user-friendly interfaces, maintaining robust security, and fostering collaboration among councils, individuals, banks, legal professionals, and housing experts. But if they succeed, this will be a real triumph for homebuyers, sellers, and society as a whole."
Natalie Tuer – Director of Technology and Product Development
Law to make social landlords fix mould in force from October
From October 2025, social landlords will be required to investigate and fix damp and mould in social housing within tight deadlines under Awaab’s Law, a law named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died in 2020 after suffering a severe respiratory condition as a result of prolonged exposure to mould. Emergency hazards must also be repaired within 24 hours, however deadlines for
structural and electrical issues won’t be enforced until later, 2026 at the
earliest.
Campaigners have criticised the delays warning they put tenants’ lives at risk. Failure to comply could result in landlords facing legal action and compensation claims. Due to concerns of damp issues being more prevalent in privately rented homes, the government also plan to extend Awaab’s
Law to private rentals through the Renters’ Right Bill.
Lumensol Says: "An interesting read on the requirements and impact on landlords following the announcement published by the government on the 6thFebruary 2025 outlining the timeframe and requirements for Awaab’s Law, and, in particular, that damp and mould is at the forefront of the phased implementation. Awaab’s Law is an important and necessary step towards ensuring that all social housing tenants live in a safe and habitable home. From October 2025 social landlords will be required to address damp and mould hazards within fixed timescales. They will also have to address all emergency repairs whether they relate to damp and mould or any other hazard, as soon as possible and within no longer than 24 hours. The sector will need to review how these works are managed and audited alongside the new requirements which will further expand in 2026 to apply a wider range of hazards – expected to extend Awaab’s Law to include excess cold and heat; falls; structural collapse; fire; electrical and explosions; and hygiene hazards. In 2027, the requirements of Awaab’s Law will expand further to apply the remaining hazards defined by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System."
Ben Podmore – Principle Consultant
Government announces £350 million for affordable and social homes
The government announced they are investing £350 million in affordable housing. This will fund up to 2,800 new homes, half of which will be for social rent, and 250 council homes improving temporary accommodation options. Housing charity Shelter has called it “a start” but stressed that
90,000 new social homes are required annually to address the housing crisis.
Deputy PM Angela Rayner reiterated Labour’s pledge to build 1.5 million homes, recognising the urgent need for affordable housing given the 1.3 million on housing waiting lists. The government also plans to crack down on exploitative landlords profiting from inadequate housing. Shelter
welcomed the move but emphasised the need for stronger commitment to social housing in the upcoming spending review.