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Good news at last ....Could this be the end of extortionate leasehold fees ?

29th September 2026

Good news at last ....Could this be the end of extortionate leasehold fees ?

The UK Government has today announced plans to introduce independent regulation of property agents, including mandatory licensing and appropriate qualifications, as part of wider proposals for further leasehold reform.

 

Speaking at the Labour Party Conference, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner pledged action against poor practice in letting agency, estate agency, and property management, and outlined further protections against permission and administration fees for leaseholders and homeowners on privately managed estates.

 

What has been announced?
  • Licensing and qualifications – property agents would need a licence and appropriate qualifications to operate.
  • Independent oversight – a regulator would be able to set codes of practice covering professional conduct and complaints handling, with powers to revoke licences where standards are breached.
  • Powers to cap leaseholder fees – legislation would enable the Secretary of State to cap permission and administration fees. These powers would also cover privately managed estates.
  • Public consultation – the UK Government will seek views on which leaseholder fees should be capped and at what level.

 

How does this build on earlier proposals?

The UK Government had already committed to developing a non-statutory Code of Practice and consulting on mandatory qualifications as part of their roadmap for home buying and selling reform.

 

Today’s announcement goes further, setting out an intention to introduce independent regulation, licensing and qualification requirements. The detail remains outstanding, including which qualifications would be required, how existing qualifications and experience would be recognised, and how the framework would interact with existing regulatory arrangements across the UK.

 

Propertymark is meeting with officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government today to seek further details and clarification and will share updates with members as soon as possible. 

Propertymark’s position

Propertymark supports action to protect consumers and prevent responsible agents from being undercut by poor practice. Our Property agents: the case for regulation position paper sets out why minimum qualifications and statutory codes of practice are needed to strengthen standards and accountability.

 

How regulation is delivered matters. Any new framework must draw on the expertise of established professional bodies such as Propertymark, recognising our existing role in qualifications, compliance and professional standards.

 

We will press for an approach that uses this experience effectively, avoids unnecessary duplication and recognises the standards our members already uphold.

 

Connecting regulation with leasehold and commonhold reform

In our response to the UK Government’s commonhold proposals earlier this year, we made clear that regulation must sit alongside changes to how homes are owned and managed.

 

Giving residents greater control over their buildings must be supported by access to qualified, accountable professionals. Our campaigning has also called for greater transparency over costs, clearer rights and practical support to make commonhold workable.

 

The proposed fee caps address concerns about unfair charges. Their scope and implementation will be important to ensuring meaningful protection for homeowners and clear responsibilities for those managing their properties.

What happens next

These proposals do not introduce immediate changes to agents’ obligations. The UK Government has committed to bringing forward legislation as soon as possible, but has not announced an implementation timetable.

 

 

 

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