Real Estate Bulletin - March 2026

HM Land Registry to launch new contractual controls register

On 6 April 2027, HM Land Registry will launch a digital service requiring certain information about ‘contractual control rights’ in relation to registered land in England and Wales to be submitted to the registrar. A dataset containing the information that has been submitted will then be published ‘as soon as possible’ after 6 April 2028.

We look at this development in more detail here.

EPCs - delay to reforms

On 9 March 2026, the government announced that it planned to delay the launch of its proposed reforms to domestic EPCs until the ‘second half of 2027’.

When the Warm Homes Plan was launched in January 2026, the government announced it was working towards an ‘ambitious’ timeline of October 2026 for the launch of the new style of domestic EPC. However, the launch has now been delayed until later in 2027, with the government noting that it will ‘work with industry and the devolved administrations to agree a new launch date and shared implementation plan by the summer of this year’.

Renters’ Rights Act 2025

The new assured tenancy regime under the RRA is set to come into force on 1 May 2026.

RRA Information Sheet - important deadline 31 May 2026

For landlords whose tenants currently occupy under assured shorthold tenancies (AST) or assured tenancies (AT), the Government has now issued the “Information Sheet” which must be sent by landlords to their tenants on or before 31 May 2026 (i.e. within one month of the new assured tenancy regime coming into force). We look at these requirements here.

PBSA exemptions and the ANUK Code

We consider some of the key points and implications of the RRA for PBSA owners, focusing on the exemptions and their operational impact.

Government publishes new assured tenancy forms for use after 1 May 2026

Regulations have also been made, and will come into force on 1 May 2026, setting out new prescribed forms in relation to assured tenancies. Examples of these new forms have been made available on gov.uk and include forms which must be served in relation to possession proceedings, and forms to be used where the landlord is proposing a new rent. The forms must not be used before 1 May 2026.

There are some transitional provisions in place in relation to the use of existing forms after 1 May 2026 so care should be taken to ensure the correct form is used.