Housing Legislation
Laws governing housing development, tenant rights, property standards, social housing, and urban planning.
These Regulations, made under the Housing Act 2004, amend the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) Regulations 2005 to simplify and clarify the methodology used by local authorities to assess housing hazards and determine if they constitute a Category 1 or Category 2 hazard.
Key changes involve redefining prescribed fire hazards to explicitly cover risks like explosions and structural collapse due to fire, simplifying the hazard seriousness scoring tables, replacing the previous A-J hazard bands with High, Medium, and Low categories, renaming the four classes of harm (I to IV become Extreme to Moderate), and updating the detailed list of specific hazards found in Schedule 1, while providing a transitional rule ensuring the amendments only apply to inspections commenced on or after June 22nd, 2026.
Correction to General Permitted Development Order 2026
This document is a formal correction notice for The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development etc.) (England) (Amendment) Order 2026, specifically rectifying a cross-reference error found on page 2 within the newly inserted paragraph CA.1.(d), where the term 'the Schedule' must be amended to read 'Schedule 1'.
The Building Safety (Responsible Actors Scheme and Prohibitions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
These 2026 Regulations amend the 2023 Building Safety (Responsible Actors Scheme and Prohibitions) Regulations to correct defects, clarify criteria for membership invitations into the Responsible Actors Scheme, remove an obsolete prohibition notice requirement, and adjust the scope of building control prohibitions and their exceptions concerning emergency work, work on occupied buildings, and property purchasers.
This document constitutes an official correction notice published for The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments) and Tenancies (Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2026, identifying and correcting a typographical error within a footnote on page 5 of the main instrument, where the Statutory Instrument reference 'S.I. 2022/1311' is amended to the correct citation, 'S.I. 2020/1311'.
The Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) (Amendment) Order 2026
This Order updates the list of 'prescribed persons' under the Employment Rights Act 1996, granting legal protection to workers who blow the whistle to designated regulators and public bodies.
It adds the Building Safety Regulator, the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority, the Independent Football Regulator, the Law Society, the Security Industry Authority, and the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology to the list.
Furthermore, it modifies the scope of protected disclosures for the Financial Conduct Authority, the Environment Agency, and several government departments while removing the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland.
The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Fees (Amendment) Order 2026
This Order, made by the Lord Chancellor and effective from May 1st, 2026, amends the 2013 Fees Order governing the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to prescribe new fees and update existing structures.
The primary function is to introduce specific fees for proceedings arising from the Renters' Rights Act 2025, covering applications for rent determination, tenancy terms, and appeals against financial penalties, alongside updating general commencement and hearing fees.
The Planning Data (England) Regulations 2026
These Regulations establish mandatory digital data standards for local planning authorities in England regarding the publication of local plans, minerals and waste plans, and housing requirements.
The instrument designates specific documents, such as plan timetables and the minimum number of expected homes, as "planning data" under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023.
These authorities must ensure that such data complies with technical standards published by the Secretary of State whenever they publish or update their plans at specified stages of the planning process.
The Birmingham East Mayoral Development Corporation (Establishment) Order 2026
This Order establishes a Mayoral development corporation for a designated area in East Birmingham, formally named the Birmingham East Mayoral Development Corporation.
Starting 11 May 2026, the Corporation functions as a statutory body under the West Midlands Combined Authority, tasked with urban development within the geographic boundaries defined by the associated official map.
The Order applies to the Secretary of State, the West Midlands Combined Authority, and any persons or entities operating within the specified development area.