28 January 2026
RICS updates ESG and sustainability standard for commercial property valuation
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has updated its global professional standard on ESG and sustainability in commercial property valuation.
354 Legal/Legislation results
27 January 2026Government's £250 ground rent cap will 'undermine UK investment', experts warn
Government proposals to cap ground rents paid by leaseholders at £250 a year would "seriously damage investor confidence in the UK housing market" and risk unnecessary economic harm unless reviewed, property industry leaders warn.
22 January 2026Office market recovery masks regulatory cliff for investors
After two subdued post-pandemic years, the UK office market is showing signs of renewed momentum. Leasing activity is improving, sentiment has stabilised and prime rents are edging upward. But beneath that recovery sits a regulatory transition that will play a decisive role in determining future value, liquidity and pricing across the sector.
20 January 2026Well-meaning upward-only rent reviews ban could have negative consequences
Cast as a measure of relief for small shops, the proposed ban on upward-only rent reviews is a live test of how policy will price risk, redirect capital, and shift costs across commercial real estate.
20 January 2026Government backs China's huge London Embassy
The UK government has approved China's plans to build Europe's largest embassy in London.
14 January 2026He helped create LA's criticized ‘mansion tax.’ Here’s his $1 billion rebuttal.
The Los Angeles "mansion tax," the high-profile property sales levy designed to raise money for affordable housing, has faced criticism from the real estate industry for hindering deal activity and pushing developers outside of the area. One of its architects is responding by pointing to the $1 billion in revenue it raised in less than two years.
29 December 2025How much housing does Canada need? It depends on whom you ask.
The stalled redevelopment of Montreal’s Bridge-Bonaventure sector, a stretch of aging warehouses and industrial lots where consultations began nearly a decade ago, reflects Canada’s struggle to add housing as two federal studies present widely differing estimates of how much the country needs.- 23 December 2025
Living sector regulation: key planning reforms and market impact in 2025
Planning and policy reviews and reform were plentiful in 2025 and remained a critical pressure point for the UK living sector, which tackled major changes including the National Planning Policy Framework overhaul and the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. - 18 December 2025
Government's 'build baby build' Planning and Infrastructure Bill becomes law
The government's flagship Planning and Infrastructure Act has become law, with the Labour party promising "seismic planning reforms" that will remove blockages and delays to accelerate the construction of tens of thousands of homes. 
9 December 2025The receipts and expenditure business rates reckoning
The 2026 draft local rating lists have landed, and one thing is already clear: the receipts and expenditure method, once a niche valuation approach used only for a handful of specialist assets, is now one of the most consequential forces in the business rates system. For many properties, it has become the driver of the biggest increases in rateable values ever seen.
8 December 2025Municipal development charges cited as significant cost for builders
Some developers are saying municipal development charges have put a stick in the spokes of their real estate projects in Canada, just as Ottawa pushes for a surge in construction, and a new federal research study shows how such fees can vary widely across the country.- 28 November 2025
Transitional Relief plans labelled '£785 million tax grab' by specialist firm
The government’s new Transitional Relief arrangements in England will result in a £785 million "tax grab" next year, global tax firm Ryan has warned, arguing that it will shift even more of the cost of business rates support away from the Exchequer and on to ratepayers. 
26 November 2025Budget 2025: Real estate demand to lean towards business-to-business sector as consumers squeezed
The Chancellor’s Autumn Budget, thanks to the sheer volume of leaks to the media, contained few surprises. However, for the property market there were two key takeaways.
18 November 2025Housebuilder wins Peel Liverpool Waters battle at High Court
The High Court has delivered a judgment in favour of housebuilder Romal Capital (C02) in a test case dispute with Peel L&P (Ports) concerning Peel's giant Liverpool Waters regeneration scheme.- 17 November 2025
Flexible office operators urge reversal of 'unfair tax grab'
(Updated on 17 November 2025 to add VOA comment) - 14 November 2025
Government maps timeline for Renters’ Rights Act introduction
The Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government has outlined plans for the staggered implementation of the Renters Rights Act 2025, following its passing last month. - 6 November 2025
Here’s what real estate pros say now about New York’s next mayor
Real estate executives said they are trying to find the best steps forward under a new political reality: Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, is now mayor-elect of New York City. 
28 October 2025How would New York real estate look with Mayor Mamdani? These cities may offer clues.
Zohran Mamdani is the clear front-runner to become the next mayor of New York City, creating what a number of real estate investors and business leaders view as an existential crisis.
23 October 2025What’s stopping the UK construction industry from going global?
This September, I took a business trip to Seoul, Korea. As the director of a law firm that regularly works with clients across the globe, it was not the first time I had visited the country but, as always, I was struck by the warmth of the welcome. In a fortnight full of meetings with Korean contractors, law firms, and even the Korean Minister of Justice, I experienced first-hand the enthusiasm for international collaboration that has distinguished the Korean construction industry on the world stage.- 7 October 2025
Montreal could join other large cities in taxing vacant homes
Montreal could soon join Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa in taxing empty homes, as the mayoral candidate for the ruling Projet Montreal has pledged to introduce fees on owners of vacant residential properties.
