Comment
A year of evolution
Clare Harman Clark, the Property Section chair, looks forward and backward through real estate law
Features
Preparing for exemption
Major reforms under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 take effect on 1 May 2026, moving qualifying purpose-built student accommodation outside the assured tenancy regime. Sarah Cummins outlines what the exemption means for current and future student contracts, and the practical steps providers should take to prepare
Navigating the shift
The UK’s compulsory purchase order landscape has undergone its most significant structural shift in decades. Lucy Trevelyan reports on the implications for property professionals
Short leases, long chains
Short leases continue to derail property transactions, despite ongoing reform efforts. Roshan Sivapalan considers why they still matter, how they affect transactions and how conveyancers can identify and manage risk to protect both clients and transactions
Money for nothing
Property fraud is rising fast, with increasingly sophisticated scams putting buyers, sellers and conveyancers at risk. Claire Revell outlines the key warning signs and the practical steps firms can take to protect clients and safeguard their own exposure
A targeted approach
Nikki Bensoor looks at the complexities of commercial property transactions for pension scheme trustees, and how to help clients structure secure and compliant assets
Ethical matters
With regulatory penalties becoming more frequent, Nigel West considers two high-profile disciplinary cases involving property practitioners
Modern life
Sarah Dwight looks at what’s involved in selling a house through the modern method of auction, potential pitfalls and risks, and what conveyancers need to look out for
What a relief
Julie Butler explores how farms will be affected by the increased inheritance tax relief threshold, new spouse transfer rules and the ongoing risks around valuation, occupation and trading status, and how practitioners can maximise these opportunities for their clients
Who’s who?
Robert Wood considers what a recent case of attempted identity fraud can teach us about adapting our processes to beat the scammers
Climate concerns
Climate change is becoming a key area of risk for conveyancers. Sarah Sargent outlines how solicitors can address climate-related risks proportionately and meet their duties to clients without adding unnecessary complexity
Compulsory reading
New legislation signals the start of the reform of the compulsory purchase process. Liz Paraskeva looks at what’s changing and what to expect later this year