The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has recently published a roadmap setting out its proposals for reforming the residential home buying and selling process in England and Wales.

The stated aim is a familiar one: property transactions are often slow, expensive and uncertain. Buyers and sellers can spend considerable sums on surveys, legal fees and mortgage arrangements, only for a transaction to collapse shortly before exchange of contracts. The Government estimates that hundreds of thousands of transactions fall through each year, resulting in significant wasted costs and frustration.

The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) has provided clarification on the meaning of a “self-contained building” for the purposes of the right to manage (“RTM”) under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 (“CLRA 2002”).

The decision is particularly significant in light of that expansion of the RTM regime. Since 3 March 2025, leaseholders in mixed-use buildings have been able to exercise the right to manage where the non-residential element comprises up to 50% of the building’s internal floor area, compared with the previous 25% threshold.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (“Act”) received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. Among its most significant commercial property reforms is the proposed prohibition on upwards-only rent reviews (“UORRs”) in business leases.

Although the relevant provisions are not yet in force, the direction of travel is now clear.

The legislation represents a substantial shift in business tenancies practice and may rapidly begin to influence negotiations, valuation assumptions and asset management decisions.

One immediate consequence is that landlords with pending rent reviews under existing leases are likely to rush their conclusion before the ban crystallises.