Agency calendar

Estate Agents (Accounts) Regulations 1981 reg 8(1): the accounts must be audited by a qualified auditor within six months after the end of each accounting period. The accounting period may not exceed twelve months. The auditor reports whether the Act and Regulations have been complied with, or substantially complied with — reg 8(4) allows the substantial compliance opinion only where breaches were trivial, arose from clerical error or book-keeping mistakes, were all rectified on discovery and caused no loss. Under reg 8(9) you must produce the latest report on demand to an enforcement officer.

HMRC requires estate agency businesses to register before carrying on any activity, and states that trading without registration, or after registration is cancelled, is a criminal offence. Failure to apply at the required time is the single most common breach in HMRC's published non-compliance list.

£400 per premises from 1 December 2025, alongside the £400 premises registration fee and the one-off £300 application fee. The approval process fee is £40 per beneficial owner, officer or manager tested. Businesses with turnover below £5,000 pay in full and receive a £500 refund once accepted.

SI 2019/386 reg 4: if your scheme membership is revoked or you move scheme you must notify every client in writing within 14 days. MHCLG's guidance confirms this applies even if no certificate was ever issued. Each transparency limb is a separate breach at up to £5,000 — failing to display and failing to produce on request is two penalties, not one.

The Periodic Review 2024 amendments took effect for periods beginning on or after this date. Section 23 was completely rewritten on IFRS 15 principles, and Section 20 brings operating leases on balance sheet for lessees — which matters to every agency with a high-street office lease.

Dividend rates rose to 10.75% ordinary and 35.75% upper. Business Asset Disposal Relief rose to 18%. The Making Tax Digital for Income Tax £50,000 cohort started, with the first quarterly update due 7 August 2026. The main pool writing down allowance fell from 18% to 14%.

Section 21 abolished. Rent in advance before the tenancy prohibited. Rental bidding prohibited. Discrimination against tenants with children or on benefits prohibited. Rent increases limited to once a year. The civil penalty maximum raised from £30,000 to £40,000. Tenant Fees Act s.17 repealed, and new paragraphs 1(1A) and 1A inserted into Schedule 1 alongside a new s.5A.

SI 2026/621 reg 8 substituted £10,000 for €10,000 per month in MLR 2017 reg 13(4)(b)(ii). Both conditions must be met: a term of a month or more, and rent of £10,000 or more per month during at least part of the term. It applies to land generally, commercial as well as residential. HMRC's own guidance page still says euros and was last updated in April 2023 — the legislation governs.

The claim time limit increases from three months to six. Planned.

Sections 75 to 96 of the Renters' Rights Act are not commenced. The roadmap indicates a regional rollout from late 2026. Indicative only.

Reduced to six months, with fire-and-rehire protections and uncapped compensatory awards. Planned. Note that the widely repeated “nine month statutory probation period” is not something we have been able to substantiate.

The £30,000 cohort, then the £20,000 cohort. Both are legislated, not merely announced — the £20,000 phase is in force via reg 27 of SI 2026/336. Partnerships are deferred with no date; anyone quoting one is guessing.

Sections 64 to 74 are not commenced. The roadmap says “we expect this to be in 2028”. Indicative. Agents are not required to join it — you stay in your existing agent redress scheme.