Government Pledges Independent Regulator for Property Agents

· Legislation · 1 min read · LandlordZONE

government property agent regulator pledge

Angela Rayner has pledged an independent regulator requiring letting/estate agents to be licensed and qualified, reviving 2019 ROPA proposals, alongside a planned cap on leaseholder administrative fees.

Government Pledges Independent Regulator for Letting and Estate Agents, Nearly a Decade After First Promised

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has committed, at Labour's party conference, to introducing an independent regulator for letting agents, estate agents, and leasehold property managers - reviving proposals first developed in 2018–2019 that have sat unimplemented for years.

What's being proposed

  • Agents will need a licence to operate, plus appropriate qualifications

  • The regulator can revoke licences for agents who fall short of required standards

  • A mandatory code of practice covering conduct standards and complaints handling

  • Government says changes will come "as soon as possible" - no firm date given

The history
This revives the Regulation of Property Agents (ROPA) Working Group's 2019 recommendations: an independent regulator, mandatory qualifications, and a legally enforceable code of practice. Sean Hooker of the Property Redress Scheme welcomed the announcement but noted the sector has "been here before" - successive governments have failed to legislate despite consistent industry calls for exactly this.

Also announced: leasehold fee caps
Rayner separately pledged caps on fees leaseholders and freehold-estate residents can be charged for landlord permission requests (e.g. keeping a pet) and administrative charges (e.g. providing building safety certificates, processing a mortgage-provider change notification). A public consultation will follow on scope and amounts.

What this means for landlords
Nothing changes immediately - this is a pledge, not legislation yet, and the sector has seen similar promises stall before. But if implemented, licensed/regulated agents would raise the baseline of competence landlords can expect when outsourcing compliance work - directly relevant given the "landlords remain liable even when using an agent" warning covered separately this week. Worth watching for a firm timeline rather than acting on it yet.

Source: LandlordZONE, 29 September 2026