Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Team from a report by The Negotiator. Read the original article for full details.
Shadow Housing Secretary Backs Scrapping Renters' Rights Act and Stamp Duty
Shadow Housing Secretary Katie Lam has appeared to back scrapping the Renters' Rights Act, among other housing policies set out at the Conservative Party conference. The Conservative Party has since clarified that she was talking about the broader challenges the legislation has created for landlords and that there is no policy plan to scrap it.
Speaking at a Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) fringe event, Lam was asked about the reforms and is reported as saying: "I don't care where it comes from. It's got to go."
She has, however, vowed to scrap Stamp Duty and to abolish the Future Homes Standard. The pledges were made during the Conservative Party annual conference. She also pledged to cut the cost of new-build homes by up to £50,000, replace Section 106 and the Community Infrastructure Levy with a single levy, and reduce other housebuilding regulations and barriers to development and infrastructure.
Propertymark responds
Timothy Douglas, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Propertymark, said: "Propertymark welcomes the focus on increasing housing supply, simplifying planning and making it easier for people to move home.
"Our members see first-hand how delays, complexity and uncertainty in the planning system can add costs and hold back development, so measures to make planning faster and more proportionate, particularly for smaller housebuilders, are welcome.
"Scrapping Stamp Duty would also remove a significant barrier to moving home and could help improve mobility across the housing market.
"We also welcome efforts to reduce unnecessary costs and complexity for housebuilders, but scrapping the Future Homes Standard altogether needs careful consideration. The priority should be proportionate regulation that supports new housing without adding avoidable costs or delays, while ensuring homes remain fit for the future.
"Planning reform alone will not solve the housing crisis. The test of these proposals will be whether they actually deliver more homes and improve affordability, particularly for first-time buyers and renters.
"The £50,000 saving claim will also need to be tested against whether those savings reach consumers. Furthermore, policy makers must not make cost saving at the expense of quality and standards, a balance will need to be struck."
Source: The Negotiator