The UK property rental market is evolving every day and here at Yourgaff, we do our best to keep up with the latest news so that you don’t have to. Our recent research has taught us that the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agent Team are introducing an initiative that will require landlords and letting agents to provide more detailed descriptions when advertising our properties. Aimed at enhancing consumer protection and transparency, these new rules complement the Consumer Protection Regulation from the Unfair Trading Regulations of 2008.

Here’s what you need to know:

Part A: This section focuses on  providing essential property and financial information in property listings. Landlords and letting agents are required to include the council tax band or rate, property price or rent, and tenure information in their property adverts,

Part B: This section requires detailed information about the psychical attributes and facilities of the property such as:
 - Physical characteristics (property type, construction materials etc)
 - Room specifics (number, types, single/double, measurements etc)
 - Utilities (electricity, water, sewerage, heating, broadband, mobile coverage)
 - Parking details

Part C: This section address information relevant to properties affected by specific issues, covering:
 - Building safety concerns (e.g., unsafe cladding, asbestos)
 - Legal restrictions (conservation areas, listed status)
 - Rights and easements (public paths, shared drives)
 - Environmental risks (flood, coastal erosion)
 - Planning permissions
 - Accessibility features

Property advertising portals must also adapt to these new advertising requirements as they must prominently display fields to enter each piece of information in the description, with missing information flagged, guiding landlords and agents to provide complete details.

These new requirements represent a significant shift towards greater transparency and fairness in the UK's rental market. They aim to create industry consistency, reduce complaints and fall-throughs, and build consumer trust. As Landlords and letting agents, we must make changes to adapt to these requirements to ensure compliance and offer better-informed choices to potential tenants. Providing detailed  descriptions when advertising our properties will also demonstrate our commitment to offering a fair and transparent approach to the renting process.