A list of our published guidance documents.
The National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) are the lead enforcement authority for:
- the Estate Agents Act 1979 and the Tenant Fees Act 2019
- associated lettings legislation
We produce guidance to:
- help consumers, industry, and the enforcement community in their activities
- make sure everyone is compliant with the relevant requirements
We'll be adding more guidance documents to this page.
pdf
Guidance on the use of property listing terms for sales and lettings
(137 KB)
Guidance on the consistent use of property listing and advertising terms for letting agents.
Many different terms are used to describe properties on adverts, throughout the property buying and selling process. This includes adverts on property portals and physical advertising.
These terms include:
- new to market
- under offer
- let agreed
It's your responsibility to make sure this information is clear, unambiguous, and up to date while any advertising is live.
Our pdf Guidance on property listing terms (137 KB) explains how property listing and advertising terms should be used. It aims to help everyone understand and use property advertising terms consistently.
The guidance:
- applies to the marketing of residential property for sale or rent
- is principally based on the application of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
Guidance on the consistent use of property listing and advertising terms for estate agents.
Many different terms are used to describe properties on adverts, throughout the property buying and selling process. This includes adverts on property portals and physical advertising.
These terms include:
- new to market
- under offer
- sale agreed
It's your responsibility to make sure this information is clear, unambiguous, and up to date while any advertising is live.
Our pdf Guidance on property listing terms (137 KB) explains how property listing and advertising terms should be used. It aims to help everyone understand and use property advertising terms consistently.
The guidance:
- applies to the marketing of residential property for sale or rent
- is principally based on the application of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
What the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 is, how to ask for a refund for a prohibited rent payment.
The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 (“the Act”) came into force on 30 June 2022.
According to the Act, a ‘landlord', or a person acting on their behalf, cannot ask a leaseholder to make a payment of prohibited rent. This applies to most new long residential leasehold agreements in England and Wales.
The ‘landlord' can refer to many different parties under a lease. They may be:
- the same person as the freeholder
- a leaseholder with a long lease (without a right to possession of your home), sitting between you and the freeholder
A prohibited rent is any rent that exceeds ‘a peppercorn'. A ‘peppercorn rent' is a rent of next to zero financial value.
You can find more information for:
- England on The Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities' (DLUHC) webpage
- Wales on the Welsh Government's Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022: guidance for leaseholders, landlords and agents web page Go to https://www.gov.wales/leasehold-reform-ground-rent-act-2022-guidance-leaseholders-landlords-and-agents (opens new window)
If you've made a prohibited rent payment that has not been refunded, you can complain to your local enforcement authority either directly or through the Citizens' Advice Consumer Helpline.
An enforcement authority will not be able to order repayment of a prohibited rent payment if you've already applied to a Tribunal for a recovery order.
Resources for leaseholders
We've put together resources to help leaseholders:
- ask for a refund of prohibited rent (ground rent) payments from their landlords
- get independent advice on leasehold disputes
You can:
- send a document Stage 1 leaseholder letter (26 KB) to your landlord (demand for repayment) (or the document Stage 1 Welsh language version (32 KB) )
- send a document Stage 2 leaseholder letter (25 KB) to your landlord (letter before action) (or the document Stage 2 Welsh language version (31 KB) )
- get advice from Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE)
- get advice from the Citizens' Advice consumer helpline
If you send any of the above letters to your landlord, keep a copy for your own records:
- email a copy of the letter to your landlord, or
- post a copy of the letter to the landlord's address listed in the lease
Resources for enforcement authorities who enforce the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022.
From 30 June 2022, a landlord, or a person acting on their behalf, cannot require a leaseholder to make a payment of prohibited rent on certain leasehold agreements in England and Wales.
A prohibited rent is any rent higher than what is permitted by sections 4 to 6 of the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 (“the Act”).
Who enforces the Act
Local weights and measures authorities (usually the local trading standards service) enforce the Act.
District Councils can enforce the Act if they choose to.
We've produced a template enforcement policy under the Act which enforcement authorities can adopt. We're publishing it as a national approach, to promote consistency among enforcement authorities.
To access the template policy, join our KHub group.
Resources for enforcement authorities
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and the Welsh Government have published statutory guidance for enforcement authorities on how to enforce the provisions of the Act.
The guidance:
- gives details about action that may be taken if someone does not follow the requirements of the Act, and
- includes a Notice of Intent Pro forma and a Final Notice Pro forma
UK Government (for England)
Statutory Guidance for enforcement authorities
Welsh Government
Statutory Guidance for enforcement authorities
You can find additional resources for leaseholders, including template letters, on our Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 page.
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