The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has extended the consultation period for its leasehold enfranchisement valuation rates consultation by four weeks, with the closing date revised to 21 October 2026. The consultation seeks views on prescribing the deferment rates and capitalisation rates to be used in enfranchisement claims under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. MHCLG has also published a plain English explainer setting out the effect of the reforms on leaseholders seeking to extend their lease or acquire their freehold.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has granted Exceptional Financial Support to 37 local authorities for the 2026-27 financial year, with amounts ranging from £5m to £121m. The support, totalling over £1.5bn, allows councils to use capital funding including receipts from sales and borrowing to cover day-to-day costs, subject to rigorous conditions including complete financial assessments. Notable recipients include Shropshire (£121m), Croydon (£119m), and Warrington (£92m). The City of London receives separate £2.65m support for its Housing Revenue Account. Six councils remain under statutory intervention: Birmingham, Croydon, Slough, Thurrock, Woking, and Warrington. Birmingham's support profile for previous financial years has been revised, with 2024-25 support reduced from £491.1m to £405.7m and 2025-26 support reduced from £180m to £36.7m. The Exceptional Financial Support process, established in 2020, enables councils facing financial failure to set balanced budgets through capitalisation directions that will be formally issued once final amounts are confirmed.

On 26 June 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published a letter from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Matthew Pennycook MP, to the Planning Inspectorate directing the inspectors examining the City of London Corporation's emerging Local Plan. The letter requires the examination to be re-opened to consider an alternative approach to tall building contours proposed by Historic England and to assess its economic and heritage impacts alongside those of the city's proposed approach.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has introduced the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to Parliament. The Bill aims to streamline planning decisions, expedite the construction of housing and key infrastructure, and reform the grid connections process. Additionally, MHCLG has published guidance on the Bill, accompanied by six factsheets and a European Convention on Human Rights memorandum.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced that, from 22 June 2026, councils in England can issue fines of up to £7,000 to landlords who fail to remedy serious hazards in privately rented homes under new powers introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act 2026. Housing Secretary, Steve Reed, urged councils to use all available enforcement powers to tackle unsafe housing and protect tenants. The penalties apply to 21 Category 1 hazards identified under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), including severe damp and mould, excess cold, faulty electrics, fire risks, structural defects and unsafe layouts. The new fines complement existing powers allowing councils to require repairs, undertake emergency works and recover costs from landlords who fail to act. The government also confirmed that an updated HHSRS framework will take effect on 23 June 2026, simplifying hazard assessment and reducing the number of hazard categories from 29 to 21 to support quicker identification of risks and more effective enforcement.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced the introduction of Awaab's Law, set to commence in October 2025. This legislation will require social landlords to address dangerous damp and mould within specified timeframes and repair emergency hazards within 24 hours. The law will be implemented in phases, with initial focus on damp and mould, expanding to cover a wider range of hazards by 2026, and encompassing all remaining Housing Health and Safety Rating System hazards by 2027. Non-compliant landlords may face legal action. The MHCLG also plans to extend these provisions to the private rented sector through the forthcoming Renters' Rights Bill, subject to consultation. Additional measures include the development of a new Decent Homes Standard, minimum energy efficiency standards, and mandatory quinquennial electrical safety checks for social housing.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has introduced a default ‘yes’ policy for housing developments located near well-connected train stations, subject to defined criteria. The measure aims to accelerate the delivery of high-quality, affordable homes and forms part of the government’s wider Plan for Change, which targets the construction of 1.5 million new homes. Under the new approach, councils will be required to notify MHCLG when refusing large-scale housing applications, enabling the Housing Secretary to intervene where necessary to expedite decisions.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published a letter inviting the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to make representations on the Secretary of State’s proposed strengthened statutory support package under section 15 of the Local Government Act 1999, following concerns that the authority continues to fail to comply with its Best Value Duty in areas including continuous improvement, governance, leadership, culture, partnerships and use of resources. The proposals would expand the powers and capacity of the Envoys, require the Authority to establish an Improvement Board, support a deep‑dive project into allegations of misconduct, and update its Continuous Improvement Plan, with representations required on or before 2 February 2026.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published guidance on selecting a new administering authority (AA) for Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds where councils are undergoing local government reorganisation in England and Wales. The guidance is intended for section 151 officers, LGPS fund officers, Pension Committee and Pension Board members, and explains that, while the choice of a new AA should be a local decision, any change requires the Secretary of State's agreement. It sets out considerations for selecting a new AA, including the option of establishing a Single Purpose Pension Authority (SPPA), covering governance, operational capacity, cyber security, asset pool participation, service continuity, shared services, transfer of contracts and the potential for future fund mergers. It also states that these considerations are consistent with the government's Fit for the Future pension reforms, which aim to enhance governance and increase professionalisation while delivering for members.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published Council tax information letter 2/2026 providing updates to local authorities on council tax matters. The guidance addresses inaccuracies in carers disregard information, noting some councils continue to provide outdated prescribed benefits lists from before 2013 legislative amendments. MHCLG references the Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill, introduced on 8 January 2026, which will remove the two-child limit from Universal Credit from 6 April 2026, encouraging councils to consider implications for council tax reduction schemes. The department will amend the Local Government (Structural Changes) (Finance) Regulations 2008 to clarify second homes premium requirements for new unitary councils, with regulations due to be laid on 2 April 2026 and effective from 30 April 2026. The guidance also addresses council tax liability under section 28 of the Renters Rights Act, which ensures tenants remain liable for council tax until the end of notice periods when leaving properties early after serving notice to end tenancies.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has issued guidance for local authorities in England on administering the 15% business rates relief for eligible pubs and live music venues for the 2026/27 financial year, as announced on 27 January 2026. The guidance sets out the eligibility criteria for properties to qualify for the relief, including definitions of pubs and live music venues and the categories of premises excluded from the scheme. It also details the methodology for calculating the relief on a daily basis and addresses subsidy control considerations. In addition, it confirms that the government will reimburse local authorities that exercise their discretionary relief powers under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to grant the relief.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has taken two key steps in advancing its local government reorganisation programme. The ministry has issued letters to local authorities invited to submit final reorganisation proposals, while simultaneously establishing a Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Advisory Group. The letter, written by the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, Jim McMahon, outlines requirements for final unitary authority proposals and introduces new guidance documents on social care partnerships, reorganisation processes and financial decision-making. The minister confirmed flexibility on population sizes above and below 500,000, while emphasising the need for clear rationales in proposals. The reorganisation aims to establish single-tier local government structures across the selected areas.