Local Authority round-up 11 September 2026
11th September, 2026
Our Local Authority round up provides brief summaries of topical information on a weekly basis, to keep you aware of the changes and updates relevant to you.
Housing & Planning
Stronger protections and greater confidence for renters
As the next phase of the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force, renters will benefit from stronger protections, greater transparency and more confidence in the homes they rent.
The new national landlord registration service will provide a clearer route to challenge rent increases in England allowing renters to make more informed choices about where they live and resolve disputes with their landlord more efficiently.
This next phase will gradually roll out region by region from December and the new registration service will give councils access to information to help spot rogue landlords and take quicker action.
In the future, prospective landlords will also need to register and tenants will be able to see whether their landlord or their perspective landlord has signed up, therefore, giving renters more confidence that a landlord is following the rules.
For more information please click here.
Government calls for views on revising social housing allocations guidance
The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government has called for evidence as part of its review of statutory guidance. Beck Perks, the Deputy Director of Local Authority Housing, Right to Buy and Social Housing Allocations said that the aim is to ensure the guidance supports wider objectives, while preserving local authority discretion.
The review is set to focus on four priorities:
- Improving access for vulnerable and homeless households.
- Making the best use of available homes.
- Strengthening cooperation between local authorities and registered providers.
- Consolidating the guidance into a clearer, more usable document.
The current statutory guidance on social housing allocations for local housing authorities in England was first published in 2012 and has since been updated in targeted ways. This review will consider qualification rules for social housing and how allocation schemes are framed and managed.
For more information, please click here.
Health & Social Care
More than £1.5 billion of investment into the NHS to help withstand year-round pressure
Patients across England will benefit from safer NHS hospitals thanks to over £1.5 billion of investment to tackle urgent problems with hospital buildings and facilities.
Out of this investment, over £200 million will fund 10 major hospital projects, while over £1.3 billion will go towards maintenance, safety and resilience improvements.
The investment comes as the NHS adapts to increasing year-round pressures such as the impending winter demand. The investment will fund improvements such as new operating theatres, a new ward for children, safer maternity and mental health facilities and improvements to protect vital services that help doctors diagnose and treat patients.
In conjunction, the investment will also strengthen the long-term resilience of the NHS and its services by addressing ageing infrastructure and safety risks across the estate. It will help hospitals cope with fluctuating patterns of demand while maintaining safe and high-quality care for patients.
This investment is part of a wider programme of more than 950 projects across the NHS, targeting the hospitals and facilities which are most in need of investment and therefore, helping those hospitals stay safe and pen for patients during the pressures of winter.
For more information, please click here.
Please note that this briefing is designed to be informative, not advisory and represents our understanding of English law and practice as at the date indicated. We would always recommend that you should seek specific guidance on any particular legal issue.
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