New Government Property Changes: What’s Changed for the Housing Market?
What the New Government’s Property Policies Mean for Agents, Buyers and
Andy Burnham was appointed Prime Minister on 20th July 2026. He’s not shy when it comes to talking, using his social media platforms to describe how he’s going to tackle the country’s most pressing issues.
Property professionals and home movers are watching closely, as Burnham has been very vocal in the past when it comes to housing. Here at Viewber, we’re taking up the challenge of separating the hot air and PR puff from the actual legislation that makes it into law.
Six weeks on from our change of leadership, we’re reviewing the property decisions that have been made, what’s been promised and what’s fallen by the wayside.
The Burnham bounce has happened
Perhaps it’s a great hook or just a piece of fun alliteration but there has been a Burnham bounce. Rightmove noted that buyer demand had surged 5% since the new Prime Minister took over.
Usually the summer months see potential purchasers step away from property searches yet the portal’s data suggests there was a turning point in the market. Similar sentiment was noted in Property Industry Eye’s weekly stats round up. It found ‘sold subject to contract’ deals increased in the week ending 2nd August 2026 (up from 24,000 to 24,700, week-on-week from).
Delve a little deeper and any bounce was all about timing.
Stamp duty? It’s staying the same… for now
Buyer hesitancy has been rooted in the Prime Minister’s previously published thoughts on property tax. It’s well documented that Burnham supports the idea of scrapping stamp duty and council tax, replacing it with one annual tax. There’s also been a suggestion of stamp duty thresholds lowering so more buyers paid tax. These rumours have been enough to apply the brakes to the sales market.
But on 28th July 2026, in his trademark style of drip feeding the public news, Burnham declared he wouldn’t be changing stamp duty threshold in this autumn’s forthcoming Budget. This rumour quashing invigorated a stale, summer market and is probably the prime reason behind the buyer bounce.
Wealth tax? It’s still an idea, not an approved policy
Burnham is a champion of the North, and this stance has got homeowners in London and the South East nervous, and for mounting reasons.
Wealth inequality, especially property-centric wealth, is in the spotlight. In late August, The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) publicly suggested measures it feels Chancellor John Healey should explore before the Autumn Budget.
The IPPR is a think tank and their position in politics needs clarifying. Think tanks are independent research institutes that study policy. Their job is to influence Government decisions, laws and the general public. Although impartial, certain think tanks naturally align with political parties.
IPPR is known to be favoured by Labour.
In its recent release, the IPPR wants council tax and stamp duty to be replaced by a proportional property tax set at an annual rate of 0.65%. It closely mimics the Fairer Share property tax campaign, which Burnham has publicly endorsed. The Prime Minister has also leant support for a land value tax – an annual levy based on the value of the land and not the property.
Any sudden tax changes would spook an already fragile market (and possibly offend the voting masses). Of course, scrapping stamp duty would create winners– most notably buyers and that is something many estate agents back – but there would be losers. Higher ownership costs may make more expensive houses in the South less attractive to buyers. So, for now, property taxes stay the same.
More council houses: backtracking and doubt
The Government’s Social and Affordable Homes Programme has a whopping £39 billion of funding and it was Burnham’s intention to allocate this exclusively for new council housing. There has, however, been a backtrack. Rather than rip up the housing plans he inherited from Starmer, as promised, Burnham appears to have fallen in line with previous policy.
New council homes will instead form part of the mix. The first £10 billion will fund 70,000 affordable homes outside London. Of those, 60% will be for social rent. The remainder will include shared ownership and sheltered housing. The ultimate aim is to build 300,000 affordable homes over the next decade, delivered by 33 strategic partners, including three local councils.
The distribution of funds means Burham may miss his target of achieving “the biggest council housebuilding programme since the postwar period”. The ambition is prompting developers, property managers, housing associations and social landlords to ask questions about planning, viability and resourcing.
Automatic ‘yes’ to new homes near stations? It’s happening
One of the most attention-grabbing initiatives stemmed from Angela Rayner, who Burnham reinstated as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
One of Rayner’s first jobs was to publish the new national planning policy framework (NPPF) in August 2026. The most important notable change was a “default yes” approach to developments within reasonable walking distance of well-connected train and tram stations.
An allowance has been made for developers who want to build new homes near transport hubs on greenbelt land. At these sites, a “golden rule” will apply, stating there must be higher levels of affordable housing, new or improved green spaces and adequate infrastructure.
So, where can we expect a flurry of new homes? To qualify for the “default yes”, a site must be in the top 80 Travel to Work Areas, the station meets a set number of rail services per hour and all other planning/density criteria be met.
Cash payments instead of affordable housing? Idea scrapped
The Government listened to industry feedback and quietly revised its plan to relax affordable housing rules for developers in England. It wanted the option for developers to make cash payments instead of building affordable housing on-site if the development comprised between 10 and 49 properties.
The majority of those who took part in the consultation rejected the idea: 41% were strongly opposed, compared with just 18% who were strongly in favour. Housing experts said allowing cash payments instead of on-site construction would harm the number of affordable homes being built, especially in rural areas.
The Government thought introducing a cash payment initiative in lieu of building affordable homes would accelerate the number of medium-sized developments, which would help the Government achieve its 1.5 new homes target by 2029.
Viewber is following the Government’s property agenda and will report on any new developments. This will include the Autumn Budget and the progress of the Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. Keep checking our blog and social media feeds for the latest.
