UK legal operations briefing — 24 September 2026
Contractual-control reporting in England and Wales, Scottish damp-and-mould duties, and the SRA’s AI warning.
England and Wales
Land Registry prepares contractual-control reporting
HM Land Registry has invited professionals to help test a new reporting service. The relevant regulations are due to take effect on 6 April 2027; the service is still being developed.
What to check
Teams handling development land should identify affected options, pre-emption rights and conditional contracts, then check the commencement and transitional reporting dates against the official guidance.
Official sources
- HM Land Registry: Help shape our new contractual control service (published 2026-09-17)
- GOV.UK: Contractual control agreements (published 2026-06-12; updated 2026-07-08)
Scotland
Scottish landlords have a new damp-and-mould timetable
Scottish Government guidance, updated on 9 September, explains the investigation and repair duties that begin on 6 October 2026 under Awaab’s Law.
What to check
Scottish housing teams should review their reporting, escalation and record-keeping steps before the duties begin. The Scottish timetable should not be confused with rules for England and Wales.
Official sources
- Scottish Government: Awaab’s Law guidance for landlords in Scotland (published 2026-09-04; updated 2026-09-09)
England and Wales
SRA repeats its warning on the misuse of AI
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned firms about inaccurate AI-generated information, confidentiality and the need for appropriate supervision. Its September update revisited the warning.
What to check
Firms using AI should check cited propositions against the underlying material and keep a human review step before relying on or releasing consequential work.
Official sources
- SRA: Misuse of AI warning notice (published 2026-08-17)
- SRA Update, September 2026 (published 2026-09)
This editorial briefing is general information, dated above. Check current official guidance for the relevant jurisdiction and matter.