Trent Law - Solicitors

12/10/2026

Ground rents are not becoming a peppercorn, whatever you may have read.

For new leases that change happened back in 2022. For existing leases the proposal is a cap of £250 a year, and the peppercorn only arrives forty years after that. The Bill has not yet reached Parliament, and the cap is unlikely to take effect before 2028.

Commercial leases are outside the scheme altogether.

Dr Aamir Nawaz explains where things actually stand, and what it means for anyone holding a mixed use building.

https://www.trentlaw.co.uk/post/not-yet-a-peppercorn-the-ground-rent-cap-and-where-commercial-leases-stand

30/09/2026

On 29 July 2026 the High Court handed down two judgments on the same day: £105,000 against a fake news website that defamed a businessman, with an order to display a summary of the judgment on its own homepage for twelve months, and an urgent injunction protecting a man blackmailed with intimate images through a dating site, served on the blackmailers by WhatsApp and Telegram.

In this month's article for the Trent Law website, Dr Aamir Nawaz explains both cases, the remedies the court deployed, and the instincts they reward: act early, keep everything, and pay nothing.

Dr Aamir Nawaz

On 29 July 2026 the High Court handed down two judgments on the same day: £105,000 against a fake news website that defamed a businessman, and an urgent injunction protecting a man blackmailed with intimate images through a dating site. We explain what the court did, how quickly it moved, and what ...

10/09/2026

Landlords: the new rental property register opens for East Midlands property on 15 February 2027, with a deadline of 14 May 2027 and a fee of £65 per property each year.

The part worth knowing is not the fee. A landlord who has not registered cannot obtain a possession order, whatever the ground, unless the case concerns anti social behaviour.

And if an agent manages your property, the duty to register is still yours.

https://www.trentlaw.co.uk/post/register-or-lose-possession-what-the-landlord-database-means-for-east-midlands-landlords

04/09/2026

The ban on upward-only rent reviews received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. It is not in force, and that distinction matters more than the headline.

Commencement needs regulations that have not been made, and a consultation on caps and collars is expected first. So a commercial lease signed this month can still carry an upward-only review, and it will bind for the whole term.

One date reaches backwards. Where a lease is granted under an option to renew, or an agreement for lease with a sitting tenant, entered into on or after 17 March 2026, the resulting lease is caught whatever its own date.

Landlords have a window. Tenants who want the protection must negotiate for it now.

https://www.trentlaw.co.uk/post/upward-only-rent-reviews-what-the-2026-act-really-changes-and-when

01/09/2026

Every director, LLP member and person with significant control now has a legal duty to verify their identity with Companies House, and the twelve month transition period closes in the middle of November 2026. The figures published at the end of July show how much remains undone: as at 30 June, only 55 per cent of directors, 50 per cent of LLP members and 42 per cent of PSCs had verified.

In this month's article for the Trent Law website, Dr Aamir Nawaz explains who must act and by when, why the company's confirmation statement date is the real deadline for its directors, how GOV.UK One Login and the authorised agent route work, what enforcement will look like once the transition ends, and what Companies House postponed in August.

Dr Aamir Nawaz

Mandatory identity verification at Companies House has been law since 18 November 2025, and the transition period for existing directors, LLP members and PSCs closes in mid November 2026. By the end of June only 55 per cent of directors had verified. We explain who must act and by when, how the proc...

06/08/2026

If you have a Will, it was written under a set of tax rules that have since changed.

Three things have happened. The inheritance tax thresholds are now frozen until April 2031. The reliefs for farms and family businesses changed on 6 April 2026. And from 6 April 2027, most unused pension savings will count as part of a person's estate for inheritance tax, which was not previously the case.

Anything passing to a husband, wife or civil partner remains exempt, pensions included. Where savings pass to children or others, the picture is more complicated, and the pension change can also reduce the extra allowance that applies when a home is left to children or grandchildren.

Our article explains the current position in plain terms, including why the forms you completed with your pension provider now matter as much as the Will itself:
https://www.trentlaw.co.uk/post/when-did-you-last-read-your-will-why-2026-is-the-year-to-look-again

05/08/2026

You may have seen headlines suggesting the FCA is about to launch a crackdown on law firms over money laundering rules. The reality is more measured, and worth understanding properly.

HM Treasury confirmed in October 2025 that anti money laundering supervision of solicitors, accountants and notaries transfers to the Financial Conduct Authority. It is a real change, but a gradual one. No start date has been published, primary legislation is needed first, and the rules that firms must follow are not themselves changing.

For our clients, nothing changes in how we work with you, beyond our continued care in verifying identity and source of funds, which the law has required for years.

Dr Aamir Nawaz has written a full analysis of what is settled, what is not, and what firms should be doing now:

HM Treasury has confirmed that anti money laundering supervision of the legal profession transfers to the FCA. We separate the decided from the predicted: what was settled in October 2025, what the June 2026 powers response added, why no commencement date exists, and what firms should sensibly do no...

04/08/2026

Important changes to employment law arrive this October, and they affect employers and employees alike.

From 1 October 2026, the time limit for bringing most employment tribunal claims doubles from three months to six. From 30 October, employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, and become responsible for harassment of their staff by customers and other third parties. Further reform follows in January 2027, when the qualifying period for unfair dismissal drops to six months and the cap on compensation is removed.

Whether you run a business or work in one, these changes are worth understanding now rather than later. Our latest article explains what is coming and how to prepare for it.

To speak to our employment team, please call 0333 3444 397 or email [email protected].

Dr Aamir Nawaz

The Employment Rights Act 2025 arrives in stages, and the next wave lands this October. From longer tribunal time limits to new duties on harassment and trade union access, here is what employers and employees need to know, and how to prepare.

29/01/2024

Conveyancing Process Explained

Welcome to our straightforward and insightful guide on conveyancing, presented by Trent Law (Solicitors). This video is designed to demystify the conveyancin...

22/01/2024

https://youtu.be/jqzNNfX0MPw

In this informative and detailed video, we delve into the intricacies of the probate process in the United Kingdom, providing invaluable insights and guidanc...