PETITIONRejectedPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Reform property laws in England & Wales to match the Scottish home buying system
The home buying process in England & Wales is slow, uncertain and costly. Around one in three sales fail due to legal loopholes like gazumping & late stage withdrawals. Scotland’s system makes offers legally binding earlier, reducing fall-throughs and creating a more secure, fair process for all.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
7
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 7/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 7/100,000
Background
We ask the UK Government to reform property law in England & Wales to align with the Scottish model. This should include:
Making accepted offers legally binding earlier.
Introducing mandatory property information packs (e.g. Home Reports)
Preventing practices like gazumping and gazundering.
Setting time limits to complete transactions.
These changes would protect buyers and sellers, reduce wasted costs, and improve the housing market.