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Renters’ Rights Act update: key developments for landlords

The Government has announced the next phase of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 reforms, with two significant developments for the private rented sector. 1. Private Rented Sector Database launch confirmed The new “Register your rental property” service will begin rolling out across England from 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands. All landlords of …
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Residential tenancy review

The Renters’ Rights Act has caused a fundamental shift in the private rented sector and has changed how landlords can operate. Whilst the Act has received royal assent, the regime is being rolled out in stages, with the confirmation a Private Rented Sector Database is launching in December 2026, creating further compliance requirements for landlords. …
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When AI becomes a management tool: what are the employment law implications?

AI is fast becoming embedded in day-to-day people management. Employers are experimenting with algorithmic tools to shortlist candidates, score interviews, allocate shifts, forecast demand, monitor productivity, flag performance issues, support redundancy exercises and even trigger investigations and dismissal processes. Whilst in recent years, the adoption and integration of AI has been concentrated in large tech …
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Fixed-term contracts: when does expiry mean redundancy?

Fixed-term contracts are a familiar part of workforce planning. They can be useful when an employer needs cover for a project, a temporary funding stream, maternity leave, or a defined piece of work with a clear end point. But their apparent simplicity can be misleading. When a fixed-term contract reaches its end date and is …
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Navigating the refreshed Charity Governance Code: key takeaways from our panel event

On 10 September, we hosted a discussion on the refreshed Charity Governance Code, bringing together Radojka Miljevic, Independent Chair of the Code Steering Group, Mo Wiltshire, Senior Governance Consultant at NCVO, and Mark Abbott, Partner at Bates Wells. The session was chaired by Bates Wells Partner Simon Steeden. As Radojka Miljevic explained, this is the …
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People and Workplace round-up | 17 September

Welcome to our 5-minute round-up of people and workplace updates, hand-picked to help HR teams. Catch up on: EAT clarifies material factor defence in equal pay dispute: market-driven warehouse pay can be justified HR teams should take note of fresh guidance from the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) on how to frame and evidence market-related pay …
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Briefing for Charities & Social Enterprises | 15 September

Our weekly round up of news and updates from across the sector. To help you navigate this week’s content, the links below will take you straight to content by topic. Investigations and complaints The Charity Commission has concluded its investigation into four charities that were part of a statutory class inquiry into 105 charities found …
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Article 10: A new key to unlock access information held by public authorities

The Upper Tribunal’s recent decision in Cruelty Free International v Information Commissioner and Home Office [2026] UKUT 328 is one of the most important freedom of information judgments in recent years. The specially convened three-judge panel finally recognised that UK law includes a right (under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights) to …
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FAQs: Restricted funds and endowments

What are restricted funds and endowments? A charity doesn’t always have the freedom to use its funds for its general purposes. Sometimes donors impose restrictions which limit the charity’s scope to use the donation freely. There are two main restrictions. Restrictions on purposes A restricted fund is a fund which must be used for a …
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Bates Wells advises on investment templates for newly launched AgDevCo Ventures

AgDevCo Ventures is a newly launched investment vehicle within the AgDevCo group (a specialist impact investor that invests exclusively in the sub-Saharan African agriculture sector) which will target investment specifically in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda with an expected investment size of $1-3m per investment. The AgDevCo Ventures portfolio targets a high proportion of Black …
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Purpose & Impact: your round-up | September

Welcome to your round-up: a monthly selection of news hand-picked to help keep you up to date, for businesses, investors and others working to create positive impact. Jump to: Corporate purpose B Corps Social enterprise Sustainable fashion Climate & biodiversity Supply chain impact Impact investing Corporate purpose The Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership has published …
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Right to Work checks are changing – is your organisation ready? Download our checklist

From 1 October 2026, the Right to Work (RtW) regime expands beyond traditional employment to include worker contracts, individual sub contractors, and online matching services. This critical shift means civil penalties of up to £60,000 per illegal worker may extend beyond the direct employer and, in some circumstances, up the supply chain. The new provisions …
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