Petition · past parliament

Make property offers legally binding like in Scotland

Closed 44 signatures

What the petition asks

The Government should make the buying and selling of property fairer by making offers legally binding in England and Wales. This should put a stop to gazumping once an offer has been accepted.
House prices are rising, along with the cost of living making it impossible for first time buyers and buyers with a budget. Schemes such as “help to buy” and “part ownership” are heavily flawed and do not do enough to support the buyer, particularly when you come to sell. It is currently legal for a buyer to have an offer accepted (in an already sparse market and usually above asking price) to then be heavily gazumped by a cash buyer who may not even plan on living there.

Timeline

16 Mar 2022 Petition opened for signatures
30 Sep 2022 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 44
Status Closed
Opened 16 Mar 2022
Closed 30 Sep 2022

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.