Residential Property

• Leaseholders' Right to Manage Since 2003 qualifying leaseholders have had the right to take over the management of their block of flats from their landlord, under provisions made under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 . Leaseholders who take advantage of this right have more...
• Planning Law Basics Whether you are planning to refurbish and sell a house or to construct a whole new apartment block, almost all your plans will be governed by planning laws and any local restrictions. Planning restrictions are more stringent in conservation areas, for...
• Tenants' Right to Buy The right of secure tenants to buy their homes was established under the Housing Act 1980 . The original rules have subsequently been amended, however, mainly owing to a growing number of abuses of the system. These mainly involved property speculators who...
• Selling Your House and Land: Tax Tips Most people buy and sell the property they live in without any thoughts about tax (other than, perhaps, Stamp Duty Land Tax). However, there are some circumstances in which selling the property you live in can cause tax problems. Some of the main ones are: ...
• Bank of Mum and Dad Lending Issues Tthe 'bank of Mum and Dad' is  unsurprisingly one of the leading sources of finance for house purchase – it was estimated that 317,000 mortgages were undertaken with parental assistance in 2018. The survey, sponsored by the Centre for Economics...
• SDLT on Mixed Use Property With Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) charged differently on residential and non-residential property, the disposal of a mixed-use property can lead to tax consequences that may affect the value you receive on sale. Recently, the Chartered Institute of...
• Buying Abroad - Considerations More than 400,000 UK citizens own properties abroad. If you are thinking of joining them, here ar some of the main issues: as well as it being essential to take independent and high quality legal advice, there are several other considerations you should be...
• Fact Sheet - Disclosure to Mortgage Lenders of Incentives for Buyers This fact sheet provides guidance for those involved in the development of residential properties whether new builds or conversions of existing properties . On 1 September 2008, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML)  introduced new procedures in...
• Repossessions - the Duties of Mortgage Lenders When mortgage arrears are serious and/or there is a breach of the mortgage covenants, the lender will usually seek an order for repossession of the property. Once it has possession, it will normally sell it with vacant possession. If this course is taken, it...
• Selling Your Property at Auction In recent years, increased mobility and growing rates of home ownership have meant that ever-larger numbers of people nowadays inherit properties from relatives who lived many miles away. Similarly, many buy-to-let properties have been purchased in areas...