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To make your home your castle, be sure who owns the drawbridge

The Government has announced plans to tackle unfair leaseholder arrangements on new build properties, but in the meantime, as the Spring housing market gets into full swing, it’s worth understanding the difference between freehold and leasehold property. Increasing property prices and high population densities have seen a big increase in the number of leasehold properties across the country, as houses are split into flats and new apartment blocks are built, so there are now 1.4 million leasehold houses across England. And while leasehold arrangements are generally seen as a simple…

Landlords – your legal obligations regarding smoke alarms, CO detectors and other safety features

All landlords have to fulfil certain legal obligations if they’re to rent their property. Some of the most important legal requirements are those that cover basic safety practices and equipment. Keeping tenants safe should be a landlord’s principal concern, so ensuring that these obligations are met is of the utmost importance. Here, we take a look at what landlords have to do when it comes to fire, gas, and electrical safety and also detail the relevant UK legislation. Relevant legislation A landlord’s legal safety obligations are legislated for by a…

How to delist a listed cottage or building

While listed buildings are often attractive, brimming with character and desirable purchases, then can come with potential headaches for the new owners. Listed buildings do not enjoy the freedom associated with new-builds. Often, listed cottages and buildings come with certain restrictions - it is part of the privilege of owning a dwelling that holds historic interest. These can include higher insurance premiums, when compared to non-listed buildings and the requirement for special permission to be granted for works to be undertaken on the property such as the building of an…

What can you do if your tenant is subletting?

A quick guide to the legalities If a landlord rents a property directly to a tenant and they decide they wish to let out part or all of the property to another tenant, it’s called subletting. This isn’t always a problem, if the tenant in question has the landlord’s permission to do so. Problems arise, however, when tenants sublet all or part of the rental property without the permission of their landlord. How do landlords know if a tenant is in breach of their rental agreement, and what can landlords…

Renting property – Will the slow-down of the housing market have a knock-on effect for landlords and their tenants?

For years, homeowners have come to expect that their property value will increase. But headlines predicting a housing slump are backed by figures that show a sustained slow-down of activity in the housing market and a dip in the rate of growth for house prices too. Could this also have a knock-on effect for rental prices? And what is a ‘fair rent’ for the average property? Is the housing market really slowing down? While the long feared property market crash actually hasn’t happened (and may just be the paranoid reporting…

Do you need planning permission for a conservatory?

With house prices on a steep trajectory upwards, more people are improving what they already have, rather than upscaling to a larger property. In many instances, that includes adding a conservatory to the property to give you an extra room. Sunny, spacious, and perfect for entertaining or simply relaxing, a conservatory is a popular choice for anyone who wants to expand their property footprint. However, it’s not just a matter of contacting a conservatory company and getting on with your home improvements. Depending on a number of factors you may…

Avoiding septic tank blockages when it comes to selling

This year’s housing market has been characterised by slumping prices and sluggish sales in many areas, posing a challenge to would-be sellers looking to move on. And for those who are not connected to mains drainage, generally in rural areas, there’s an added challenge, with many unaware of stricter rules regarding septic tank systems and soakaways, which must be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process. According to Jeremy Lewis, property law expert and Partner at Bowling & Co, Solicitors: "Property owners with a septic tank or small sewage…

How to speed up the conveyancing process

Describing the current housing market as ‘soft’ is a polite way to say it’s tough out there. Belts are tightening, mortgage lenders are asking a lot more questions and delving deeper into your financial history before saying yes to a loan, and bricks and mortar simply aren’t moving as quickly as before. House prices are still growing (mostly), but at a considerably reduced rate compared to 2016 PB (Pre-Brexit). You can make your property as attractive as possible to buyers by making sure you have great photographs, utilise online sellers…

Property Ownership – who is the real beneficial owner?

The UK has become one of the most popular destinations for foreign investment in real estate over recent years. Such investment has significant benefits to the economy and provides many jobs for the construction industry. When overseas companies invest in the UK this gives concern for potential illegal activity to take place. This concern has been voiced by the UK government and has led to the proposed introduction of a beneficial ownership register. The UK government seek to have clear corporate transparency in order that properties which are owned through…

Private tenants are spending more than half of their income on rent

According to research carried out by the Local Government Association (LGA), one in seven private renters are having to spend more than half of their total income on rent, this being in stark contrast to homeowners, where only 2% pay more than half of their income on their mortgage. Further figures from the LGA suggest that the average deposit for a property now costs up to 71% of a first time buyer’s annual income and that under 25 year olds today are now half as likely to be homeowners than…

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