This Bill, which was originally introduced by the previous government as the Renters’ Reform Bill, seeks to level-up the perceived current imbalance between residential landlords and tenants by bestowing on tenants greater rights and security. But critics argue that the proposed reforms go too far in favour of tenants. So, what are the current key reforms affecting private residential tenancies ..read more

The recent legal challenges faced by Pink Floyd legend David Gilmour over the ownership of his £10 million Hove mansion have cast a spotlight on the importance of clarifying property ownership, especially when held by now-defunct corporate entities.  ..read more

Introduced in 2013, permitted development rights led to an uptick in office-to-residential conversions and recent amendments made to The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (‘GPDO’) have made office-to-residential conversions even more accessible for developers. This blog looks at the recent changes and discusses the opportunity these present to developers ..read more

The new Labour government is expected to announce significant tax increases in the upcoming October budget. This follows Chancellor Rachel Reeves' revelation of £22 billion in unfunded spending ..read more

The new Labour government's decision to feature plans to ‘get Britain building again’ as one of its first announcements upon taking office highlights both the severity of the housing crisis it has inherited and the crucial role property development will play in its strategy to encourage investment and stimulate economic growth. Whether it is house building, onshore wind farms or data centres, early signs suggest that Labour will facilitate a raft of property-based activity that aims to provide a sustainable solution to the housing crisis, secure economic growth and (perhaps ..read more

Whilst the housebuilding side of Angela Rayner's new role of Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has garnered headlines in the first week of the new Labour Government,  changes to section 117 of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, which are due to take effect on 24 July 2024, may bring the issue of cladding and building remediation costs to the top of her inbox sooner than she may have expected ..read more

The Biodiversity Net Gain requires developers to improve the biodiversity of each habitat category on their development site by 10% above the pre-development biodiversity levels and to maintain this for at least 30 years. The Biodiversity Net Gain requires developers to improve the biodiversity of each habitat category on their development site by 10% above the pre-development biodiversity levels and to maintain this for at least 30 years. If developers cannot achieve the BNG through enhancing, creating, or restoring the habitat on their development site they can purchase off-site biodive ..read more

The last general election seems a lifetime ago and after a turbulent few years, a global pandemic, an economic crash, three conservative prime ministers and an ageing lettuce, the 4 July 2024 election is upon us and forecasters predict that change is likely. Whilst topics such as the NHS and the economy have taken centre stage, there have been a number of property pledges and housing targets proposed across the parties. Here we seek to cut through the manifesto jargon and highlight the key themes of housing policies from the Labour Party, Conservative party, Liberal Democrats and the Green par ..read more

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act (“the Act”) became law on 24 May 2024. The Act aims to enhance the rights and benefits for homeowners in England. There is, however, debate as to potency of the Act given the absence of the proposed ground rent cap (which had been discussed for some time) and the failure to ban forfeiture of long residential leases.  ..read more

As the 1954 Landlord & Tenant Act celebrates a milestone birthday, recent case law demonstrating the strength of Tenants’ security of tenure, has renewed calls to modernise the aging legislation ..read more