Claiming for Dilapidations
When a lease come to an end, the 'dilapidations clause' makes the tenant liable to restore the let premises to the same state they were in when the tenant first occupied them. It is established law that when a…
Property Investor Must Pay £120,400 Estate Agency Commission
It may come as a surprise to some property owners that estate agency fees are often payable regardless of whether a buyer is introduced by the agency concerned. A property investor found that out the hard way after the Court…
Extending Your Home? Do You Need Planning Permission?
Planning rules relating to home extensions are complex but a householder's victory in a High Court test case is expected to make it significantly easier for some people to enlarge their homes without the need for planning permission. The man…
Rushing Into Property Purchase Proves Costly
People often complain about the length of time it takes to complete property deals. However, one Court of Appeal case, in which a contract for sale was signed on the spot after only brief consideration, strikingly shows why property purchase…
‘Know Your Client’ Failure Costs Firm
Although clients often regard as a nuisance the extensive 'know your client' procedures that are required by financial institutions and professional firms, the importance of strict adherence is clear, as a recent case involving a property fraud illustrates. The case…
Attention Private Landlords
Under the Immigration Act 2014 (Commencement No. 6) Order 2016 from 1st February 2016 it becomes compulsory for checks to be carried out before allowing anyone to live permanently in a property you own or control. The obligation applies to…
Need for New Homes Trumps Village School Objections
The image of country dwellers up in arms at the prospect of housing developments is a powerful one. However, in one case, landowners intent on building 79 new homes on the edge of a West Sussex village have overcome objectors’…
Buyer Beware Principle Means Compensation Denied
'Buyer beware' is a legal concept with which purchasers of goods and property have had to contend for centuries. It applies to most transactions where specific protection for purchasers is not provided under the law. It was rigorously applied in…
West End Actor’s £32,000 Rent Bill Not Tax Deductible
Self-employed workers can set business expenses against their Income Tax bills – but the rules on what is and is not deductible are tight and did not assist an actor who ran up a £32,000 rent bill on a London…
ATTENTION ALL RESIDENTIAL LANDLORDS – PROTECT ASSURED SHORTHOLD TENANCY DEPOSITS BEFORE 23RD JUNE 2015
Section 32 of the Deregulation Act 2015 came into force on 26th March 2015 and has inserted section 215A into the Housing Act 2004. This has the effect of extending the requirements to protect deposits taken in respect of Assured…