Articles in ‘Property Disputes’ Category

A recent case has highlighted the risks posed to property developers by Tree Preservation Orders (TPO), this article sets out the facts of the case and provides out some guidance to help developers who…

Was Purplebricks right to delist a property from its website when it discovered the vendors – a Christian couple – were opposed to two gay men buying it? The controversy has raged across newspapers, TV and…

Throughout the pandemic and as a result of the Coronavirus Act 2020 (“the Act”), there have been certain restrictions imposed on commercial landlords in order to protect their tenants. However, until now these restrictions…

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Government has published a long awaited press release confirming that new laws, together with an updated code of practice, to resolve remaining COVID-19 commercial rent debts…

In recent years we’ve seen a trend of more and more people working from home. But did you know that in the case of rented property, this can change the legal relationship between the landlord and tenant, from a residential tenancy to a business one?

New legislation came into effect on the 1st October 2018 which will impact over 170,000 landlords. The legislation widens the definition of large HMOs and is designed to limit overcrowding in house shares. Non-compliance can result in unlimited penalties and therefore it is vital that landlords are aware of whether these changes are relevant to their properties.

The Law Commission has published its eagerly awaited proposals on their options for reforming the law on valuation in the acquisition of the freehold of leasehold properties and lease extensions.

The Law Commission was tasked with exploring options to reduce the cost of lease extensions and freehold purchases. This not only has legal implications but also political implications as by making the process cheaper for leaseholders, freeholders could lose out.

The Coronavirus Act 2020 came into force on 26 March 2020 in England and Wales and will be in place until 30 September 2020.

The legislation covering assured shorthold tenancies, regulated tenancies and fully assured tenancies has made changes to the notice period for Section 21 notices and Section 8 notices.

Can landlords recover their legal costs from tenants if they win at court or a property tribunal?

Recent figures from the Metropolitan Police indicate that prosecutions for squatting in London have fallen dramatically in the eighteen months since the legislation making squatting illegal in residential properties came into force. In the first few months prosecutions hit a peak of 28 in a single month but are now steady at single figures. The legislation therefore appears to be effective in deterring squatters from entering peoples’ homes.

When buying a property there are a many things to consider; the crime rates in the area, the surveyor’s report, the potential returns of investing in commercial property, the proximity of a river to name just a few.

In most cases, issues are resolved during a purchase, the purchaser moves in and lives happily ever after. However, as was the case recently with a professional gambler, a property owner may be shocked to later discover that their humble abode is surrounded by a strip of land they thought was theirs but is, in fact, owned by someone else.

For landowners who own land with development potential, preventing the creation of public and private rights of way over land by long user is always an issue. Such rights can devalue the development potential, or even make development unrealistic when small sites are concerned.