The Renters’ Rights Bill: Calm, Clear, and Explained by People Who’ve Read It Properly
For the last few months, the Renters’ Rights Bill has been doing the rounds with all the subtlety of a pub rumour. Some people are convinced landlords are about to be marched into the sea. Some tenants think rent controls are back and eviction is basically illegal. Some lawyers are quietly panicking and pretending they’re […]
Keeping Up with HMLR Practice Guide Updates (Without Losing the Will to Live)
If you work in property long enough, you develop a healthy respect for HM Land Registry practice guides. They’re the rulebook. The instruction manual. The thing you really don’t want to realise you’ve misread after you’ve already submitted the application. The trouble is, they don’t stand still. HMLR updates its practice guides regularly, sometimes subtly, […]
The Most Common Legal Pitfalls in Property Transactions – And How to Avoid Them
No professional wants to let their clients down. This is surely true in all industries, but the risk of a let-down can be especially fraught in conveyancing. Not only are we dealing with high-value transactions, these transactions often come with a great deal of emotion baked in. This is hardly surprising: clearly there are far […]
Why Legal Training is Critical for Estate Agents and Property Investors
You don’t need us to tell you that the property market in the UK is big business. Though if you do need a refresher of just how big we’re talking, then perhaps you might like to consider the fact that the collective annual turnover for businesses in this industry is around £73 billion. Whether you’re […]
Property Developers- Hidden Title Issues
Property developers often face a number of hidden title issues that can derail a project. The best way to avoid any unwanted delays or unwarranted costs is to make sure you investigate with early due diligence and ensure you have made all relevant checks with expert legal advice. So, what common title issues can occur? […]
What Do Residential Landlords Need to Know about Energy Performance Certificates?
The rules about Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) for rented dwellings were introduced in 2018 and updated in 2020. As it stands today, rental properties that are covered by the regulations are required to have an EPC rating of E or above. This means that it is illegal to let […]
What Happens When the Borrower Vanishes into Thin Air? A Secured Creditor’s Guide to Bona Vacantia
Picture this: you’re a secured lender, your borrower has vanished from the corporate register, and the property you hold security over has drifted into the Crown’s lap under the doctrine of bona vacantia. It sounds like the start of a legal ghost story—but it’s a surprisingly common real-world scenario. Here’s what secured creditors need to […]
Major Property Law Reforms: How They Will Impact Your Work
The UK property industry is set for some of its biggest legal changes in years. Leasehold reform, stricter tenant protections, changes to stamp duty, and new rules on compulsory purchase will all have significant consequences for those working in property. Whether you are a conveyancer, landlord, estate agent, or developer, these reforms will change the […]
An Introduction to the Building Safety Act 2022
The Building Safety Act 2022 came into force on the 1st April 2023. It was largely a response to the 2017 Grenfell Tragedy and the resulting cladding scandal. The legislation is intended to change the way buildings are designed, constructed and managed, and to give homeowners and residents more rights, powers and protections. Though the act […]