Residential Property
Don’t get tripped up by complex stamp duty rules
Stamp duty has been around since 1694, but it only comes to the fore when we or someone else needs to pay it. Fail to cough up the right amount, and it can grab headlines and ruin careers – as Angela Rayner discovered. Following her resignation as Deputy Prime Minister and housing secret....
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A taxing time for homeowners
You’ve found the home of your dreams. But can you afford it? There are a lot of additional costs when it comes to buying a property - and stamp duty is one of them. Officially called the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), it can add thousands of pounds to a purchase of a property or land in England a....
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Your guide to Islamic mortgages
For many Muslims in the UK, purchasing a property is about more than just finding the right home – it’s about finding the right financial product that aligns with their religious beliefs. Under Shariah Law, paying or receiving interest (known as riba) is not allowed. As interest is paid on conv....
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Equity release: what plan is right for you?
Whether it’s holiday destinations or financial products, we all want choice. More choice, however, can lead to more complexity – especially when you’re making a decision that will impact the rest of your life. When it comes to equity release, there’s a lot of choice. At the start of 2025....
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Equity release explained
As interest rates fall and living costs rise, accessing the capital tied up in your home could provide a financial lifeline. According to research by Fairer Finance, 51% of UK households aged 60-plus are expected to require housing wealth to support their spending needs in later life and retirement....
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The risks of not having an LPA – a case study
At Attwaters Solicitors, we regularly advise clients on the importance of preparing for the unexpected, particularly when co-owning a property. One of the most important steps you can take is putting an appropriate Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in place. To highlight just how critical this can be....
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Joint tenants or tenants in common – do you know the difference?
Buying property with someone else – whether a partner, relative or friend – is an exciting venture, but it can give rise to complex issues. One of the most important choices you must make is how the property will be held – either as joint tenants or as tenants in common. But do you know the d....
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Co-own a property? Here’s why Lasting Power of Attorney matters
There’s a lot to think about when you own a property with someone else – for example, should you be joint tenants or tenants in common. One aspect that is often overlooked is having an appropriate Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in place. It might not seem urgent now, but without an LPA, managi....
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How to buy a leasehold property in the UK
Anyone who purchases a flat in the UK will likely be acquiring a leasehold property. Some 4.8 million homes in England are leasehold, which equates to about one fifth of the total housing stock. As a leaseholder, you’ll enjoy many of the benefits of owning your own property – but still have cer....
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Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act: what you need to know
From 3 March 2025, key parts of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 come into effect, making it easier for leaseholders in England and Wales to take control of their buildings through the Right to Manage (RTM). The Government has said these measures are intended to “improve the lives of....
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Leaseholders can now extend their lease or buy the freehold without waiting two years
An important development for leaseholders came into effect today (31 January 2025), with the removal of the two-year wait to extend a lease or buy the freehold to your home. This post explains the change under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act, and consider what it means for you. How we ....
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Upcoming Stamp Duty changes in the UK – what buyers need to know
In the Autumn Budget 2024, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that Stamp Duty thresholds will revert to previous levels, so buyers will be liable to pay more tax on their house purchases from April 2025. These upcoming changes will have considerable implications, particularly for first-time buyers ....
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Leasehold reform – commencement dates announced
As you know, the Leasehold Enfranchisement team at Attwaters has been closely monitoring new developments in leasehold law for several years now. The highly anticipated Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (LAFRA) gained Royal Assent earlier this year; however, the vast majority of the provisions....
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Should I wait to extend my lease?
Although the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act became law in May 2024, most of its provisions haven’t yet come into effect. To wait or not to wait? One of the main questions our Leasehold Enfranchisement team is currently being asked by clients is whether or not it makes sense to wait u....
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The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024: Your guide to the reforms
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act, which became law on 24 May 2024, is a long-awaited piece of legislation designed to make it easier and cheaper for leaseholders to extend their lease or purchase the freehold of their building. Despite the Act already being law, no commencement date has yet be....
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Ground rent issues and Labour’s Renters’ Rights Bill
We have been closely following the progress of the government’s Renters’ Rights Bill, which was recently introduced to Parliament. In this blog, we will be delving further into the impact that the proposed legislation will have on flats with long leases (for example, where individuals have p....
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Leasehold reform becomes law
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform bill has become law – one of the last pieces of legislation to make it through Parliament before it was dissolved in preparation for July’s general election. The reforms, which have been the subject of a great deal of scrutiny over the past few years, aim to ma....
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The Building Safety Act and the remediation of historic defects
The Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022, hereafter referred to as ‘the Act’) was designed to address safety issues affecting existing buildings. The Act was specifically formulated to reallocate the financial responsibility for rectifying these issues from the buildings’ tenants to either the ....
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The Building Safety Act – fire safety responsibilities for landlords
The Grenfell Tower fire, a tragic incident during which over 70 people lost their lives when a fire blazed out of control due to the building’s highly flammable cladding, led to the introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022. The Act legislated amendments to a raft of other laws and regulations....
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Leasehold reform: Should I extend my lease now or hang on?
Following the introduction of the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022, which restricts ground rents on new leases to a ‘peppercorn’ – i.e., nothing – the second phase of the government’s promised reforms to the leasehold system is currently on its way through parliament. The Leaseh....
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