Practice areas | Property | Communities

The Property Section covers residential and commercial property law and practice, including landlord and tenant. We also cover other areas as they relate to property practice, from land registration to social housing, and from property taxation to lenders

Recent Residential Property

Help test new mobile app for property transactions

2020-09-25T13:40:00+01:00

Teal Legal, a lawtech research and development business, is seeking volunteer law firms to take part in a trial for its Home Owner’s Passport (HOP).

Industry pledge to support home movers

2020-09-25T08:52:00+01:00

The Law Society has worked with the property and conveyancing industry through the Home Buying and Selling Group (HBSG) to produce a pledge that can be provided to buyers and sellers in this unusual market.

All Residential Property

Recent Commercial Property

Turnover rents in the time of coronavirus

2020-09-17T14:50:00+01:00

Clare Harman Clark examines how uncertainty in the retail sector may be fuelling a comeback for turnover rents, and how parties can make the compromise of variable rents work.

PAS FAQ: Handling complex stamp duty land tax issues

2020-09-17T12:33:00+01:00

How should you advise on a complex SDLT matter if you’re not an expert on tax? Our Practice Advice Service explains when to recommend specialist help.

All Commercial Property

Recent Compliance, Regulation and Practice Management

Pick a side

2020-09-02T00:00:00+01:00

Lorraine Richardson provides a reminder of conflicts of interest in conveyancing, focusing on a key area where risk can arise: acting for both the buyer and seller in a transaction

Riding out the storm

2020-09-02T00:00:00+01:00

Steven Petty explains how his specialist commercial property firm has weathered the COVID-19 storm – and why the firm has continued to award bonuses and recruit new staff

All Practice Management

Recent Landlord and Tenant

Rights of entry – or to a quiet life?

2020-09-17T15:32:00+01:00

Edward Francis reviews a Court of Appeal case which re-examined the rules governing landlords’ rights of entry

Eviction notice period doubled

2020-09-10T09:23:00+01:00

The government has extended the notice period for tenants facing eviction from three months to six.

All Landlord and Tenant

Benefits of Membership*

The Property Section will provide you with support, advice, networking opportunities and enable the sharing of best practice with peers.

The engagement programmes have been created in consultation with the Section Committee and run from November to November each year.

Download our 2018-19 engagement programme

Download our 2019-20 engagement programme

The engagement programme is updated throughout the year and highlights our key areas of focus and the range of activities that will address these areas including: a conference, regional events, magazines, newletters and podcasts.

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Recent Planning and Environment

Let there be light

2020-09-02T00:00:00+01:00

As the government further loosens planning restrictions to aid economic recovery, David Manda provides a timely reminder on rights to light, and what developers can do to avoid costly litigation and potential changes to their developments

How’s it looking? Grounds for refusing planning consent

2020-07-13T13:03:00+01:00

Kate Andrews looks at the case of 89 Holland Park Management Ltd v Hicks [2020] EWCA Civ 758, where the Court of Appeal reviewed the grounds for reasonably refusing consent under a restrictive covenant.

All Planning and Environment

Recent Property Taxation

HMRC announces changes to capital gains tax

2020-03-17T14:01:00+00:00

From 6 April 2020, the deadlines for paying capital gains tax after selling a residential property in the UK are changing.

All Property Taxation

Recent Land Registration

A sign of things to come

2020-09-02T00:00:00+01:00

Mike Harlow looks at how HM Land Registry has responded to lockdown by accepting electronic signatures, and how conveyancing could change in the future to become an even more secure and wholly digital process

Government consults on data on land control

2020-08-19T18:28:00+01:00

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published a call for evidence on its proposals to improve the transparency of contractual mechanisms, such as land options

All Land Registration

Recent ID, AML, Fraud and Cybersecurity

Blockchain guidance for solicitors

2020-10-07T15:39:00+01:00

The Law Society has co-produced a report which sets out key issues for legal practitioners to be aware of when advising on distributed ledger technologies.

Cybersecurity advice from Law Society partners

2020-07-06T14:31:00+01:00

Some of our partners have produced advice on reducing the risk of cyberattacks for firms working from home, or starting to return to the office.

All ID, AML and Fraud

Recent Searches

HMRC withdraws VAT concession for property searches by post

2020-08-11T09:48:00+01:00

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced that the VAT ‘postal concession’ will be formally withdrawn on 1 December 2020.

VAT on searches - new guidance for conveyancers
2017-01-06T15:20:00+00:00
CON29DW searches updated
2016-07-21T10:15:00+01:00
CON 29 guidance notes published
2016-06-28T10:40:00+01:00

All Searches

Recent Property Litigation

How’s it looking? Grounds for refusing planning consent

2020-07-13T13:03:00+01:00

Court of Appeal overlooks the case of Fearn & Others
2020-03-23T09:31:00+00:00
Licence to drain: Supreme Court grants relief from forfeiture to licensee
2019-11-21T16:58:00+00:00
The best intentions
2019-03-12T11:05:00+00:00

All Property Litigation

Recent International / Cross-border

How to prepare for the end of the Brexit transition period

2020-08-21T12:50:00+01:00

The UK-EU transition period will end on 31 December 2020. Find out what you can do now to prepare.

Brexit: committee member views
2016-09-07T00:00:00+01:00
Brexit strategy
2016-09-07T00:00:00+01:00
A problem shared
2016-09-07T00:00:00+01:00

All International / Cross-border

Recent Specialist Property

The drinks business

2020-09-02T00:00:00+01:00

Niall McCann and Richard Williams look at what property solicitors need to know when acting on transactions involving licensed premises where the tenant or owner is insolvent

Clear water
2020-03-10T00:00:00+00:00
Hit list
2018-09-05T00:00:00+01:00
Non-resident landlords: don't overlook capital allowances
2018-08-16T08:17:00+01:00

All Specialist Property

Recent Mortgages, Lenders and Government Schemes

UK Finance to move the Mortgage Lenders' Handbook to a new webpage

2020-07-13T09:12:00+01:00

UK Finance will be moving the Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook to a new webpage on 29 July 2020.

All Mortgages, Lenders and Schemes

Recent Construction and Development

At your service

2020-09-02T00:00:00+01:00

In the third in his series on what property solicitors need to know about different phases of the development process, Gavin Le Chat looks at drainage and the supply of services

Building Safety Bill – share your views
2020-08-24T09:04:00+01:00
Construction VAT reverse charge delayed to March 2021
2020-06-15T08:55:00+01:00
What’s new?
2020-06-09T00:00:00+01:00

All Construction and Development

The Property Section covers residential and commercial property law and practice, including landlord and tenant. We also cover other areas as they relate to property practice, from land registration to social housing, and from property taxation to lenders

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