Reminder of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard deadline – 1 April 2020
From 1 April 2020, the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards will apply to all residential properties let on “relevant tenancies”
Law Society updates TA6 form
The Law Society has published an updated Property Information Form (TA6) and explanatory notes, with changes to four areas, including Japanese knotweed and flood risk
Government launches inquiry on Japanese knotweed and the built environment
The Science and Technology Committee intends to hold an oral evidence session in early 2019 to explore the science behind the effects of Japanese Knotweed on the built environment
New report reveals large leap in home renovations as market slows
A new report by insurers Hiscox lifts the lid on home improvement trends across the country, and reveals that a subdued property market has driven a five-fold rise in renovations in five years.
Features and opinion
Plan ahead
In the final article in his series on the property development process, Gavin Le Chat looks at the planning process
Unplanned events
The government’s new planning white paper proposes significant changes to a planning system already changed by the pandemic. Anna Russell-Knee provides a personal perspective on the current planning system and the proposals
Let there be light
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
The black list
Making unauthorised changes to listed buildings or scheduled monuments can carry significant penalties, Beth Harries explains. How should you advise clients looking to buy a property which might be affected?
Building blocks
Anna Russell-Knee provides a beginner’s guide to section 106 obligations, including their purpose, what to consider when one appears on a local search, and the potential effects of the pandemic on these obligations
Clear water
If you are acting for a buyer of a property on a water course, do you know the rights they might have, and the liabilities that might arise? Richard Bagwell outlines the principles
