Buy to let landlords – under attack?
This article was originally published in Wimbledon Time & Leisure in February 2016. Buy to let landlords – under attack? Around 40% of the housing stock in Merton is rented rather than owned, with around half of that being rented from private sector landlords. According to the 2011 census, these figures are largely representative […]
SDLT “Additional Residential Property” Consultation
Many readers will be aware of the changes that were announced in the 2015 Autumn Statement regarding higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) for purchasers of “additional properties”. In short, the purchase of any new buy-to-let properties or second homes from 1 April 2016 will attract an additional 3% SDLT charge on top the usual […]
Stamp Duty Land Tax – A new “additional property” rate from 1 April 2016
In the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement it was today announced that a surcharge of 3% would be introduced on all of the SDLT rates for buy-to-let properties and for second homes. The Chancellor believes that the new surcharge will raise £1 billion for the Treasury by 2021, but some commentators believe that the change will distort the […]
Give-it-Away’s Give-it-Away begins!
For a number of years Ashworths has supported Give-it-Away. Give-it-Away is not a charity in its own right, but is a company that develops and trades in property and gives ALL of its profits away to local charities. In recognition of the work that “the company” has done, its CEO Charlotte Grobien was awarded the […]
Stamp Duty Changes A Few Months On
The announcement by the chancellor at lunchtime on 3 December 2014 introducing changes to the stamp duty thresholds caused quite a stir in most property departments and estate agencies across England. A surreal panic set in since the reforms were to be implemented by midnight and they came without warning. People joke about property lawyers […]
New Year’s Honours – Charlotte and Jane
CONGRATULATIONS TO CHARLOTTE AND JANE For more than four years, Ashworths has been a very proud supporter of Give It Away, a development company that donates all of its profits to local charitable causes. We are only too happy to provide our specialist development legal services on a pro bono basis to Charlotte and her team. We […]
Starting up a new business and selecting the right premises
As the New Year starts, Nisha Saigal (page 101) has a look at some of the options available for businesses looking for new premises in this month’s edition of Wimbledon Time and Leisure magazine.
Multiple dwelling relief under the new SDLT regime
A number of our clients have asked us about how multiple dwelling relief operates under the new SDLT regime. For a number of years now, the purchaser of multiple dwellings has been able to potentially benefit from a reduced rate of Stamp Duty Land Tax. If someone was buying four flats in a building at […]
Top Tips for Dealing with Commercial Property
Last year saw a record number of new business start-ups with London, unsurprisingly, leading the way. Whilst a large number of those businesses will operate from people’s homes with nothing other than an online presence, the demand for commercial property – shops, offices, warehouses, pubs etc. – is now seeing a steady increase. If you […]
Britain’s popular streets fight ‘forests’ of estate agent boards
Councils are using special legal powers to ban the use of the signs in some of the country’s most popular areas. Homeowners in some of Britain’s most desirable areas will no longer have to suffer “forests” of estate agent boards “disfiguring” their streets as councils use special legal powers to ban the signs. Councils across […]