Policy
Empty Promise: Labour pledges crackdown on London’s ‘ghost homes’
Ed Miliband has been getting even more animated than normal over the capital's so-called 'ghost homes', accusing many boroughs of “shrugging their shoulders" by not imposing the Empty Homes Premium.
Do we really need the Mortgage Market Review?
The clumsy hand of government has to be very careful when it interferes in the dynamics of markets, says Trevor Abrahmsohn...
Letting redress schemes get compulsory
The Housing Minister Kris Hopkins has decreed that all letting and property management agents will be required to join an approved redress scheme later this year.
Lend or Foe: How will the MMR affect High Net Worth borrowers?
The mortgage market gets a new set of rules at the end of the month: expect some teething problems and stressful work for lenders and intermediaries, says Islay Robinson, but the Mortgage Market Review also…
Council Tax Band Rejig: The acceptable Mansion Tax alternative?
Trevor Abrahmsohn sees this juggernaut hurtling towards the abyss...
Change of Usefulness: Is the planning system finally about to speed up?
Will the latest batch of planning reforms kick-start conversions or leave developers still kicking their heels, asks Rachel Lee...
Cashier buyers only?
Required Reading: The HS2 Discretionary Compensation Package
Details of a new discretionary compensation package for property owners affected by the HS2 rail link between London and Birmingham were released by the government this week.
London’s skyline ‘trashed’ by wave of resi towers – Rees
The London skyline is being "trashed" by the wave of residential towers currently shooting up in between Vauxhall and Whitechapel, according to former City planning chief Peter Rees (the chap who incidentally…
New Plans for Old: Renovation job for listed building system
The system for listed building consents is getting an overhaul, with the aim of creating a 'more effective and efficient' process with less bureaucracy and generally lower costs.
Mansion Tax: A billion pound levy on London – Zoopla
It's been a few hours at least since the last mansion tax furore, and we're fairly sure that most in the prime property industry are now on the same page - or least the same chapter.
Wrong Side of the Tax: How SDLT reshaped London’s prime property market
Believe it or not, it's been two whole years since the stamp duty levied on properties over £2m was ramped up to the eye-watering 7% mark.
Foreign investment quota plans rejected in House of Lords
A controversial proposal to introduce a limit on overseas property sales was unceremoniously shot down in the House of Lords last week.
Lord Bradshaw