Policy
Chancellor cuts VAT on energy-efficient home improvements; commits to reducing Income Tax in 2024
Energy-efficient home improvements - such as solar panels, heat pumps and insulation - will face no VAT for the next five years.
Chancellor Sunak preps for Spring Statement
Rishi Sunak is due to present a "mini Budget" shortly after midday on 23rd March.
As Edinburgh clamps down on short-term lets, what are the options for property owners and landlords?
Under draft proposals, property owners in the Scottish capital will soon need planning permission to be able to operate short-term lettings - but the lack of clarity around the restrictions is making it…
‘This is the worst planning environment we’ve had to face in a generation’
A "toxic combination of factors" has created the "worst planning environment in a generation", says Aston Mead boss Adam Hesse, as local authority plans are delayed yet again...
Register of overseas property owners becomes law as Economic Crime Bill receives Royal Assent
Foreign owners of UK property have six months to comply with new registration documents, as the Economic Crime Bill completes its fast-track passage through parliament.
Landlords call for an end to the buy-to-let stamp duty surcharge
“Taxing landlords out of the market serves only to cut supply, increase rents and make homeownership more difficult to afford," says the National Residential Landlords Association.
Housing Secretary Gove reiterates call to house Ukrainian refugees in seized Russian mansions
"I want to explore an option which would allow us to use the homes and properties of sanctioned individuals – as long as they are sanctioned – for humanitarian and other purposes," said Michael Gove…
Economic Crime Bill fast-tracked through House of Commons today
The long-awaited Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill will be "expedited through all its Commons stages" today (7th March), four years after draft legislation was published.
Required Reading: Lifting the secrecy behind offshore companies
Julie Howard explains how the new rules around overseas entities will work in practice, and why the idea of hiding behind asset holding vehicles is becoming a thing of the past
Housing Secretary eyes seizure of UK property owned by sanctioned Russians
“Freezing assets is not enough”, says a DLUHC insider, as Michael Gove reportedly considers steps to seize Putin-linked homes in the UK without compensation.
Wales puts the squeeze on second home owners
Council tax bills to soar by up to 300% under new rules coming in next April
‘There will be nowhere to hide’: Government fast-tracks Economic Crime Bill & register of overseas property owners
"Time is up for Putin's cronies hiding dirty money in the UK and this new legislation will help to crack down on economic crime, including removing key barriers to using Unexplained Wealth Orders," says…