Policy
Westminster’s ‘voluntary mansion tax’ brings in over £600k
'The hundreds of thousands of pounds being allocated today shows that wealthy householders do care', says council, nearly a year after launching its 'ground-breaking' tax experiment
These maps show how tricky it is to measure inequality in local areas across England
In the UK, people often think about inequality in geographical terms: for example, places such as Kensington in London are considered 'rich', while Blackpool in Lancashire is considered 'poor'.
Taxing the profit made by selling a primary residence makes sense
"This will be hugely politically unpopular, until it becomes obvious that the housing market is entrenching intergenerational inequality and ossifying the economy"
The real problem with stamp duty
"The Anti-Stampers’ case is compelling, but the challenge is finding a replacement that people will not hate just as much", writes Nathan Brooker in this piece for the FT...
Camden looks to ban estate agency boards across the borough
Camden Council is running a consultation on extending Regulation 7 Directions to limit the 'unnecessary clutter' of estate agents' boards.
Queen signs off on Tenant Fees Bill
'Unfair' letting fees will be banned from 1st June 2019.
Carrington on Q4: Gauging the tipping point
Assuming a discount of about 20% against house prices at their peak, in 2014, the £2.
Government firms up plans to raise stamp duty for overseas buyers
UPDATED: Consultation launches on proposed new 1% surcharge for non-UK residents
Only half of Londoners are open to more homes being built in their local area
Perceptions need to change if housebuilding targets are to be met, warns London First
A Moral Contract: Could reservation agreements fix the buying process?
The principle of a pre-contract commitment is sound, says Trevor Abrahmsohn, but as always, the devil will be in the detail...
Stamp duty receipts slide by nearly £1bn
Last year's total of £8.55bn was a full £926m below the record £9.5bn collected in 2017, and marked the first decline in three years
Law Commission moots right-to-manage shake-up
New proposals to make it easier for leaseholders to take control of the day-to-day management of their buildings