Articles
-
Student’s Guide to Private Rented Accommodation
Introduction If you are about to enter the world of private rented accommodation for the first time there are several important decisions to be made; where to live, who to live with, how much to pay, and so on. Unfortunately most students stumble through the experience, learning as they go but suffering the consequences of…
Category: Student Accommodation -
Living in harmony
If you took a bit of time choosing who to share with you will have a much greater chance of having a happy household. The Ground Rules You may think that rules are the last thing you need after finally breaking free from the family home or the halls of residence but if you don’t…
Category: Student Accommodation -
Regulations
Rented residential property is covered by several regulations the most important of which are detailed below. The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 Only a competent and suitably qualified engineer who is CORGI (Council for Registered Gas Installers) registered is permitted to carry out work on gas appliances. The regulations also stipulate that all gas appliances and…
Category: Student Accommodation -
Who to share with
With a bit of luck you will have been living in the University’s halls of residence for a year before you have to make this decision. During that year you will have hopefully developed a network of friends that you can leverage to find the ideal group of people to share with. Even then it…
Category: Student Accommodation -
Deposits etc
The dilapidation deposit is not the same as a holding deposit although the holding deposit that you have already paid will normally go towards making up the dilapidation deposit. Since time immemorial Landlords and tenants have argued over dilapidation deposits. At the commencement of a tenancy the tenant pays the Landlord a sum of money,…
Category: Student Accommodation -
Tenancy Agreements
The Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) Agreement is the automatic or default form of tenancy for most residential lets. What defines this type of tenancy is the fact that the Landlord has a right to get their property back at the end of the tenancy. An AST will generally run for between six months’ and three…
Category: Student Accommodation -
Securing a property
A financial commitment will be required by a Landlord before a property can be reserved for you. This can take two forms: Holding Deposit A holding deposit is paid by a prospective tenant so that a property can be removed from the market while references are taken up. A holding deposit is generally non-refundable if you…
Category: Student Accommodation -
Selecting a property
It is essential that you view a good selection of properties before making a decision. Put a couple of days aside for the viewings and take notes so that you can compare and contrast later. Because it’s a fast moving market agent’s details tend to be fairly sparse on rental properties. Compensate for this by…
Category: Student Accommodation -
Starting your search
Your starting point should be the University’s Accommodation Office. The best of these will provide you with a list of local Landlords and Agents that they are happy to recommend. Unfortunately they are unlikely to have enough properties to satisfy the demand so you are probably going to have to go out and house hunt…
Category: Student Accommodation -
Deciding on a location
Students like to live alongside students. There is even a specific term for it now, studentification. This is the phenomenon where an area becomes so dominated by privately rented student accommodation that the price of property escalates beyond the reach of the locals. Side effects include the conversion of local shops to fast food joints…
Category: Student Accommodation -
Establishing your accommodation budget
The cost of private rented accommodation varies considerably between university towns. A survey by www.accommodationforstudents.com in March 2007 showed the average rent for student accommodation to be £60/ week although this encompasses large regional variations. London is the most expensive area for student to live at £102/week with the cheapest being Crewe at just £37/week.…
Category: Student Accommodation -
Types of accommodation available
Halls of Residence These are buildings owned by the university for the purpose of housing students. ‘Halls’ are in scarce supply and are therefore generally only available to first year students. Living in halls give students time to settle into their new environment and make friends before moving into privately rented accommodation in their second…
Category: Student Accommodation -
17 ways to tell you are Obsessed with Property
Category: Miscellaneous -
Using Property Websites to Plan the Perfect Burglary
Property websites are putting more information in the public domain then ever before and smart burglars are using this to their advantage. To demonstrate, I will put myself in the shoes of a technology savvy thief and take you through the process of planning a burglary using only online information. I am looking to achieve…
Category: Miscellaneous -
Damage Caused by Party Wall Works
The key sections of the Act in terms of damage caused by party wall works are 7(2) and 11(8); section 7(2) confirms that an owner is responsible for any loss or damage resulting from the works (which should not be a surprise) and section 11(8) goes on to state that, depending upon the type of…
Category: Party Wall Surveyors -
Access to Undertake Party Wall Works
Section 8 of the Party Wall Act confirms a right of access over a neighour’s land although it comes with 2 important qualifiers; the work being undertake must be ‘in pursuance of the Act’ and the access must be necessary. ‘In pursuance of the Act’ simply means that it must be one of the types…
Category: Party Wall Surveyors -
How to have a Party Wall Dispute
A dispute in the Party Wall sense of the word needn’t be much of a dispute at all; even if the Act says it is. Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, if an adjoining owner doesn’t consent within 14 days of receiving notice of the proposed works then the parties are deemed to be “in…
Category: Party Wall Surveyors -
Party Wall Notices
Often, the first time that an adjoining owner becomes aware of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is when a notice drops through their door. There are 3 types of notice that a building owner may have to serve upon an adjoining owner to make them aware that he or she intends to carry out…
Category: Party Wall Surveyors -
What is a Party Wall Agreement?
A Party Wall Agreement (technically called an “award“) is the document produced by the two party wall surveyors (or the “agreed surveyor”) which resolves the dispute that was triggered when the party wall notice was not consented to. It will usually consist of three parts: The award will normally be based upon a draft document,…
Category: Party Wall Surveyors -
Do I need a Party Wall Award?
The document that is produced by the two appointed party wall surveyors (or the single “agreed surveyor”) is known as a Party Wall Award (or Party Wall Agreement) but even if you are entitled to one do you really need one? Let’s take a look at who benefits from the Act. For the building owner…
Category: Party Wall Surveyors -
Are my Proposed Works Covered by The Party Wall Act?
We thought it would be useful to have a single article summarising all works which come within the scope of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 and therefore require a notice to be served. The focus of this article is alterations and extensions to residential properties. Notifiable works will fall in to one of three…
Category: Party Wall Surveyors -
What is a Party Wall?
In simple terms, a party wall divides the buildings of two owners with the boundary between ownerships usually, but not always, positioned at the centre of the wall. Section 20 of the The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 recognises two different types of party wall: Type A A wall that stands astride the boundary of…
Category: Party Wall Surveyors -
The Role of the Party Wall Surveyor
The term “surveyor” is defined in the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 as any person who is not a party to the works. That rules out the possibility of an owner acting for themselves but anyone else is permitted to take an appointment. That includes whoever is overseeing the works on the owner’s behalf, be…
Category: Party Wall Surveyors -
What are Property Searches
Most people know that when they buy a property the solicitor carries out “searches” on their behalf. What is not so well known is what searches are and what sort of thing may be found? There are three searches that are normally undertaken by the solicitor on your behalf: Local Authority Search The Local Authority…
Category: Solicitors -
Conveyancing Fees
As well as the legal costs involved in buying or selling a property there are the so-called “disbursements”. These are sums paid out by the solicitor to third parties and vary depending on whether you are buying or selling a property. These fees will remain constant from solicitor to solicitor and in most cases they…
Category: Solicitors -
Conveyancing Process (Selling)
The following is a general guide to the conveyancing procedure when you are selling a property. If you are in doubt about any specific issue you should consult your solicitor directly. Initial steps Legal Work prior to Contracting to Sell Your Mortgage Signing your Contract Exchange of Contracts Between Exchange and completion On Completion
Category: Solicitors -
Conveyancing Process (Buying)
The following is a general guide to the conveyancing procedure when buying a property. If you are in doubt about any specific issue you should consult your solicitor directly. Initial Stages Once you have told the solicitor that you wish to use their services you should receive a Letter of Engagement or Confirmation of Terms…
Category: Solicitors -
Guide to Choosing a Solicitor
The person carrying out the conveyancing work, be that a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer, is right at the heart of every residential property transaction so it is important that you pick the best person for the job. When we compiled the list of solicitors on this site we focused on long established local companies…
Category: Solicitors -
Changes to the Planning Regulations – Permitted Development
Homeowners planning to add space to their property will have less red tape to negotiate now that planning regulations covering extensions and loft conversions have been relaxed. The changes are expected to affect around 80,000 homeowners a year and came in to affect on 1st October. Since the property market picked up in 1995 the…
Category: Surveyors -
Re-negotiating after Survey
It is what all homebuyers fear. You have found the property that you want to buy only to get a survey report that reads more like a horror story. You have three options; pull out, proceed at the agreed price and accept the problems or try and renegotiate. The later option should always be tried…
Category: Surveyors -
5 Expensive Defects to Look For
When you view a property what are you looking for? The state of the décor shouldn’t concern you too much as even if it is well decorated you will probably change it within the first couple of years. What you should be looking for are serious or expensive defects that could cost thousands of pounds…
Category: Surveyors -
15 Potentially Serious Defects
Flat Roofs If the property has been extended it may well have a flat roof. The lifespan of a flat roof covering is much shorter than that of tiles or slates. You can often get a good view of the flat roof from the first floor windows. If it looks bare or is bulging up…
Category: Surveyors -
5 Most Common Post Survey Reports
Surveyors are often criticised for passing the buck and recommending further reports by one white van man or another. There are often good reasons for this; surveyors cannot be experts in all aspects of a building and in many cases specialist equipment is required to test the services. They are also fearful of being sued…
Category: Surveyors -
Choosing a Surveyor
If you decide to go for something more detailed than a mortgage valuation (and we recommend that you do) you will have two choices. You can pay the lender the additional fee to upgrade to the more expensive report or just pay for the valuation and go directly to a local firm of Chartered Surveyors,…
Category: Surveyors -
What Type of Survey Should I Have?
When buying a property you will need to decide which type of survey you will have done. If you intend to take out a mortgage the lender will insist on carrying out a mortgage valuation. Although your lender will pass on the cost of the valuation to you it is primarily for their benefit. It…
Category: Surveyors -
What is ground rent?
If you own a long lease on a property in England and Wales you will normally have to pay rent to the freeholder or landlord of the property; this is known as Ground Rent. The lease will normally specify how much rent you have to pay and when it has to be paid. Generally the rent will…
Category: Leasehold -
What is the difference between leasehold and Freehold?
When we talk about “owning” property in England and Wales we have to consider the two main types of interest in land that exist, which are freehold and leasehold. The freehold interest in land (sometimes referred to in legal terms as The Fee Simple Absolute in Possession) is the most complete interest that can be…
Category: Leasehold -
Collective Enfranchisement – Getting Started
It is becoming quite common for the leaseholders of blocks of flats to try to acquire the freehold interest in the building and in this article I will try to explain the basis of the legislation and the procedures that you need to follow to get started. The Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 gives the lessees…
Category: Surveyors -
Extending Your Lease – The Process
The Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 gives leaseholders the right to extend their leases. Under the Act, flat owners can require their freeholder to grant them a new lease with an additional term of 90 years at a peppercorn ground rent. If you have owned your property for two or more years,…
Category: Leasehold -
How Much Will It Cost To Extend My Lease?
This is usually one of the first questions that I’m asked when I receive an enquiry about lease extensions. I can understand that a lessee would want to know this when considering a lease extension but it’s not an easy question to answer over the telephone or even in an article such as this. I will…
Category: Leasehold -
Extending a Lease – getting started
The majority of the flats in England and Wales are held on “Long Leases“. Historically residential leases were usually 99 years, but many modern leases can be 125 years or more. Leases on ex-local authority flats are also normally granted for 125 years. A leasehold interest in a property is a diminishing asset; as the…
Category: Leasehold -
Should I buy a flat with a short lease?
Before answering this question I should probably define what we mean by a short lease. The majority of residential leases used to be for a term of 99 years, but more recently leases on modern purpose-built flats have been for 125 years or longer. Most leases on ex-local authority flats are also for 125 years. The value…
Category: Leasehold -
The Tenancy Agreement
Since 1998 The Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) Agreement has been the automatic or default form of tenancy for most residential tenancies. The most important aspect of this type of tenancy is that the Landlord has a right to get his property back at the end of the tenancy. Despite its name an AST does not…
Category: Surveyors -
10 Things That Every Student Ought To Know Before Renting
Lets be honest about this, landlords are the enemy. You need to protect yourself from the ones that will take your money and give you a bad time. Fortunately there are rules and regulations out there which will protect you. You biggest expenditure whilst you are a student is your rent, unless of course you…
Category: Student Accommodation