Plain-English guides to buying, selling, renting and owning property in England: the contracts, the paperwork and the rights behind them.
Owning property comes with protections that are easy to miss until something goes wrong. These are the ones our readers ask about most.
Once your ownership is registered at HM Land Registry, the register is the proof of title, and the state pays compensation if it is wrong through no fault of yours.
Title registers and plans are public. Before exchange you can check who owns the land, which charges are secured on it and what covenants bind it.
Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, an adjoining owner who plans certain works to a shared wall or close to your foundations has to serve notice first.
If you own a flat on a lease, you can ask for a summary of the costs behind your service charge and apply to the First-tier Tribunal if a charge is unreasonable.
Many owners of long leases may claim a lease extension or join neighbours to buy the freehold, subject to qualifying rules.
Light received through a window without interruption for twenty years can become a legal right that later building work must respect.
If you are dealing with a death in the family, the legal language around wills and probate can feel overwhelming. The good news is that most of the key terms are straightforward once they are broken down into plain English, and understanding them early helps avoid delays, mistakes, and unnecessary stress.
This guide explains the […]
When a business lets you down—whether it’s a builder who walked off site, an estate agent who misrepresented a property, or a retailer refusing a refund—the most effective approach is almost always to tackle the problem in stages. Start by complaining directly to the business, keep a clear record of every exchange, and only escalate […]
Каждый раз, когда вы нанимаете специалиста — будь то строитель для ремонта, сантехник для устранения протечки, декоратор или даже агент по недвижимости для оценки — закон на вашей стороне. В Англии основная защита исходит из Consumer Rights Act 2015. Этот закон устанавливает чёткие стандарты для договоров между предпринимателем (trader) и потребителем на оказание услуг.
Для обычного человека […]
