Government almost raised buy-to-let stamp duty surcharge to 4%
The Office for Budget Responsibility’s economic and fiscal outlook document, published after Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s speech, incorrectly states that the levy has risen to 4%.
Mortgages & Finance
Trade body: Scotland needs to split Airbnbs into ‘amateur’ and ‘commercial’
The association responded to Scottish housing minister Shona Robison’s revisions to the upcoming licensing scheme, which will mean Airbnb hosts won’t be denied a licence for having other short-term lets nearby, unless they are in a ‘control zone’ area.
£11.5bn affordable homes pledge sparks cynical reaction – Autumn Budget
This was originally announced by former housing minister Robert Jenrick in September last year.
Autumn Budget: Developers hit by 4% tax to remove cladding
The Residential Property Developer Tax (RPDT) will see developers with annual profits of over £25m being taxed at an additional rate of 4%.
National living wage hike ‘doesn’t touch the sides’ of housing affordability crisis
The change means the minimum salary would move from £17,963 to £19,152 with standard 40 hour working weeks.
Autumn Budget wishlist: Green Energy, Evictions, Planning and Downsizing
We summarise some of the main hopes and demands from property experts.
Budget: Government to build 160,000 homes on brownfield sites
£300m of grant funding will be handed to metro mayors and councils to unlock smaller brownfield sites for housing.
Detached homes at near-peak popularity
36% of new homes registered to be built were detached in Q3
Exempt housing for the vulnerable ‘dangerously under-regulated’
Nearly 154,000 UK households live in this housing type, 62% more than five years ago.
Government to explore use of hydrogen heating systems
In theory hydrogen gas could be used to replace natural gas in boilers, though there are technological barriers to surpass before that could happen.
