The summer is a welcome break for higher education students across Scotland. But, as coursework and exams are temporarily put to the back of minds, a potential reform is looming that could have major implications on the student living experience in Scotland. This relates to the outcome of a much-anticipated review into its purpose-built student accommodation sector (PBSA) – first initiated in 2021 by the Scottish Government ...
The UK is facing a veritable housing crunch. The gap between residential supply and demand continues to widen, and the current high interest rate environment is only serving to compound the issue – posing real challenges when it comes to funding and bringing much needed new schemes forward. One part of the residential market that is really feeling the strain of these supply constraints is the senior living sector ...
Since receiving Royal Assent on 28 April 2022, the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) has continued to lumber along - coming into effect in phases and throwing up legal complications as it goes. The government has therefore been required to create secondary legislation – regulations - to seek to clarify and untangle various provisions in the BSA. The Act is reliant on regulations to provide the detail of many of its provisions ...
Activity levels in the residential development market remain lower than developers, lenders and other real estate professionals have become accustomed to over the last 15 years. With 14 base rate rises implemented by the Bank of England (BoE) in the last 18 months - now at 5.25% - the UK is currently subject to the highest base interest rate since 2008 ...
While the next general election isn’t due until January 2025, or earlier, housing is shaping up to be a key battleground for both parties. It could arguably even decide the election. There seems to be clear blue water developing between the two main parties on this issue ...
The Planning (Agent of Change) Bill was a private member’s bill introduced in Westminster in 2018 by former government minister John Spellar to ‘require specified planning controls in relation to developments likely to be affected by existing noise sources’ ...
The Renters (Reform) Bill was given its first reading in May 2023 after five years of consultation and refinement. The Bill seeks to provide greater flexibility and security for residential tenants in England by imposing additional restrictions and obligations on private landlords. The reforms also look to improve the leasehold system through increased regulation, digitisation and standardisation. A noticeable omission from the Bill, however, is an exemption for private lettings to students ...
Chile’s Ministry of Public Works (MOP) announced 11 new projects that will be constructed throughout the country. This announcement is the first call for public works tenders since the beginning of President Boric’s term in office. The portfolio of concessions planned for 2023 calls for investments totaling USD 5.8 billion. Concessions included in the portfolio: New Route 5 in the Santiago-Los Vilos section - USD 1 ...
On July 26, 2023, SERNAC published a new interpretative circular that refers to the protection of the real estate consumer in the sale of real estate and its preparatory acts. Although this circular establishes mandatory guidelines for SERNAC officials, it also constitutes a guide to be taken into consideration by real estate providers when complying with their legal obligations ...
The government has published its long-awaited response to the consultation on implementing the new building control regime for higher-risk buildings (HRBs) and wider changes to the building regulations for all buildings. The provisions will be implemented through secondary legislation (The Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England) Regulations 2023 and The Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023)) that will come into force on 1 October 2023 ...
August 21, 2023 By: Akana K. Ma On August 14, 2023, pursuant to a Presidential executive order issued several days earlier, the U.S. Department of the Treasury released an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (the Proposed Rulemaking) announcing a ban on investment by U.S. persons, including U.S.-registered business entities, in three advanced technology sectors in China – quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and semiconductors ...
An interesting point has arisen in an unopposed lease renewal case that considered whether a landlord’s break option should be included in a new lease, to allow the landlord to occupy the premises for the purposes of its own business. BMW sought renewal leases of its showroom at 70 Park Lane, London, which was let under four separate tenancies ...
Legal Property Due Diligence In a property transaction, whether that is buying, leasing, or financing, a legal property due diligence exercise may be required to assess the potential risk to a client before committing to the transaction. The potential for AI to be used to review and digest legal property DD documentation with speed and accuracy is clear ...
Anton Dzhuplin, Partner of ALRUD Corporate/M&A practice and Co-Head of Crisis Management, Economic sanctions and Compliance practice, was re-elected as Vice Chair for the Year In Review of the International M&A Joint Venture Committee of the American Bar Association International Law Section. Within the Committee, world leading experts specializing in M&A share best practices and update information in the international law, raising their professional expertise ...
Anton Dzhuplin, Partner of ALRUD Corporate / M&A practice, Co-Head of Crisis Management, Economic sanctions and Compliance practice, edited the “International M&A and Joint Ventures” part of the American Bar Association International Law Section annual publication “The Year In Review” ...
Following the announcement that visa fees are to be increased, the government has announced a hike in civil penalty fines for employers and landlords who employ or let properties to foreign nationals who do not have the right to work or reside in the UK. The planned increases come as part of government announcements on policy to reduce the number of people living and working in the UK without a legal immigration status ...
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Property owners in the UK are already feeling the pinch, with a slowdown in activity coupled with economic factors, including high inflation and interest rates - causing a further tightening in the lending market. The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulatory regime is another cause for searching behind the sofa cushions for coppers in order to upgrade, update and 'green' existing assets ...
The Virginia General Assembly made significant amendments to general rules for construction contracts, as well as the specific rules for public entity construction contracts in the Prompt Payment Act, that largely remove the option of “pay when paid” contracts between general contractors and subcontractors. Beginning in 2022, Virginia Code section 11-4 ...
The Regulations implement most of the recommendations made to the government in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report which require a change in the Law and impact those responsible for buildings with at least two residential units and common parts ...
On July 9, 2023, the State Council of the People's Republic of China[1] promulgated the Regulations on Supervision and Administration of Private Investment Funds ("Regulations"), which will take effect from September 1st, 2023 ...
Today's judgment from the European Court of Justice ("ECJ") in the case Commission v CK Telecoms (C-376/20 P) provides insight into how the EU merger control provisions should be assessed in consolidated markets, such as telecommunications. Understanding the judgment may be relevant for consolidation plans in many industries with tendencies towards oligopoly ...
‘Flexibility becomes the norm as businesses look to build resilience in their real estate portfolio and workplace strategy.’ That is the key takeaway from Colliers’ recently released Global Occupier Outlook 2023 report, which found that two-thirds of corporate occupiers active in EMEA anticipate that up to 20% of their commercial real estate portfolio will move from traditional leases to flex leases within the next five years ...
Figures published in May by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) record a further decline in Trade Union membership in the UK. Comparable data is only available as far back as 1995, but shows a clear decline over that nearly 30-year period to a level where, as at 2022, the proportion of UK workers in a union has declined to 23.1% - the lowest figure recorded in that time period ...
Background FK Construction Limited (“FK”) was sub-contractor to ISG Retail Limited (“ISG”) for works involving roofing and cladding in relation to ISG’s Project Barberry. FK issued an application for payment of £1,691,679.94. ISG failed to issue a payment notice, submitting a pay less notice instead. The sum sought by FK was not paid, and FK referred the dispute to adjudication ...
