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[AndrewDod]

I don't know the answer, but if true this would be an absolute outrage.

Some little kid buying their own home where granny left them a quarter of a house that is rented out pays 3% additional tax

Someone who buys 8 properties pays 1%

Pity us all

[AndrewDod]

Throw all these terms away. They are so mis-used. Work out how much taking into account selling costs, buying costs, stamp duty and so on (and various risks) how much you will be left with if you

a) Do strategy a and then withdraw to cash at 10 years
b) Do strategy b and then withdraw...

[AndrewDod]

1 - yes you can and will pay duplicate tax (assuming both types are due)
2- Yes
3- Yes
4-regard as effectively two items -- 50% with base value as per your probate value (need a formal assessment), other 50% with initial purchase value (whether by you or spouse. For the first half...

[AndrewDod]

At the absolute minimum reasonable continuous air changes per hour (say 0.35 air changes) and at humidity 70% and temperature 19C air contains roughly 16ml of water per cubic metre.

Outside air at temperature 10C and humidity 50% would contain about 3ml of water per cubic metre.
...

[AndrewDod]

So you are saying that no room in the property had any openable windows, and the kitchen and bathroom had no windows at all and no mechanical ventilation. So that the entire place could not be ventilated at all and was a hermetically sealed box ..... frankly I find that a little hard to imagine, and...

[AndrewDod]

I'm afraid that the simple scientific fact is that it is IMPOSSIBLE to have indoor humidity of over 70% in the UK inside a property that is adequately heated and ventilated. Even if there was a massive leak of water into the property with pools of standing water, the humidity would not be in the 70s...

[AndrewDod]

Of course there was an alternative. If she had to dry washing inside she would have purchased and used a dehumidifier, or bought a tumble drier. And of course that is human activity. It is not up to this (likely lousy) landlord to provide alternatives - see post #11.

It sounds like an...

[AndrewDod]

No I do fully appreciate that, which is why I first took pains to establish whether the plans referred to were relevant to the lease. Whatever they are called, they are of no relevance (and the lines on them are of no relevance) if not specifically referred to and explained.

Your plans...

[AndrewDod]

I'd not do this
at this point in time
or from overseas

Combination of letting agent and other expenses (as jpkeates alludes) and interest rates will likely mean that you will lose money compared to many other reasonable investments -- and that is before you even start to factor...

[AndrewDod]

No, instruction of a managing agent is not "qualifying works" unless the advance agreement is for longer than a year (Long Term Agreement). Surveyor would be allowed to contribute if for the purpose of qualifying works, otherwise not. Likewise accountants I suppose.

Chocolate...

[AndrewDod]

Unfortunately (forgetting for the moment that the main purpose of S20 is to further monetise FHs, and to create a shield to make non-transparency even less amenable to addressing)

I don't think legal costs falls within the remit of S20

I would not be surprised if Directors...

[AndrewDod]

One step further worse.......

[AndrewDod]

Yes, but that is exactly the point. On what basis are you claiming the area below the steps and not also the area above them?

Stairs generally mean the stairwell as constructed, not the area above or below the steps. In the other example I gave of a stairWELL cutting into headspace in a...

[AndrewDod]

Using your line of logic, if I understand the plans, you would be saying that not only the area under the stairs, but also the stairs themselves (i.e. above the steps in the communal parts) would be in your demise -- because the map does not specify a vertical extent (other than "ground floor&...

[AndrewDod]

OK, I am partially convinced. But stairs are always going to be a conduit feature which exist at several levels. It is hard to define the communal demise as just the area above the physical steps and not the area below them in that space -- and even more difficult to draw that.

By way...

[AndrewDod]

And says what exactly?...

[AndrewDod]

Does your lease actually refer directly to the title plan and the red line at all???

Section 60 of of the Land Registration Act 2002 makes it clear (unless above) that the plan is otherwise simply "for the purposes of the register". You have not quoted anything relevant within...

[AndrewDod]

And the fire issue raised already is highly relevant. Most likely nobody can access this space...

[AndrewDod]

Why does it have to be demised to any flat????

From HMLR: "You cannot treat the red edging on a title plan as identifying the exact position of a legal boundary or showing who owns a boundary feature."

Breaking through a wall to access a feature is a big deal, far...

[AndrewDod]

You may be overestimating the importance of red lines. The actual words of the lease and the actual walls (whether brick or plaster) are far more important. The red lines (as with property boundaries at HMLR) are only of partial relevance....