Overview

Your

employees

may

be

eligible

for

Statutory

Sick

Pay

SSP

which

is

a

week

for

up

to

weeks

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

You

can

offer

more

if

you

have

a

company

sick

pay

scheme

you

can

not

offer

less

Company

schemes

are

also

called

contractual

or

occupational

sick

pay

and

must

be

included

in

an

employment

contract

There

’s

a

separate

guide

to

Statutory

Sick

Pay

if

you

’re

an

employee

If

your

employee

is

off

work

because

of

coronavirus

You

must

pay

an

employee

SSP

if

they

’re

self

isolating

and

off

work

for

at

least

days

and

any

of

the

following

apply

they

or

someone

they

live

with

has

symptoms

or

has

tested

positive

for

they

’ve

been

notified

by

the

NHS

or

public

health

authorities

that

they

’ve

been

in

contact

with

someone

with

someone

in

their

support

bubble

or

your

extended

household

if

you

live

in

Scotland

or

Wales

has

symptoms

or

has

tested

positive

for

they

’ve

been

advised

by

a

doctor

or

healthcare

professional

to

self

isolate

before

going

into

hospital

for

surgery

You

must

pay

your

employee

from

the

first

qualifying

day

they

’re

off

work

The

date

will

depend

on

why

they

’re

off

work

You

must

pay

them

on

or

after

one

of

the

following

dates

March

if

they

or

someone

they

live

with

has

symptoms

or

has

tested

positive

for

May

if

your

employee

has

been

notified

by

the

NHS

or

public

health

authorities

that

they

’ve

come

into

contact

with

someone

with

July

if

someone

in

their

support

bubble

or

extended

household

in

Scotland

or

Wales

has

symptoms

or

has

tested

positive

for

August

if

your

employee

has

been

advised

by

a

doctor

or

healthcare

professional

to

self

isolate

before

going

into

hospital

for

surgery

A

qualifying

day

is

a

day

an

employee

usually

works

on

Reclaiming

SSP

You

can

reclaim

up

to

weeks

SSP

if

all

of

the

following

apply

your

employee

was

off

work

because

they

had

or

were

self

isolating

your

employee

was

off

work

because

they

were

shielding

before

April

in

Scotland

before

April

in

Northern

Ireland

and

before

April

in

England

and

Wales

your

PAYE

payroll

scheme

started

on

or

before

February

you

had

fewer

than

employees

on

February

You

can

reclaim

up

to

a

week

for

each

employee

You

can

not

reclaim

SSP

if

your

employee

is

off

sick

for

any

other

reason

Find

out

what

other

support

you

can

get

if

your

business

is

affected

by

Holiday

or

annual

leave

Statutory

annual

leave

is

accrued

while

the

employee

is

off

work

sick

no

matter

how

long

they

’re

off

and

can

be

taken

during

sick

leave

Entitlement

The

weekly

rate

for

Statutory

Sick

Pay

SSP

is

for

up

to

weeks

It

is

paid

for

the

days

an

employee

normally

works

called

qualifying

days

in

the

same

way

as

wages

for

example

on

the

normal

payday

deducting

tax

and

National

insurance

Use

the

SSP

calculator

to

work

out

the

actual

amount

for

example

for

a

daily

rate

Some

employment

types

like

agency

workers

directors

and

educational

workers

have

different

rules

for

entitlement

You

may

still

have

to

pay

SSP

even

if

you

stop

trading

You

can

not

force

your

employees

to

take

annual

leave

when

they

’re

eligible

for

sick

leave

When

to

start

paying

SSP

SSP

is

paid

when

the

employee

is

sick

for

at

least

days

in

a

row

including

non

working

days

You

can

not

count

a

day

as

a

sick

day

if

an

employee

has

worked

for

a

minute

or

more

before

they

go

home

sick

If

an

employee

works

a

shift

that

ends

the

day

after

it

started

and

becomes

sick

during

the

shift

or

after

it

has

finished

the

second

day

will

count

as

a

sick

day

If

your

employee

is

off

sick

or

self

isolating

because

of

coronavirus

or

has

tested

positive

for

From

March

you

start

paying

SSP

from

the

first

qualifying

day

an

employee

is

off

work

as

long

as

they

are

off

for

at

least

days

in

a

row

This

includes

non

working

days

If

an

employee

was

off

sick

with

symptoms

before

March

you

start

paying

SSP

from

the

fourth

qualifying

day

If

an

employee

was

self

isolating

before

March

because

someone

they

live

with

had

symptoms

you

start

paying

SSP

from

March

If

an

employee

is

self

isolating

because

they

’ve

been

notified

by

the

NHS

or

public

health

authorities

that

they

’ve

come

into

contact

with

someone

with

you

start

paying

SSP

from

May

If

an

employee

was

self

isolating

before

July

because

someone

in

their

support

bubble

or

extended

household

in

Scotland

or

Wales

but

not

their

own

household

had

symptoms

or

tested

positive

for

you

start

paying

SSP

from

July

If

an

employee

is

self

isolating

because

they

’ve

been

advised

to

do

so

by

a

doctor

or

healthcare

professional

before

going

into

hospital

for

surgery

you

start

paying

SSP

from

August

When

to

stop

paying

SSP

SSP

stops

when

the

employee

comes

back

to

work

or

no

longer

qualifies

Record

keeping

You

’ll

need

to

keep

records

of

SSP

you

’ve

paid

to

an

employee

who

was

off

work

because

of

if

you

want

to

reclaim

it

You

’ll

need

to

keep

the

following

records

for

years

after

the

end

of

the

tax

year

you

paid

SSP

the

dates

the

employee

was

off

sick

which

of

those

dates

were

qualifying

days

the

reason

they

said

they

were

off

work

the

employee

’s

National

Insurance

number

You

do

not

need

to

keep

records

of

SSP

paid

to

employees

who

are

off

sick

for

another

reason

You

can

choose

how

you

keep

records

of

your

employees

sickness

absence

HMRC

may

need

to

see

these

records

if

there

’s

a

dispute

over

payment

of

SSP

Eligibility

and

form

To

qualify

for

Statutory

Sick

Pay

SSP

employees

must

have

an

employment

contract

have

done

some

work

under

their

contract

have

been

sick

for

or

more

days

in

a

row

including

non

working

days

known

as

a

period

of

incapacity

for

work

earn

an

average

of

at

least

per

week

give

you

the

correct

notice

give

you

proof

of

their

illness

only

after

days

off

Employees

who

have

been

paid

less

than

weeks

of

earnings

still

qualify

for

SSP

Use

the

sick

pay

calculator

to

work

out

how

much

to

pay

them

An

employee

’s

period

of

incapacity

for

work

is

not

interrupted

if

they

take

annual

leave

during

that

time

Employees

can

qualify

for

sick

pay

from

more

than

one

job

They

could

also

qualify

in

one

job

but

be

fit

for

work

in

another

for

example

if

one

job

is

physical

work

that

they

can

not

do

while

ill

but

the

other

is

office

based

Coronavirus

eligibility

Your

employees

qualify

for

SSP

if

they

meet

the

criteria

and

can

not

work

if

any

of

the

following

apply

were

self

isolating

on

or

after

March

because

they

or

someone

they

live

with

had

or

symptoms

of

started

self

isolating

on

or

after

May

because

they

were

notified

by

the

NHS

or

public

health

authorities

that

they

’ve

come

into

contact

with

someone

with

were

self

isolating

on

or

after

July

because

someone

in

their

support

bubble

or

extended

household

in

Scotland

or

Wales

but

not

their

own

household

had

symptoms

or

tested

positive

for

have

tested

positive

for

since

August

were

self

isolating

on

or

after

August

because

they

had

been

advised

to

do

so

by

a

doctor

or

healthcare

professional

before

going

into

hospital

for

surgery

Employees

will

not

qualify

for

SSP

if

they

are

self

isolating

after

entering

or

returning

to

the

UK

and

do

not

need

to

self

isolate

for

any

other

reason

Exceptions

Employees

do

not

qualify

for

SSP

if

they

have

received

the

maximum

amount

of

SSP

weeks

are

getting

Statutory

Maternity

Pay

or

Maternity

Allowance

there

are

special

rules

for

pregnant

women

and

new

mothers

who

do

not

get

these

payments

are

off

work

for

a

pregnancy

related

illness

in

the

weeks

before

the

week

Sunday

to

Saturday

that

their

baby

is

due

were

in

custody

or

on

strike

on

the

first

day

of

sickness

including

any

linked

periods

are

working

outside

the

EU

and

you

’re

not

liable

for

their

National

Insurance

contributions

received

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

within

weeks

of

starting

or

returning

to

work

for

you

Use

the

SSP

calculator

to

check

eligibility

Linked

periods

of

sickness

If

your

employee

has

regular

periods

of

sickness

they

may

count

as

linked

To

be

linked

the

periods

must

last

or

more

days

each

be

weeks

or

less

apart

Your

employee

is

no

longer

eligible

for

SSP

if

they

have

a

continuous

series

of

linked

periods

that

lasts

more

than

years

If

an

employee

is

not

eligible

or

their

SSP

ends

Employees

may

be

able

to

apply

for

Universal

Credit

or

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

ESA

They

use

form

to

support

their

application

If

your

employee

’s

SSP

is

ending

you

must

send

them

form

either

within

days

of

their

SSP

ending

if

it

ends

unexpectedly

while

they

’re

still

sick

on

or

before

the

beginning

of

the

week

if

their

SSP

is

expected

to

end

before

their

sickness

does

If

your

employee

does

not

qualify

for

SSP

you

must

send

them

form

within

days

of

them

going

off

sick

If

your

employee

thinks

this

is

unfair

they

can

appeal

to

HMRC

the

form

tells

them

how

to

do

this

Long

term

illness

You

can

complete

form

before

the

end

of

SSP

if

you

know

an

employee

will

be

off

sick

for

more

than

weeks

This

means

they

can

apply

for

ESA

before

their

SSP

comes

to

an

end

Notice

and

fit

notes

Notice

The

employee

should

tell

you

they

’re

sick

within

the

time

limit

set

by

you

or

days

if

you

do

not

have

one

You

can

not

insist

they

tell

you

in

person

or

on

a

special

form

ask

them

for

proof

of

their

sickness

until

they

have

been

off

for

days

including

non

working

days

You

do

not

have

to

pay

Statutory

Sick

Pay

SSP

for

any

days

the

employee

was

late

in

telling

you

unless

there

’s

a

good

reason

for

the

delay

If

an

employee

was

shielding

because

of

coronavirus

Shielding

has

stopped

in

the

UK

An

employee

can

no

longer

apply

for

a

new

shielding

note

or

a

replacement

shielding

note

Fit

notes

and

asking

for

proof

After

days

off

sick

including

non

working

days

you

can

ask

the

employee

for

proof

of

their

sickness

This

could

be

an

isolation

note

from

NHS

if

they

are

self

isolating

and

can

not

work

because

of

the

notification

from

the

NHS

or

public

health

authorities

if

they

are

self

isolating

because

they

’ve

come

into

contact

with

someone

with

a

letter

or

shielding

note

that

they

got

from

their

doctor

or

health

authority

or

the

government

advising

them

to

shield

a

letter

from

their

doctor

or

healthcare

professional

confirming

the

date

of

their

procedure

if

they

’ve

been

advised

to

self

isolate

before

going

into

hospital

for

surgery

a

fit

note

from

their

doctor

or

a

hospital

sometimes

called

a

sick

note

if

they

have

any

other

illness

If

you

agree

they

can

give

you

a

report

from

a

physiotherapist

podiatrist

or

occupational

therapist

called

an

Allied

Health

Professional

AHP

Health

and

Work

report

You

can

not

withhold

SSP

if

the

employee

is

late

sending

you

a

fit

note

or

isolation

note

If

your

employee

is

off

sick

frequently

or

for

a

long

time

HMRC

has

information

about

getting

medical

advice

Help

with

sick

pay

Reclaiming

Statutory

Sick

Pay

You

may

be

able

to

reclaim

Statutory

Sick

Pay

SSP

if

your

employee

is

off

work

because

of

coronavirus

If

you

’re

insolvent

HMRC

will

pay

SSP

for

any

employee

who

continues

to

work

for

you

if

they

were

sick

when

you

became

insolvent

Tell

your

employee

to

contact

the

Statutory

Payment

Disputes

Team

If

their

sickness

continues

and

you

terminate

their

contract

give

them

a

completed

form

so

they

can

claim

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

instead


Overview

Employers

might

monitor

workers

This

could

be

done

in

various

ways

like

CCTV

drug

testing

bag

searches

checking

a

worker

’s

emails

or

the

websites

they

look

at

Data

protection

law

covers

any

monitoring

that

involves

taking

data

images

or

drug

testing

If

workers

are

unhappy

about

being

monitored

they

can

check

their

staff

handbook

or

contract

to

see

if

the

employer

is

allowed

to

do

this

If

they

’re

not

the

worker

might

be

able

to

resign

and

claim

unfair

constructive

dismissal

But

this

is

a

last

resort

they

should

try

to

sort

the

problem

out

first

read

the

advice

to

help

solve

a

workplace

dispute

Searches

Employers

should

have

a

written

policy

on

searching

Searches

should

respect

privacy

be

done

by

a

member

of

the

same

sex

be

done

with

a

witness

present

If

a

search

or

drug

test

is

badly

handled

workers

might

have

a

claim

for

discrimination

assault

or

false

imprisonment

For

advice

about

work

issues

talk

to

Acas

the

Advisory

Conciliation

and

Arbitration

Service

Citizens

Advice

or

your

trade

union

representative

Drug

testing

Employers

have

to

have

consent

if

they

want

to

test

for

drugs

Usually

this

is

when

they

have

a

full

contractual

health

and

safety

policy

which

should

be

in

the

contract

or

staff

handbook

Employers

should

limit

testing

to

employees

that

need

to

be

tested

ensure

the

tests

are

random

not

single

out

particular

employees

for

testing

unless

this

is

justified

by

the

nature

of

their

jobs

Workers

ca

n’t

be

made

to

take

a

drugs

test

but

if

they

refuse

when

the

employer

has

good

grounds

for

testing

they

may

face

disciplinary

action

Email

CCTV

and

other

monitoring

Employers

must

explain

the

amount

of

monitoring

clearly

in

the

staff

handbook

or

contract

They

should

tell

workers

if

they

’re

being

monitored

what

counts

as

a

reasonable

number

of

personal

emails

and

phone

calls

if

personal

emails

and

calls

are

not

allowed

Examples

of

monitoring

could

include

looking

at

which

websites

workers

have

visited

CCTV

in

the

building

checking

workers

bags

as

they

leave

Employers

are

not

allowed

to

monitor

workers

everywhere

not

in

the

toilet

for

example

If

they

do

n’t

respect

this

they

could

be

in

breach

of

the

Data

Protection

Act

Read

the

advice

on

workplace

disputes

or

talk

to

Acas

the

Advisory

Conciliation

and

Arbitration

Service

Citizens

Advice

for

more

advice

Workers

can

also

contact

their

trade

union

representative


Overview

If

you

recognise

a

union

in

your

workplace

there

are

certain

rules

you

need

to

follow

You

must

give

the

union

information

in

advance

to

help

with

collective

bargaining

inform

and

consult

the

union

about

major

changes

in

the

workplace

follow

proper

procedures

if

you

’re

taking

union

subscriptions

straight

from

your

employees

pay

the

check

off

let

union

reps

and

members

have

time

off

for

union

activities

not

discriminate

against

a

worker

because

they

’re

in

the

union

Collective

bargaining

You

’ll

need

to

work

with

unions

to

discuss

changes

to

your

employees

terms

and

conditions

This

is

called

collective

bargaining

Collective

bargaining

covers

the

terms

and

conditions

of

workers

in

a

defined

bargaining

unit

This

can

include

all

employees

in

a

workplace

or

just

certain

groups

of

workers

eg

technicians

It

’s

up

to

you

and

the

union

to

agree

which

terms

and

conditions

are

covered

but

it

’s

usually

things

like

pay

holiday

working

hours

etc

Running

collective

bargaining

Employers

and

unions

need

to

work

out

how

to

run

collective

bargaining

eg

who

’ll

represent

the

workers

who

’s

included

in

a

bargaining

unit

when

and

how

often

meetings

will

happen

what

to

do

if

more

than

one

union

is

recognised

what

will

be

discussed

what

to

do

if

the

union

and

employer

can

not

come

to

an

agreement

Information

to

help

with

collective

bargaining

Employers

must

give

certain

information

to

the

union

to

help

it

with

the

bargaining

process

eg

the

company

’s

pay

and

benefits

structure

or

information

about

its

profits

assets

and

liabilities

Collective

agreements

If

collective

bargaining

leads

to

an

agreement

for

example

about

a

pay

increase

or

change

in

working

conditions

it

’s

called

a

collective

agreement

Informing

and

consulting

with

unions

Employers

must

inform

and

consult

with

a

recognised

trade

union

about

collective

redundancies

transfers

of

business

ownership

certain

changes

to

pension

schemes

health

and

safety

If

you

fail

to

consult

the

union

about

any

of

these

you

’ll

be

breaking

the

law

and

could

be

fined

the

amount

depends

on

the

situation

There

’s

more

information

on

the

pension

scheme

changes

you

have

to

consult

about

in

the

guidance

below

You

can

also

make

voluntary

agreements

with

unions

to

regularly

inform

and

consult

them

about

other

business

and

workplace

issues

Acas

has

detailed

guidance

about

informing

and

consulting

employees

Union

subscriptions

Some

trade

union

members

pay

their

union

subscriptions

directly

out

of

their

wages

The

employer

then

gives

these

payments

to

the

union

This

is

often

called

the

check

off

It

’s

up

to

you

if

you

want

to

run

the

check

off

A

union

can

not

force

you

to

run

the

check

off

unless

you

’ve

agreed

to

it

in

your

workers

employment

contracts

Authorising

the

check

off

A

worker

must

give

you

written

permission

to

take

their

union

subscriptions

from

their

wages

This

must

be

signed

and

dated

Their

permission

starts

from

this

date

and

continues

until

they

say

otherwise

If

you

take

the

check

off

without

proper

permission

you

could

be

taken

to

an

employment

tribunal

You

can

pre

print

consent

forms

as

long

as

the

worker

signs

and

dates

the

form

themselves

Unions

are

also

allowed

to

get

the

written

consent

from

the

worker

then

forward

it

to

you

Stopping

the

check

off

You

must

stop

taking

check

off

payments

if

your

employee

asks

you

to

They

must

give

you

written

notice

to

stop

the

check

off

and

you

must

be

given

reasonable

time

to

stop

it

You

can

stop

running

the

check

off

at

any

time

If

it

’s

in

your

workers

employment

contracts

you

may

have

to

give

them

notice

The

role

of

the

union

in

the

check

off

The

union

does

not

have

to

help

run

the

check

off

However

you

can

involve

it

if

you

want

to

You

could

for

example

ask

the

union

to

help

you

get

initial

consent

from

its

members

You

could

also

charge

the

union

for

the

work

involved

in

administering

the

check

off

Even

if

you

involve

the

union

in

the

check

off

it

’s

still

your

responsibility

to

make

sure

you

make

check

off

deductions

properly

Rights

of

employees

in

trade

unions

If

you

recognise

a

union

it

will

normally

name

one

or

more

of

your

workers

as

its

local

workplace

representatives

reps

Union

reps

have

certain

rights

They

’re

allowed

reasonable

time

off

work

with

pay

for

union

duties

and

training

at

appropriate

times

without

pay

to

take

part

in

union

activities

eg

the

union

’s

annual

conference

trade

union

members

are

entitled

to

this

as

well

Reasonable

time

off

does

not

have

to

be

taken

as

annual

leave

Block

lists

You

can

not

discriminate

against

anyone

because

they

’re

in

the

union

or

because

of

their

union

activity

With

rare

exceptions

it

’s

also

illegal

to

compile

use

sell

or

supply

a

block

list

of

union

members

that

will

be

used

to

discriminate

against

them


Overview

You

usually

need

to

register

or

licence

your

boat

if

you

want

to

keep

or

use

it

on

inland

waterways

such

as

rivers

and

canals

Contact

the

navigation

authority

of

the

waterway

you

want

to

use

to

find

out

A

boat

is

any

vessel

with

or

without

a

motor

for

example

a

sailing

boat

river

boat

canal

boat

or

houseboat

any

open

boat

such

as

canoe

paddle

board

rowing

boat

or

dinghy

To

get

a

boat

registration

you

may

need

insurance

a

Boat

Safety

Scheme

BSS

certificate

You

must

renew

each

year

for

the

waterway

you

want

to

keep

or

use

your

boat

on

You

can

buy

a

visitor

registration

or

licence

for

shorter

periods

Carry

more

than

passengers

You

must

have

a

passenger

carrying

certificate

issued

by

the

Maritime

and

Coastguard

Agency

if

you

want

to

carry

more

than

passengers

Commercial

use

You

must

apply

for

a

boatmaster

’s

licence

if

you

want

to

use

your

boat

commercially

Use

at

sea

You

can

register

your

boat

with

the

UK

Ship

Register

for

use

at

sea

Who

to

contact

Register

or

license

your

boat

with

the

navigation

authority

responsible

for

the

waterway

you

want

to

use

Most

canals

and

some

rivers

like

the

Severn

Trent

and

Ouse

Register

with

the

Canal

River

Trust

Norfolk

and

Suffolk

Broads

and

adjacent

waters

Register

with

the

Broads

Authority

River

Thames

River

Medway

and

the

rivers

of

East

Anglia

Download

the

application

form

for

the

waterway

you

want

to

use

and

register

with

the

Environment

Agency

River

Thames

River

Medway

Anglian

waterways

Great

Ouse

System

River

Nene

River

Stour

River

Ancholme

Black

Sluice

River

Welland

and

River

Glen

Rye

Harbour

River

Thames

annual

registrations

run

from

January

to

December

Other

registrations

run

from

April

to

March

The

Royal

Military

Canal

You

do

not

need

to

register

a

boat

for

use

between

West

Hythe

Dam

in

Shorncliffe

Kent

and

Iden

Lock

in

Cliffe

End

East

Sussex

Contact

Shepway

District

Council

to

register

a

boat

for

use

between

West

Hythe

Dam

and

Seabrook

Scotland

and

Northern

Ireland

Check

if

you

need

to

register

your

boat

with

Scottish

Canals

or

NI

Direct

Other

areas

Check

with

the

Inland

Waterways

Association

to

find

the

navigation

authority

for

other

areas

Using

more

than

one

waterway

You

can

buy

a

gold

licence

which

lets

you

use

all

Environment

Agency

and

Canal

River

Trust

waterways

Canoe

or

rowing

boat

exemptions

You

may

not

need

to

register

a

canoe

with

the

navigation

authority

if

you

’re

a

member

of

British

Canoeing

Rowing

clubs

or

associations

can

register

a

rowing

boat

for

use

on

some

waterways

through

British

Rowing

Penalties

An

enforcement

officer

may

put

an

enforcement

notice

on

your

boat

if

it

’s

on

an

inland

waterway

and

it

’s

not

licensed

or

registered

it

’s

not

licensed

or

registered

for

the

waterway

you

’re

using

your

licence

or

registration

is

not

displayed

it

breaches

the

terms

and

conditions

of

the

licence

or

registration

Check

your

licence

or

registration

for

additional

rules

that

apply

to

your

waterway

You

may

be

prosecuted

and

fined

up

to

or

have

your

boat

removed

if

you

do

not

display

an

up

to

date

licence

or

registration

Questions

about

a

penalty

notice

Contact

your

navigation

authority

if

you

have

questions

about

a

penalty

notice

The

UK

Ship

Register

You

need

to

register

your

boat

with

the

UK

Ship

Register

to

use

it

at

sea

Whether

you

can

use

the

register

depends

on

your

citizenship

status

Check

the

eligibility

requirements

for

each

part

of

the

UK

Ship

Register

There

are

different

parts

of

the

register

Which

part

you

use

depends

on

what

you

’re

using

your

boat

for

Part

commercial

or

pleasure

boats

Part

fishing

boats

Part

small

boats

Part

charter

boats

Part

registration

commercial

or

pleasure

boats

You

can

use

Part

of

the

register

if

you

have

either

a

commercial

boat

unless

you

plan

to

use

it

for

fishing

a

pleasure

vessel

this

means

you

do

not

make

any

money

from

it

Registering

your

boat

on

Part

of

the

register

means

you

’ll

be

able

to

get

a

marine

mortgage

against

your

boat

spend

more

than

months

outside

the

UK

It

costs

to

register

for

years

You

’ll

be

sent

a

renewal

notice

when

it

’s

time

to

renew

It

costs

to

renew

your

registration

for

another

years

Part

registration

fishing

boats

Use

Part

of

the

register

if

you

’re

using

your

boat

to

catch

and

sell

fish

You

can

choose

from

simple

or

full

registration

If

you

choose

full

registration

you

can

get

a

marine

mortgage

against

your

boat

To

register

for

years

it

costs

for

simple

registration

for

full

registration

Part

registration

small

boats

Use

Part

of

the

register

small

ships

register

if

your

boat

is

less

than

metres

long

your

boat

is

a

pleasure

vessel

you

live

in

the

UK

for

at

least

days

of

the

year

You

can

not

use

Part

of

the

register

if

you

’re

a

business

Registering

on

Part

of

the

register

means

you

’ll

be

able

to

prove

your

boat

’s

nationality

when

sailing

outside

UK

waters

It

costs

for

years

You

’ll

be

sent

a

renewal

notice

when

it

’s

time

to

renew

Part

registration

charter

boats

Use

Part

of

the

register

if

you

plan

to

hire

out

charter

your

boat

It

costs

between

and

for

years

The

amount

you

’ll

pay

depends

on

the

type

of

boat

you

’re

registering

How

to

register

You

can

register

your

boat

online

You

’ll

need

to

create

an

account

if

you

do

not

already

have

one

If

you

own

the

boat

with

other

people

all

owners

must

have

an

account

before

you

can

register

your

boat

online

Start

now

You

can

pay

by

debit

or

credit

card

You

can

also

use

the

online

service

to

renew

cancel

or

change

the

details

of

your

registration

Before

you

start

You

’ll

need

the

dimensions

of

your

boat

the

previous

registration

details

of

the

boat

if

it

’s

been

registered

before

the

bill

of

sale

the

radio

signal

detail

including

your

UK

radio

call

sign

Maritime

Mobile

Service

Identity

MMSI

number

and

International

Maritime

Organization

IMO

number

the

builders

certificate

a

certificate

of

survey

for

tonnage

and

measurement

an

international

tonnage

certificate

safety

certificates

Other

ways

to

register

You

can

also

register

by

post

Download

and

fill

in

the

form

for

the

type

of

boat

you

want

to

register

Contact

You

can

contact

the

UK

Ship

Register

by

email

phone

or

post


Overview

You

have

the

right

to

access

some

land

for

walking

or

certain

other

leisure

activities

You

can

use

public

roads

and

pavements

or

public

rights

of

way

for

example

footpaths

or

bridleways

use

your

right

to

roam

on

open

access

land

including

mountains

moors

heaths

downs

common

land

and

some

land

around

the

England

Coast

Path

If

neither

of

these

apply

you

may

still

be

able

to

access

private

land

if

the

land

was

used

as

a

public

right

of

way

in

the

past

check

old

maps

and

documents

the

land

was

accessed

by

the

public

for

at

least

years

and

nobody

has

asked

them

to

stop

the

landowner

has

given

permission

permissive

access

Help

protect

the

natural

environment

by

following

the

Countryside

Code

Use

public

rights

of

way

You

can

walk

on

all

public

rights

of

way

Some

public

rights

of

way

are

also

open

to

horse

riders

cyclists

or

motorists

You

can

use

footpaths

for

walking

running

mobility

scooters

or

powered

wheelchairs

bridleways

for

walking

horse

riding

bicycles

mobility

scooters

or

powered

wheelchairs

restricted

byways

for

any

transport

without

a

motor

and

mobility

scooters

or

powered

wheelchairs

byways

open

to

all

traffic

for

any

kind

of

transport

including

cars

but

they

’re

mainly

used

by

walkers

cyclists

and

horse

riders

Rights

of

way

in

England

Wales

and

Northern

Ireland

Public

rights

of

way

are

marked

with

signs

or

coloured

arrows

for

example

yellow

for

footpaths

blue

for

bridleways

You

can

find

the

route

of

public

rights

of

way

on

Ordnance

Survey

and

other

maps

on

some

council

websites

Rights

of

way

in

Scotland

You

can

find

rights

of

way

through

the

charity

Scotways

Report

problems

with

a

right

of

way

Contact

the

local

council

to

report

a

problem

for

example

obstructions

poor

maintenance

or

a

misleading

sign

Change

a

public

right

of

way

Contact

the

local

council

about

adding

changing

or

removing

a

public

right

of

way

temporarily

or

permanently

You

can

contact

the

Local

Government

Ombudsman

if

you

think

your

council

has

not

dealt

with

your

enquiry

properly

Use

your

right

to

roam

You

can

access

some

land

across

England

without

having

to

use

paths

this

land

is

known

as

open

access

land

or

access

land

Access

land

includes

mountains

moors

heaths

and

downs

that

are

privately

owned

It

also

includes

common

land

registered

with

the

local

council

and

some

land

around

the

England

Coast

Path

Your

right

to

access

this

land

is

called

the

right

to

roam

or

freedom

to

roam

What

you

can

and

can

not

do

You

can

use

access

land

for

walking

running

watching

wildlife

and

climbing

There

are

certain

activities

you

can

not

usually

do

on

open

access

land

including

horse

riding

cycling

camping

taking

animals

other

than

dogs

on

to

the

land

driving

a

vehicle

except

mobility

scooters

and

powered

wheelchairs

water

sports

But

you

can

use

access

land

for

horse

riding

and

cycling

if

the

landowner

allows

it

public

bridleways

or

byways

cross

the

land

horse

riders

and

cyclists

can

ride

along

these

there

are

local

traditions

or

rights

of

access

Dogs

on

open

access

land

You

must

keep

your

dog

on

a

lead

no

more

than

metres

long

on

open

access

land

between

March

and

July

to

protect

ground

nesting

birds

at

all

times

around

livestock

On

land

next

to

the

England

Coast

Path

you

must

keep

your

dog

under

close

control

There

may

be

other

local

or

seasonal

restrictions

These

do

not

apply

to

public

rights

of

way

or

assistance

dogs

Excepted

land

On

access

land

some

areas

remain

private

excepted

land

You

do

not

have

the

right

to

access

these

areas

even

if

they

appear

on

a

map

of

open

access

land

Excepted

land

includes

houses

buildings

and

the

land

they

’re

on

such

as

courtyards

land

used

to

grow

crops

building

sites

and

land

that

’s

being

developed

parks

and

gardens

golf

courses

and

racecourses

railways

and

tramways

working

quarries

Use

public

rights

of

way

to

cross

excepted

land

Find

open

access

land

Search

for

open

access

land

in

England

and

find

out

about

land

that

’s

currently

closed

to

walkers

Find

open

access

land

in

Wales

Contact

the

local

council

to

find

common

land

near

you

Report

problems

with

open

access

land

You

can

report

problems

to

the

local

access

authority

contact

them

through

the

local

council

If

the

problem

is

in

a

national

park

you

can

contact

them

directly

You

can

also

contact

the

Open

Access

Contact

Centre

for

information

about

open

access

land

in

England

Access

private

land

You

may

be

able

to

access

private

land

if

the

landowner

has

agreed

to

let

people

use

it

for

example

for

walking

cycling

or

horse

riding

sometimes

known

as

giving

permissive

access

Look

for

signs

Search

for

farms

and

other

land

with

access

for

schools

families

and

other

groups

Search

for

land

of

outstanding

scenic

or

scientific

interest

including

land

with

permissive

access

in

the

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

directory


If

you

’re

about

to

be

flooded

Check

the

National

Flood

Forum

or

speak

to

a

Floodline

adviser

to

find

out

how

to

stay

safe

during

a

flood

You

can

check

if

there

’s

currently

a

flood

warning

in

your

area

Sandbags

Contact

your

local

council

to

find

out

where

to

get

sandbags

You

can

also

get

them

from

some

DIY

or

building

supplies

shops

If

you

need

to

travel

Check

flood

warnings

and

road

travel

information

Protect

yourself

from

future

flooding

Plan

how

you

’ll

respond

to

a

flood

Use

a

template

to

make

a

personal

flood

plan

community

or

group

flood

plan

if

you

’re

responsible

for

an

organisation

such

as

a

school

hospital

care

home

or

community

group

business

flood

plan

Protect

your

property

You

can

get

advice

from

the

National

Flood

Forum

about

how

to

protect

your

property

and

how

much

this

will

cost

find

flood

protection

products

and

services

at

Blue

Pages

You

may

need

permission

to

do

work

that

will

affect

the

flow

of

a

river

or

divert

flood

water

If

you

own

a

riverside

property

If

you

own

property

next

to

a

watercourse

for

example

a

river

culvert

brook

or

mill

stream

you

must

maintain

river

beds

and

banks

not

obstruct

the

water

flow

Read

guidance

on

the

rights

and

responsibilities

of

owning

a

riverside

property

Contact

the

Environment

Agency

if

you

have

questions

about

your

responsibilities

If

your

property

’s

next

to

a

canal

Contact

the

Canal

and

River

Trust

to

check

who

’s

responsible

for

maintaining

the

canal

If

you

have

a

disability

or

need

extra

help

Ask

your

council

if

you

can

be

put

on

a

list

to

get

extra

help

during

a

flood

Citizens

Advice

can

help

make

sure

you

’ll

get

support

if

your

energy

supply

is

affected

Ask

Floodline

to

send

flood

warnings

to

a

friend

or

relative

on

your

behalf

Get

insurance

You

can

find

lower

cost

home

insurance

through

Flood

Re

if

you

’re

in

a

flood

risk

area

get

insurance

advice

from

the

National

Flood

Forum

find

a

broker

that

specialises

in

properties

that

are

difficult

to

insure

Get

evidence

of

flood

risk

Contact

the

Environment

Agency

if

your

insurer

asks

for

evidence

of

your

flood

risk

You

’ll

get

a

letter

within

days

It

’s

free

for

individuals

and

businesses

If

you

’ve

done

work

on

your

property

You

or

a

surveyor

can

complete

a

Flood

Risk

Report

This

will

tell

insurers

or

buyers

how

the

work

has

reduced

the

flood

risk


Who

you

have

to

check

You

must

check

that

a

tenant

or

lodger

can

legally

rent

your

residential

property

in

England

Check

with

the

Home

Office

if

the

tenant

is

a

Commonwealth

citizen

but

does

not

have

the

right

documents

they

might

still

have

the

right

to

rent

in

the

UK

Before

the

start

of

a

new

tenancy

you

must

check

all

tenants

aged

and

over

even

if

they

’re

not

named

on

the

tenancy

agreement

there

’s

no

tenancy

agreement

the

tenancy

agreement

is

not

in

writing

Check

all

new

tenants

It

’s

against

the

law

to

only

check

people

you

think

are

not

British

citizens

You

must

not

discriminate

against

anyone

because

of

where

they

’re

from

Sign

up

for

email

updates

about

the

right

to

rent

policy

If

the

tenant

is

only

allowed

to

stay

in

the

UK

for

a

limited

time

you

need

to

do

the

check

in

the

days

before

the

start

of

the

tenancy

You

do

not

need

to

check

tenants

in

these

types

of

accommodation

social

housing

a

care

home

hospice

or

hospital

a

hostel

or

refuge

a

mobile

home

student

accommodation

You

also

do

not

need

to

check

tenants

if

they

live

in

accommodation

that

is

provided

by

a

local

authority

is

provided

as

part

of

their

job

known

as

tied

accommodation

has

a

lease

that

’s

years

or

longer

Read

the

code

of

practice

to

find

out

if

you

need

to

do

any

other

checks

instead

How

to

do

a

check

Because

of

coronavirus

there

are

temporary

changes

to

the

way

you

can

check

documents

Read

guidance

about

the

adjusted

process

including

asking

for

documents

digitally

making

checks

on

a

video

call

and

what

to

do

if

someone

can

not

provide

any

accepted

documents

Check

which

adults

will

use

your

property

as

their

main

home

your

tenants

Ask

them

for

original

documents

that

prove

they

can

live

in

the

UK

Check

their

documents

to

see

if

they

have

the

right

to

rent

your

property

Check

that

each

tenant

’s

documents

are

genuine

and

belong

to

them

with

the

tenant

present

Make

and

keep

copies

of

the

documents

and

record

the

date

you

made

the

check

You

can

get

an

unlimited

fine

or

be

sent

to

prison

for

renting

your

property

to

someone

who

is

not

allowed

to

stay

in

England

Checking

EU

EEA

and

Swiss

citizens

Right

to

rent

checks

continue

in

the

same

way

as

now

until

June

for

citizens

of

the

EU

Switzerland

Norway

Iceland

and

Liechtenstein

Continue

checking

their

passport

or

national

identity

card

as

before

For

family

members

of

citizens

of

the

EU

Switzerland

Norway

Iceland

and

Liechtenstein

follow

the

usual

guidance

for

documents

you

can

accept

for

right

to

rent

checks

You

can

not

insist

that

citizens

of

the

EU

Switzerland

Norway

Iceland

and

Liechtenstein

show

that

they

have

settled

status

or

pre

settled

status

when

starting

a

new

tenancy

before

July

You

can

however

ask

if

they

have

settled

or

pre

settled

status

and

whether

they

want

to

use

this

instead

of

a

passport

or

identity

card

If

the

tenancy

starts

on

or

after

July

but

you

check

their

right

to

rent

before

this

you

can

still

use

their

passport

or

national

identity

card

Check

if

the

property

is

used

as

the

tenant

’s

main

home

A

property

would

usually

be

a

tenant

’s

only

or

main

home

if

they

live

there

most

of

the

time

they

keep

most

of

their

belongings

there

their

partner

or

children

live

with

them

they

’re

registered

to

vote

at

the

property

they

’re

registered

with

the

doctor

using

that

address

Check

their

original

documents

You

need

to

check

that

the

documents

are

originals

and

belong

to

the

tenant

their

permission

to

stay

in

the

UK

has

not

ended

the

photos

on

the

documents

are

of

the

tenant

the

dates

of

birth

are

the

same

in

all

documents

and

are

believable

the

documents

are

not

too

damaged

or

do

not

look

like

they

’ve

been

changed

if

any

names

are

different

on

documents

there

are

supporting

documents

to

show

why

such

as

a

marriage

certificate

or

divorce

decree

If

the

tenant

does

not

have

the

right

documents

You

must

use

the

landlord

’s

checking

service

to

check

whether

the

tenant

’s

allowed

to

rent

without

the

right

documents

if

the

Home

Office

has

their

documents

they

have

an

outstanding

case

or

appeal

with

the

Home

Office

the

Home

Office

told

them

they

have

permission

to

rent

You

’ll

get

an

answer

within

working

days

You

’ll

need

the

tenant

’s

Home

Office

reference

number

to

use

the

service

Do

not

rent

a

property

to

someone

in

England

if

they

do

not

have

the

right

documents

and

the

landlord

’s

checking

service

tells

you

they

are

not

allowed

to

rent

Get

help

with

a

check

Call

the

landlord

’s

helpline

to

get

help

with

a

check

You

must

follow

the

landlord

’s

code

of

practice

on

illegal

immigrants

and

private

rented

accommodation

Making

copies

of

the

documents

When

you

copy

the

documents

make

a

copy

that

can

not

be

changed

such

as

a

photocopy

or

a

good

quality

photograph

for

passports

copy

every

page

with

the

expiry

date

or

applicant

’s

details

such

as

nationality

date

of

birth

and

photograph

including

endorsements

for

example

a

work

visa

or

Certificate

of

Entitlement

to

the

right

of

abode

in

the

UK

copy

both

sides

of

biometric

residence

permits

make

a

complete

copy

of

all

other

documents

record

the

date

you

made

the

copy

Keep

copies

of

the

tenant

’s

documents

for

the

time

they

’re

your

tenants

and

for

one

year

after

Make

sure

you

follow

data

protection

law

If

your

tenant

does

not

have

any

documents

you

must

check

if

they

’re

allowed

to

rent

your

property

Follow

up

checks

You

must

do

a

follow

up

check

to

make

sure

your

tenant

can

still

rent

property

in

the

UK

if

there

’s

a

time

limit

on

their

permission

to

stay

You

can

get

a

fine

if

you

do

not

do

a

follow

up

check

and

your

tenant

’s

permission

to

stay

ends

Do

the

follow

up

check

just

before

the

date

that

’s

the

later

of

the

end

of

your

tenant

’s

permission

to

stay

in

the

UK

months

after

your

previous

check

Because

of

coronavirus

there

are

temporary

changes

to

the

way

you

can

check

documents

Read

guidance

about

the

adjusted

process

including

asking

for

documents

digitally

making

checks

on

a

video

call

and

what

to

do

if

someone

can

not

provide

any

accepted

documents

You

do

not

have

to

do

a

follow

up

check

if

there

’s

no

time

limit

on

your

tenant

’s

permission

to

stay

in

the

UK

If

your

tenant

fails

a

follow

up

check

You

must

tell

the

Home

Office

if

you

find

out

that

your

tenant

can

no

longer

legally

rent

property

in

England

after

doing

a

follow

up

check

You

could

be

fined

or

sent

to

prison

for

up

to

years

if

your

tenant

fails

a

follow

up

check

and

you

do

not

report

it

to

the

Home

Office

Agents

and

subletting

You

can

ask

any

agents

that

manage

or

let

your

property

to

carry

out

the

check

for

you

You

should

have

this

agreement

in

writing

If

a

tenant

sub

lets

the

property

without

you

knowing

they

’re

responsible

for

carrying

out

checks

on

any

sub

tenants

They

will

be

liable

for

any

civil

penalties

if

they

do

not

do

the

check

correctly


Becoming

a

resident

landlord

You

’re

a

resident

landlord

if

you

let

out

part

of

a

property

which

is

your

only

or

main

home

If

you

only

occasionally

rent

out

part

of

your

home

for

example

through

short

term

rental

apps

check

if

you

need

to

tell

HMRC

about

this

income

If

so

you

’ll

have

certain

rights

and

responsibilities

you

’re

responsible

for

keeping

the

property

safe

and

in

good

repair

a

tenant

or

lodger

does

n’t

have

the

right

to

challenge

the

agreed

rent

you

may

be

able

to

earn

per

year

tax

free

under

the

Rent

a

Room

Scheme

you

can

give

less

notice

to

end

a

letting

than

if

you

rented

out

the

property

as

a

whole

Ask

potential

tenants

or

lodgers

for

references

and

follow

them

up

before

signing

any

agreement

Read

the

guide

about

letting

rooms

in

your

home

for

more

information

Coronavirus

and

your

responsibilities

Your

responsibilities

as

a

resident

landlord

have

not

changed

because

of

coronavirus

You

can

read

more

coronavirus

and

renting

guidance

for

tenants

and

landlords

The

Rent

a

Room

Scheme

The

Rent

a

Room

Scheme

lets

you

earn

up

to

a

threshold

of

per

year

tax

free

from

letting

out

furnished

accommodation

in

your

home

This

is

halved

if

you

share

the

income

with

your

partner

or

someone

else

You

can

let

out

as

much

of

your

home

as

you

want

How

it

works

The

tax

exemption

is

automatic

if

you

earn

less

than

This

means

you

do

not

need

to

do

anything

If

you

earn

more

than

this

you

must

complete

a

tax

return

You

can

then

opt

into

the

scheme

and

claim

your

tax

free

allowance

You

do

this

on

your

tax

return

You

can

choose

not

to

opt

into

the

scheme

and

instead

record

your

income

and

expenses

on

the

property

pages

of

your

tax

return

More

information

Read

the

Rent

a

Room

helpsheet

for

more

detailed

information

on

how

to

complete

the

form

and

when

it

makes

sense

to

opt

out

of

the

scheme

Eligibility

You

can

opt

in

to

the

scheme

at

any

time

if

you

’re

a

resident

landlord

whether

or

not

you

own

your

home

you

run

a

bed

and

breakfast

or

a

guest

house

You

can

not

use

the

scheme

for

homes

converted

into

separate

flats

Your

lodger

's

tenancy

type

The

way

you

share

your

home

with

a

lodger

affects

what

kind

of

tenancy

they

have

This

in

turn

affects

their

rights

and

how

you

can

end

the

tenancy

Your

lodger

is

an

excluded

occupier

Your

lodger

is

likely

to

be

an

excluded

occupier

if

they

live

in

your

home

you

or

a

member

of

your

family

share

a

kitchen

bathroom

or

living

room

with

them

In

this

case

you

only

have

to

give

them

reasonable

notice

to

end

the

letting

and

you

will

not

have

to

go

to

court

to

evict

them

Reasonable

notice

usually

means

the

length

of

the

rental

payment

period

For

example

if

rent

is

paid

monthly

you

should

give

one

month

’s

notice

Your

lodger

has

basic

protection

Your

lodger

is

likely

to

be

an

occupier

with

basic

protection

if

they

live

in

your

home

they

do

not

share

any

living

space

with

you

or

your

family

If

your

lodger

will

not

leave

when

you

ask

them

you

’ll

need

to

get

a

court

order

to

evict

them

The

charity

Shelter

has

advice

on

excluded

occupiers

and

occupiers

with

basic

protection

The

length

of

the

let

A

tenancy

or

a

licence

can

be

either

periodic

run

indefinitely

from

rent

period

to

the

next

fixed

term

last

a

set

number

of

weeks

months

or

years

If

you

do

not

agree

the

length

of

a

let

it

will

automatically

become

a

periodic

let

Licences

can

be

open

ended

for

informal

arrangements

like

allowing

a

friend

to

stay

on

an

as

and

when

basis

Rent

bills

and

tax

Rent

You

can

charge

what

you

want

for

rent

but

should

agree

the

amount

with

your

tenant

beforehand

You

can

also

ask

for

a

deposit

and

you

can

accept

Housing

Benefit

for

rent

You

must

provide

a

rent

book

for

tenants

who

pay

weekly

Coronavirus

and

rent

Tenant

responsibilities

to

pay

rent

have

not

changed

because

of

coronavirus

Your

tenant

should

continue

to

pay

rent

if

they

can

You

can

read

coronavirus

and

renting

guidance

for

tenants

and

landlords

You

and

your

tenant

can

get

advice

from

Shelter

Citizens

Advice

and

The

Money

Advice

Service

Council

Tax

You

will

be

responsible

for

Council

Tax

and

can

include

part

of

the

cost

in

the

rent

you

charge

You

must

tell

your

council

if

having

a

tenant

means

you

’re

no

longer

entitled

to

a

single

person

discount

If

you

’re

unsure

who

should

pay

Council

Tax

check

with

your

local

council

Utility

bills

If

you

pay

the

utility

bills

for

the

entire

house

you

can

include

a

charge

in

the

rent

or

install

pre

paid

meters

You

can

only

charge

the

amount

you

’ve

paid

for

gas

and

electricity

plus

VAT

or

you

could

face

civil

proceedings

Read

Ofgem

’s

rules

on

the

resale

of

gas

and

electricity

for

more

information

Income

Tax

Income

Tax

is

payable

on

rental

income

you

receive

If

you

’re

not

in

the

Rent

a

Room

scheme

you

’ll

be

charged

Income

Tax

on

any

rental

income

you

get

after

business

letting

expenses

Examples

of

business

expenses

include

insurance

maintenance

repairs

but

not

improvements

utility

bills

If

you

’re

in

the

Rent

a

Room

Scheme

you

’ll

pay

Income

Tax

differently

Capital

Gains

Tax

You

may

have

to

pay

Capital

Gains

Tax

when

you

sell

your

home

if

you

let

out

all

or

part

of

it

you

’ve

taken

in

more

than

tenant

or

lodger

at

a

time

However

you

may

be

entitled

to

Private

Residence

Relief

and

Letting

Relief

Deposits

Resident

landlords

are

not

legally

required

to

protect

tenants

deposit

with

one

of

the

government

approved

schemes

Your

local

council

may

guarantee

rent

for

a

potential

tenant

who

ca

n’t

afford

a

deposit

You

may

have

to

pay

other

taxes

if

you

run

a

bed

and

breakfast

or

provide

meals

or

cleaning

services

for

guests

Contact

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

for

more

information

Ending

a

letting

How

to

end

an

excluded

tenancy

or

licence

If

your

lodger

is

an

excluded

occupier

you

only

need

to

give

them

reasonable

notice

to

quit

Usually

this

means

the

length

of

the

rental

payment

period

so

if

your

lodger

pays

rent

weekly

you

need

to

give

week

’s

notice

The

notice

does

not

have

to

be

in

writing

You

can

then

change

the

locks

on

your

lodger

’s

rooms

even

if

they

’ve

left

their

belongings

there

You

must

give

their

belongings

back

to

them

How

to

end

a

non

excluded

tenancy

or

licence

If

your

lodger

is

an

occupier

with

basic

protection

you

must

serve

them

a

written

notice

to

quit

The

notice

period

will

depend

on

the

tenancy

or

agreement

but

is

often

at

least

weeks

If

your

lodger

does

not

leave

you

’ll

need

to

get

a

court

order

to

evict

them

Your

lodger

ends

the

tenancy

Your

lodger

can

end

the

tenancy

by

giving

you

notice

They

can

not

do

this

during

the

fixed

term

of

the

tenancy

unless

there

’s

a

break

clause

The

amount

of

notice

they

need

to

give

depends

on

the

tenancy

agreement

if

there

is

one

Otherwise

it

’s

usually

at

least

weeks

if

they

pay

weekly

or

month

if

they

pay

monthly

You

and

your

tenant

can

end

a

tenancy

at

any

time

if

you

both

agree

Change

of

ownership

If

you

stop

living

in

your

home

the

tenants

can

still

stay

there

but

their

tenancy

type

may

change

to

reflect

that

you

no

longer

live

there

If

you

sell

your

home

and

the

new

owner

plans

to

live

in

the

property

as

a

resident

landlord

they

must

give

notice

to

a

tenant

within

days

that

they

intend

to

live

there

move

in

within

months

of

the

sale

Until

the

new

owner

moves

in

tenants

will

have

more

protection

through

tenancy

laws

because

during

this

time

there

’s

no

resident

landlord

Their

rights

will

depend

on

when

they

moved

in

Find

out

about

tenants

rights

in

Private

renting

tenancy

agreements

If

you

die

a

tenancy

will

usually

continue

as

though

you

were

still

resident

until

someone

else

takes

ownership

Houses

in

Multiple

Occupation

Your

property

may

be

classed

as

an

House

in

Multiple

Occupation

HMO

if

you

let

rooms

to

more

than

people

There

are

extra

safety

requirements

and

standards

for

HMOs

and

you

’ll

often

need

a

licence

If

someone

in

an

HMO

becomes

ill

with

coronavirus

you

do

not

have

to

find

alternative

accommodation

for

the

other

tenants

You

also

can

not

make

someone

leave

their

home

because

they

have

coronavirus

Read

the

coronavirus

and

renting

guidance

for

tenants

and

landlords


Challenging

your

band

Council

Tax

bands

are

based

on

how

much

a

property

was

worth

on

April

for

England

and

Scotland

April

for

Wales

You

might

be

able

to

challenge

your

Council

Tax

band

if

you

have

evidence

that

suggests

the

band

is

wrong

When

you

can

challenge

your

band

You

can

challenge

your

band

if

you

have

been

paying

Council

Tax

on

your

property

for

less

than

months

If

you

’ve

been

paying

Council

Tax

on

your

property

for

more

than

months

you

can

only

challenge

your

band

in

specific

circumstances

These

include

if

your

property

has

changed

for

example

it

’s

been

demolished

split

into

multiple

properties

or

merged

into

one

your

property

’s

use

has

changed

for

example

part

of

your

property

is

now

used

for

business

your

local

area

has

changed

for

example

a

new

supermarket

has

been

built

Before

you

challenge

your

band

Contact

the

Valuation

Office

Agency

VOA

to

explain

why

you

think

your

band

is

wrong

You

must

be

able

to

provide

evidence

that

supports

your

opinion

The

VOA

may

be

able

to

review

and

change

your

band

without

you

needing

to

challenge

it

There

’s

currently

a

reduced

telephone

service

because

of

coronavirus

Only

contact

the

VOA

by

telephone

if

you

can

not

email

them

How

to

challenge

your

band

If

the

VOA

has

reviewed

your

band

and

you

do

not

agree

with

their

decision

you

can

then

formally

challenge

your

band

Find

your

property

’s

Council

Tax

band

on

the

valuation

list

Select

your

property

From

Council

Tax

band

details

choose

Do

you

think

this

Council

Tax

band

is

wrong

From

If

you

think

your

Council

Tax

band

is

wrong

choose

Check

if

you

can

formally

challenge

your

Council

Tax

band

Answer

the

questions

on

the

checklist

to

find

out

if

you

can

make

a

challenge

Select

Make

a

formal

challenge

against

your

Council

Tax

band

online

to

fill

in

the

challenge

form

Provide

evidence

that

supports

your

challenge

in

the

Formal

challenge

details

section

You

must

continue

paying

your

Council

Tax

while

the

challenge

is

happening

You

can

also

appoint

someone

else

to

challenge

on

your

behalf

If

you

’re

in

Scotland

use

the

Scottish

Assessors

website

to

check

your

Council

Tax

band

then

follow

the

link

Make

a

proposal

Evidence

that

supports

your

challenge

You

must

send

evidence

that

your

council

tax

band

is

wrong

to

the

Valuation

Office

Agency

VOA

if

you

’re

in

England

or

Wales

If

you

’re

in

Scotland

use

the

Scottish

Assessors

website

to

check

what

evidence

you

need

Evidence

you

can

send

Send

the

addresses

of

up

to

similar

properties

in

a

lower

Council

Tax

band

than

yours

They

must

be

the

same

as

your

property

in

age

style

and

design

size

the

VOA

will

also

consider

properties

that

are

larger

than

yours

type

for

example

they

must

be

semi

detached

houses

if

you

live

in

a

semi

detached

house

They

must

also

be

either

in

the

same

street

or

estate

if

you

live

in

a

town

or

city

in

the

same

village

if

you

live

in

the

countryside

Evidence

from

house

prices

You

can

also

use

the

price

that

your

property

or

similar

properties

sold

for

as

evidence

if

the

sales

were

between

April

and

March

if

your

property

is

in

England

April

and

March

if

your

property

is

in

Wales

You

can

look

up

property

sale

prices

online

from

onwards

Compare

the

sale

prices

to

what

the

properties

were

valued

at

Council

Tax

band

Properties

is

in

England

value

in

April

Properties

in

Wales

value

in

April

A

Up

to

Up

to

B

More

than

and

up

to

More

than

and

up

to

C

More

than

and

up

to

More

than

and

up

to

D

More

than

and

up

to

More

than

and

up

to

E

More

than

and

up

to

More

than

and

up

to

F

More

than

and

up

to

More

than

and

up

to

G

More

than

and

up

to

More

than

and

up

to

H

More

than

More

than

and

up

to

I

More

than

If

the

sale

prices

are

different

from

the

Council

Tax

bands

the

properties

are

in

send

the

addresses

of

the

properties

the

sale

prices

the

dates

the

properties

were

sold

If

your

property

is

in

England

you

’ll

also

need

to

send

proof

of

the

sale

prices

such

as

a

letter

from

a

solicitor

the

contract

for

the

sale

Do

not

send

data

about

average

house

prices

in

your

area

from

websites

such

as

Nationwide

House

Price

Index

Nethouseprices

Rightmove

or

Zoopla

After

you

make

a

challenge

You

’ll

get

a

decision

from

the

Valuation

Office

Agency

VOA

within

months

They

’ll

either

change

your

Council

Tax

band

your

local

council

will

revise

your

bill

and

adjust

your

payments

tell

you

why

your

band

can

not

be

changed

If

you

disagree

with

the

VOA

’s

decision

In

England

if

you

make

a

formal

challenge

and

disagree

with

the

VOA

’s

decision

you

can

appeal

to

the

Valuation

Tribunal

If

you

’re

in

Wales

send

it

to

the

Welsh

Tribunal

The

Valuation

Tribunal

is

independent

of

the

VOA

It

’s

free

but

you

have

to

pay

your

own

costs

You

must

appeal

within

months

of

getting

the

VOA

’s

decision

You

may

be

able

to

get

the

time

limit

extended

if

you

can

not

apply

in

time

If

the

tribunal

agrees

with

you

the

VOA

will

change

your

band

and

the

council

will

update

your

bill

Get

help

The

Valuation

Tribunal

has

guidance

on

what

you

need

to

do

for

the

hearing

preparing

for

the

hearing

You

can

also

contact

the

tribunal

for

help


Overview

Right

to

Acquire

allows

most

housing

association

tenants

to

buy

their

home

at

a

discount

You

apply

using

the

Right

to

Acquire

application

form

You

can

apply

to

buy

your

housing

association

home

if

you

’ve

had

a

public

sector

landlord

for

years

These

landlords

include

housing

associations

councils

the

armed

services

NHS

trusts

and

foundation

trusts

Eligible

properties

Your

property

must

either

have

been

built

or

bought

by

a

housing

association

after

March

and

funded

through

a

social

housing

grant

provided

by

the

Housing

Corporation

or

local

council

transferred

from

a

local

council

to

a

housing

association

after

March

Your

landlord

must

be

registered

with

the

Regulator

of

Social

Housing

The

home

you

want

to

buy

must

also

be

a

self

contained

property

your

only

or

main

home

Joint

applications

You

can

make

a

joint

application

with

someone

who

shares

your

tenancy

up

to

family

members

who

’ve

lived

with

you

for

the

past

months

even

if

they

do

n’t

share

your

tenancy

Who

does

n’t

qualify

You

ca

n’t

use

Right

to

Acquire

if

you

’re

being

made

bankrupt

a

court

has

ordered

you

to

leave

your

home

you

’re

a

council

tenant

you

may

be

able

to

use

Right

to

Buy

instead

you

have

Preserved

Right

to

Buy

Discounts

You

can

get

a

discount

of

between

and

on

the

price

of

your

property

The

amount

of

discount

you

’ll

get

depends

on

where

you

live

in

the

UK

Your

landlord

will

tell

you

what

discount

you

’ll

get

when

you

apply

to

buy

your

home

You

can

also

download

a

table

of

discounts

broken

down

by

location

Your

discount

might

be

reduced

if

you

’ve

used

Right

to

Acquire

or

Right

to

Buy

in

the

past

Applying

Fill

in

the

Right

to

Acquire

application

form

Send

it

to

your

landlord

Your

landlord

must

say

yes

or

no

within

weeks

of

getting

your

application

weeks

if

they

’ve

been

your

landlord

for

less

than

years

If

your

landlord

says

no

they

must

say

why

You

ca

n’t

appeal

against

the

landlord

’s

decision

If

your

landlord

agrees

to

sell

they

’ll

send

you

an

offer

They

must

do

this

within

weeks

of

saying

yes

if

you

’re

buying

a

freehold

property

or

weeks

if

you

’re

buying

a

leasehold

property

Your

landlord

might

offer

you

the

choice

of

buying

your

home

or

another

empty

one

that

they

own

You

do

n’t

have

to

accept

the

other

property

and

your

landlord

does

n’t

have

to

offer

you

one

Your

landlord

’s

offer

If

your

landlord

agrees

to

sell

their

offer

will

tell

you

the

price

they

think

you

should

pay

for

the

property

and

how

it

was

worked

out

your

discount

and

how

it

was

worked

out

a

description

of

the

property

and

any

land

included

in

the

price

estimates

of

any

service

charge

for

a

flat

or

maisonette

for

the

first

years

any

known

problems

with

the

property

’s

structure

eg

subsidence

Deciding

to

buy

Once

you

get

your

landlord

’s

offer

you

have

weeks

to

tell

them

that

you

still

want

to

buy

If

you

do

n’t

reply

the

landlord

will

send

you

a

reminder

called

an

You

’ll

have

a

reasonable

time

at

least

days

to

reply

If

you

do

n’t

your

landlord

will

send

a

final

reminder

called

an

If

you

do

n’t

reply

to

that

your

landlord

can

drop

your

application

You

can

pull

out

of

the

sale

and

continue

to

rent

at

any

time

If

you

disagree

with

the

landlord

’s

offer

Contact

your

landlord

and

tell

them

why

If

you

think

your

landlord

has

set

your

home

’s

market

value

too

high

you

must

write

to

them

within

months

of

getting

the

offer

and

ask

for

an

independent

valuation

A

district

valuer

from

HM

Revenue

Customs

will

visit

your

home

and

decide

how

much

it

’s

worth

You

have

weeks

to

accept

their

valuation

or

pull

out

of

the

sale

Selling

your

home

If

you

sell

your

home

within

years

of

buying

it

through

Right

to

Acquire

you

must

first

offer

it

to

your

old

landlord

The

property

should

be

sold

at

the

full

market

price

agreed

between

you

and

the

landlord

If

you

ca

n’t

agree

a

district

valuer

will

say

how

much

your

home

is

worth

and

set

the

price

You

wo

n’t

have

to

pay

for

their

valuation

If

the

landlord

does

n’t

agree

to

buy

your

home

within

weeks

you

can

sell

it

to

anyone

Paying

back

your

discount

If

you

sell

your

home

within

years

of

buying

it

you

’ll

have

to

pay

back

some

or

all

of

the

discount

you

got

If

you

sell

within

the

first

year

you

’ll

have

to

pay

back

all

of

the

discount

On

top

of

this

the

amount

you

pay

back

depends

on

the

value

of

your

home

when

you

sell

it

So

if

you

got

a

discount

you

’ll

have

to

pay

back

of

the

selling

price

If

you

sell

after

the

first

year

the

total

amount

you

pay

back

reduces

You

pay

back

of

the

discount

in

the

second

year

of

the

discount

in

the

third

year

of

the

discount

in

the

fourth

year

of

the

discount

in

the

fifth

year

Help

and

advice

The

Money

Advice

Service

offers

free

impartial

advice

about

money

including

buying

a

home

and

taking

out

a

mortgage

You

can

also

get

advice

on

Right

to

Acquire

from

Citizens

Advice

Shelter

your

local

Law

Centre


When

you

can

appeal

Your

council

makes

decisions

about

high

hedges

You

can

appeal

against

a

high

hedge

remedial

notice

or

the

council

’s

decision

not

to

issue

one

if

you

either

complained

to

the

council

about

the

hedge

own

rent

or

occupy

the

land

that

the

hedge

is

on

There

’s

no

fee

for

appealing

Deadline

for

appealing

You

must

appeal

within

days

of

the

remedial

notice

your

council

’s

decision

either

to

take

no

action

or

to

change

an

existing

remedial

notice

withdraw

waive

or

relax

When

you

can

expect

a

decision

Once

your

appeal

is

validated

you

’ll

normally

get

a

decision

within

weeks

How

to

appeal

Fill

in

a

high

hedges

appeal

form

You

also

need

a

copy

of

the

council

’s

decision

the

remedial

notice

if

the

council

have

issued

one

any

other

documents

that

directly

support

your

appeal

Email

these

documents

with

your

completed

appeal

form

to

the

council

who

made

the

decision

and

the

Planning

Inspectorate

Because

of

coronavirus

you

can

not

currently

appeal

by

post

After

you

appeal

The

Planning

Inspectorate

will

check

your

appeal

to

make

sure

it

’s

valid

They

’ll

tell

you

what

happens

next

and

how

long

your

appeal

may

take

Your

appeal

will

be

decided

based

on

the

information

you

send

and

a

site

visit

Your

case

officer

will

write

to

you

if

they

require

additional

information

You

’ll

normally

get

a

decision

within

weeks

You

can

complain

about

how

the

Planning

Inspectorate

handled

your

appeal

There

’s

no

time

limit

for

complaints

If

you

disagree

with

the

appeal

decision

You

can

challenge

the

decision

in

the

High

Court

if

you

think

the

Planning

Inspectorate

made

a

legal

mistake

Get

advice

from

a

lawyer

if

you

’re

unsure

about

this


When

you

can

appeal

Your

local

planning

authority

makes

decisions

on

planning

applications

You

can

appeal

a

planning

decision

if

either

you

disagree

with

it

the

decision

was

not

made

within

weeks

weeks

for

a

major

development

such

as

or

more

dwellings

or

a

building

of

more

than

square

metres

There

’s

a

different

process

to

appeal

a

householder

planning

decision

for

a

smaller

project

like

an

extension

conservatory

or

loft

conversion

There

’s

no

fee

for

appealing

Only

the

person

who

made

the

application

can

appeal

If

you

did

not

apply

you

can

comment

on

an

appeal

instead

Deadline

for

appealing

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

you

must

appeal

within

months

of

the

date

on

the

decision

notice

from

your

local

planning

authority

If

they

did

not

make

a

decision

within

weeks

you

can

appeal

up

to

months

after

the

decision

was

due

The

deadline

’s

earlier

if

you

’ve

received

an

enforcement

notice

you

must

appeal

within

days

of

the

notice

When

you

can

expect

a

decision

You

’ll

get

a

decision

once

your

appeal

is

validated

Check

how

long

planning

appeal

decisions

normally

take

How

to

appeal

Because

of

coronavirus

you

can

not

currently

appeal

by

post

You

can

still

appeal

to

the

Planning

Inspectorate

online

If

you

want

to

appeal

more

than

one

decision

you

must

make

a

separate

appeal

for

each

You

need

to

send

a

copy

of

your

appeal

including

all

the

supporting

documents

to

your

local

planning

authority

The

Planning

Inspectorate

will

tell

you

how

to

do

this

Documents

you

must

provide

You

’ll

need

to

submit

copies

of

your

original

application

the

site

ownership

certificate

the

local

planning

authority

’s

decision

notice

if

they

did

not

make

a

decision

submit

a

copy

of

the

letter

acknowledging

your

application

all

plans

drawings

and

documents

you

sent

to

the

local

planning

authority

You

’ll

also

need

to

submit

a

map

of

the

surrounding

area

any

other

documents

that

directly

support

your

appeal

for

example

your

full

statement

of

case

You

can

upload

these

documents

when

you

appeal

Comment

on

an

appeal

Anyone

can

comment

on

a

planning

appeal

Find

the

case

on

the

appeals

casework

portal

The

deadline

for

comments

is

weeks

after

the

start

date

of

the

appeal

or

weeks

after

the

date

on

the

local

planning

authority

’s

enforcement

notice

Your

local

planning

authority

must

tell

anyone

who

has

commented

on

the

original

application

interested

parties

that

there

’s

an

appeal

They

have

to

do

this

within

working

days

of

the

appeal

being

started

by

the

Planning

Inspectorate

Read

the

detailed

guidance

about

taking

part

in

an

appeal

After

you

appeal

The

Planning

Inspectorate

will

check

your

appeal

to

make

sure

it

’s

valid

They

’ll

tell

you

what

happens

next

and

how

long

your

appeal

may

take

The

Planning

Inspectorate

will

then

consider

your

appeal

Check

how

long

planning

appeal

decisions

normally

take

If

anyone

behaves

unreasonably

You

can

apply

for

an

award

of

costs

if

anyone

involved

in

your

appeal

has

cost

you

money

by

behaving

unreasonably

for

example

missing

deadlines

You

can

have

costs

awarded

against

you

too

You

can

complain

about

how

the

Planning

Inspectorate

handled

your

appeal

There

’s

no

time

limit

for

complaints

If

you

disagree

with

the

appeal

decision

You

can

challenge

the

decision

in

the

High

Court

if

you

think

the

Planning

Inspectorate

made

a

legal

mistake

Get

advice

from

a

lawyer

if

you

’re

unsure

about

this


Overview

It

’s

against

the

law

to

let

a

dog

be

dangerously

out

of

control

anywhere

such

as

in

a

public

place

in

a

private

place

for

example

a

neighbour

’s

house

or

garden

in

the

owner

’s

home

The

law

applies

to

all

dogs

Some

types

of

dogs

are

banned

Out

of

control

Your

dog

is

considered

dangerously

out

of

control

if

it

injures

someone

makes

someone

worried

that

it

might

injure

them

A

court

could

also

decide

that

your

dog

is

dangerously

out

of

control

if

either

of

the

following

apply

it

attacks

someone

’s

animal

the

owner

of

an

animal

thinks

they

could

be

injured

if

they

tried

to

stop

your

dog

attacking

their

animal

A

farmer

is

allowed

to

kill

your

dog

if

it

’s

worrying

their

livestock

Penalties

You

can

get

an

unlimited

fine

or

be

sent

to

prison

for

up

to

months

or

both

if

your

dog

is

dangerously

out

of

control

You

may

not

be

allowed

to

own

a

dog

in

the

future

and

your

dog

may

be

destroyed

If

you

let

your

dog

injure

someone

you

can

be

sent

to

prison

for

up

to

years

or

fined

or

both

If

you

deliberately

use

your

dog

to

injure

someone

you

could

be

charged

with

malicious

wounding

If

you

allow

your

dog

to

kill

someone

you

can

be

sent

to

prison

for

up

to

years

or

get

an

unlimited

fine

or

both

If

you

allow

your

dog

to

injure

an

assistance

dog

for

example

a

guide

dog

you

can

be

sent

to

prison

for

up

to

years

or

fined

or

both

Banned

dogs

In

the

UK

it

’s

against

the

law

to

own

certain

types

of

dog

These

are

the

Pit

Bull

Terrier

Japanese

Tosa

Dogo

Argentino

Fila

Brasileiro

It

’s

also

against

the

law

to

sell

a

banned

dog

abandon

a

banned

dog

give

away

a

banned

dog

breed

from

a

banned

dog

Whether

your

dog

is

a

banned

type

depends

on

what

it

looks

like

rather

than

its

breed

or

name

If

you

have

a

banned

dog

If

you

have

a

banned

dog

the

police

or

local

council

dog

warden

can

take

it

away

and

keep

it

even

if

it

is

not

acting

dangerously

there

has

not

been

a

complaint

The

police

may

need

permission

from

a

court

to

do

this

If

your

dog

is

in

a

public

place

the

police

do

not

need

a

warrant

a

private

place

the

police

must

get

a

warrant

a

private

place

and

the

police

have

a

warrant

for

something

else

like

a

drugs

search

they

can

seize

your

dog

A

police

or

council

dog

expert

will

judge

what

type

of

dog

you

have

and

whether

it

is

or

could

be

a

danger

to

the

public

Your

dog

will

then

either

be

released

kept

in

kennels

while

the

police

or

council

apply

to

a

court

You

’re

not

allowed

to

visit

your

dog

while

you

wait

for

the

court

decision

You

can

give

up

ownership

of

your

dog

but

you

can

not

be

forced

to

If

you

do

your

dog

could

be

destroyed

without

you

even

going

to

court

Going

to

court

It

’s

your

responsibility

to

prove

your

dog

is

not

a

banned

type

If

you

prove

this

the

court

will

order

the

dog

to

be

returned

to

you

If

you

can

not

prove

it

or

you

plead

guilty

you

’ll

be

convicted

of

a

crime

You

can

get

an

unlimited

fine

or

be

sent

to

prison

for

up

to

months

or

both

for

having

a

banned

dog

against

the

law

Your

dog

will

also

be

destroyed

Index

of

Exempted

Dogs

IED

If

your

dog

is

banned

but

the

court

thinks

it

’s

not

a

danger

to

the

public

it

may

put

it

on

the

IED

and

let

you

keep

it

You

’ll

be

given

a

Certificate

of

Exemption

This

is

valid

for

the

life

of

the

dog

Your

dog

must

be

neutered

microchipped

kept

on

a

lead

and

muzzled

at

all

times

when

in

public

kept

in

a

secure

place

so

it

can

not

escape

As

the

owner

you

must

take

out

insurance

against

your

dog

injuring

other

people

be

aged

over

show

the

Certificate

of

Exemption

when

asked

by

a

police

officer

or

council

dog

warden

either

at

the

time

or

within

days

let

the

IED

know

if

you

change

address

or

your

dog

dies

Public

Spaces

Protection

Orders

Some

public

areas

in

England

and

Wales

are

covered

by

Public

Spaces

Protection

Orders

PSPOs

previously

called

Dog

Control

Orders

DCOs

In

public

areas

with

PSPOs

you

may

have

to

keep

your

dog

on

a

lead

put

your

dog

on

a

lead

if

told

to

by

a

police

officer

police

community

support

officer

or

someone

from

the

council

stop

your

dog

going

to

certain

places

like

farmland

or

parts

of

a

park

limit

the

number

of

dogs

you

have

with

you

this

applies

to

professional

dog

walkers

too

clear

up

after

your

dog

carry

a

poop

scoop

and

disposable

bags

You

can

report

dog

fouling

to

your

local

council

Penalties

If

you

ignore

a

PSPO

you

can

be

fined

on

the

spot

a

Fixed

Penalty

Notice

up

to

if

it

goes

to

court

PSPOs

in

your

area

Local

councils

must

let

the

public

know

where

PSPOs

are

in

place

If

the

council

plans

to

put

a

new

PSPO

in

place

it

must

put

up

a

notice

and

publish

it

on

its

website

The

notice

must

tell

you

where

the

new

PSPO

will

apply

if

there

’s

a

map

and

where

you

can

see

it

Report

a

dog

Anyone

can

report

a

dog

and

their

owner

to

the

police

You

can

report

a

dangerous

dog

to

your

council

’s

dog

warden

service

You

can

also

report

dog

fouling

to

your

local

council


Overview

You

may

be

able

to

get

financial

help

from

the

government

to

buy

a

home

You

could

get

a

loan

to

help

with

the

cost

of

a

new

build

home

if

you

’re

a

first

time

buyer

in

England

and

Wales

a

home

through

shared

ownership

UK

wide

The

Help

to

Buy

ISA

scheme

closed

to

new

accounts

on

November

You

can

still

open

a

Lifetime

ISA

to

save

for

a

first

home

Buying

your

council

or

housing

association

property

There

are

also

schemes

for

council

tenants

and

housing

association

tenants

Help

to

Buy

Equity

Loan

You

can

get

an

equity

loan

towards

the

cost

of

buying

a

new

build

home

as

a

first

time

buyer

This

guidance

applies

to

England

There

’s

different

guidance

on

how

to

apply

for

an

equity

loan

in

Scotland

and

how

to

apply

for

an

equity

loan

in

Wales

Eligibility

You

must

be

or

over

a

first

time

buyer

able

to

afford

the

fees

and

interest

payments

You

can

not

get

the

equity

loan

if

you

have

ever

owned

a

home

or

residential

land

in

the

UK

or

abroad

had

any

form

of

sharia

mortgage

finance

You

can

apply

on

your

own

or

with

other

people

All

applicants

must

meet

the

eligibility

criteria

If

you

’re

married

in

a

civil

partnership

or

cohabiting

with

your

partner

and

you

plan

on

continuing

to

live

together

you

must

make

a

joint

application

The

property

you

buy

with

your

equity

loan

The

property

must

be

a

new

build

sold

by

a

Help

to

Buy

registered

homebuilder

the

only

home

you

own

and

live

in

It

must

not

have

been

lived

in

by

anyone

before

you

buy

it

There

’s

also

a

maximum

property

purchase

price

limit

for

the

home

you

buy

depending

on

which

region

it

’s

in

You

can

buy

a

home

up

to

and

including

the

maximum

property

purchase

price

limit

Region

Maximum

property

purchase

price

North

East

North

West

Yorkshire

and

the

Humber

East

Midlands

West

Midlands

East

of

England

London

South

East

South

West

How

it

works

You

’ll

need

to

pay

a

minimum

deposit

of

of

the

property

purchase

price

arrange

a

repayment

mortgage

of

at

least

of

the

property

purchase

price

You

can

then

borrow

an

equity

loan

to

cover

from

and

up

to

of

the

property

purchase

price

of

your

newly

built

home

If

the

property

is

in

London

you

can

borrow

up

to

The

equity

loan

percentage

you

borrow

is

used

to

calculate

your

interest

and

equity

loan

repayments

Interest

payments

You

do

not

have

to

pay

interest

for

the

first

years

In

the

sixth

year

you

’ll

be

charged

interest

at

a

rate

of

This

will

be

applied

to

the

equity

loan

amount

you

originally

borrowed

the

equity

loan

percentage

of

the

property

purchase

price

This

annual

interest

is

spread

over

the

year

in

monthly

payments

The

interest

rate

increases

every

year

in

April

by

adding

the

Consumer

Price

Index

CPI

plus

Your

interest

payments

will

decrease

if

you

make

a

part

repayment

of

the

equity

loan

This

is

because

the

amount

the

interest

rate

is

applied

to

will

reduce

Fees

You

’ll

need

to

pay

a

monthly

management

fee

of

when

you

take

out

the

equity

loan

until

you

pay

it

off

If

you

change

your

equity

loan

including

if

you

remortgage

or

make

an

equity

loan

repayment

you

’ll

need

to

pay

administration

fees

You

’ll

also

have

to

pay

other

fees

associated

with

buying

and

owning

a

home

for

example

legal

and

mortgage

arrangement

fees

and

for

market

value

reports

Paying

interest

and

fees

does

not

count

towards

paying

back

the

equity

loan

If

you

do

not

keep

up

with

payments

you

may

need

to

pay

recovery

costs

or

interest

on

the

amount

you

owe

Paying

back

the

equity

loan

You

can

pay

back

part

or

all

of

your

equity

loan

at

any

time

Repayments

are

based

on

your

equity

loan

percentage

and

the

market

value

of

your

home

at

the

time

you

want

to

make

a

repayment

You

’ll

need

to

get

a

market

valuation

report

from

a

chartered

surveyor

when

you

make

a

repayment

Read

more

detailed

guidance

on

repaying

your

equity

loan

Paying

back

part

of

your

equity

loan

The

smallest

repayment

you

can

make

is

of

the

market

value

of

your

home

Paying

back

part

of

your

equity

loan

will

reduce

the

monthly

interest

payments

you

’ll

need

to

pay

from

the

sixth

year

of

taking

out

the

equity

loan

Paying

back

all

your

equity

loan

You

must

repay

all

your

equity

loan

when

you

reach

the

end

of

the

equity

loan

term

normally

years

pay

off

your

repayment

mortgage

sell

your

home

You

may

also

be

asked

to

repay

the

equity

loan

in

full

if

you

do

not

keep

to

the

terms

and

conditions

If

you

sell

your

home

you

’ll

pay

the

equity

loan

percentage

of

the

market

value

or

agreed

sale

price

if

it

’s

higher

If

you

want

to

pay

off

your

equity

loan

and

you

’ve

previously

made

part

repayments

you

’ll

pay

the

equity

loan

percentage

you

still

owe

of

the

market

value

How

to

apply

You

need

to

apply

through

the

Help

to

Buy

agent

in

the

area

where

you

want

to

buy

your

home

North

Find

out

how

to

apply

for

an

equity

loan

in

the

north

Midlands

and

London

Find

out

how

to

apply

for

an

equity

loan

in

the

Midlands

and

London

South

excluding

London

Find

out

how

to

apply

for

an

equity

loan

in

the

south

Read

the

Homebuyers

guide

to

Help

to

Buy

Equity

Loan

Help

to

Buy

Equity

Loan

Applications

for

the

to

scheme

are

now

closed

Read

the

Homebuyers

guide

to

Help

to

Buy

Equity

Loan

for

more

information

Manage

your

Help

to

Buy

loan

Read

guidance

on

how

to

remortgage

your

Help

to

Buy

home

make

structural

alterations

to

your

Help

to

Buy

home

sublet

your

Help

to

Buy

home

change

ownership

of

your

Help

to

Buy

home

Buying

through

shared

ownership

When

you

buy

a

home

through

a

shared

ownership

scheme

you

buy

a

share

of

the

property

and

pay

rent

on

the

rest

The

share

you

can

buy

is

usually

between

and

You

can

buy

a

share

on

some

homes

There

are

different

rules

on

shared

ownership

in

Scotland

shared

ownership

in

Wales

shared

ownership

in

Northern

Ireland

Eligibility

You

can

buy

a

home

through

shared

ownership

if

both

of

the

following

apply

your

household

earns

a

year

or

less

a

year

or

less

in

London

you

can

not

afford

all

of

the

deposit

and

mortgage

payments

for

a

home

that

meets

your

needs

One

of

the

following

must

also

be

true

you

’re

a

first

time

buyer

you

used

to

own

a

home

but

can

not

afford

to

buy

one

now

you

own

a

home

and

want

to

move

but

can

not

afford

a

new

home

suitable

for

your

needs

you

’re

forming

a

new

household

for

example

after

a

relationship

breakdown

you

’re

an

existing

shared

owner

and

want

to

move

Some

shared

ownership

homes

in

a

designated

protected

area

are

only

available

to

buy

if

you

have

a

connection

to

the

area

If

you

buy

one

of

these

homes

you

may

only

be

able

to

buy

a

share

of

up

to

must

sell

it

back

to

the

landlord

or

a

buyer

nominated

by

the

landlord

you

can

not

sell

your

home

on

the

open

market

If

you

own

a

home

When

you

apply

for

shared

ownership

you

must

have

accepted

an

offer

for

the

sale

of

your

current

home

called

sold

subject

to

contract

or

STC

written

confirmation

of

the

sale

agreed

called

a

memorandum

of

sale

including

the

price

and

your

intention

to

sell

You

must

have

completed

the

sale

of

your

home

on

or

before

the

date

you

complete

your

shared

ownership

purchase

How

it

works

Shared

ownership

properties

are

always

leasehold

properties

Older

people

If

you

’re

aged

or

over

you

can

buy

up

to

of

your

home

through

the

Older

People

’s

Shared

Ownership

OPSO

scheme

Once

you

own

you

will

not

pay

rent

on

the

rest

Disabled

people

You

can

apply

for

a

scheme

called

home

ownership

for

people

with

a

long

term

disability

HOLD

if

other

Help

to

Buy

scheme

properties

do

not

meet

your

needs

for

example

you

need

a

ground

floor

property

Buying

more

shares

You

can

buy

more

of

your

home

after

you

become

the

owner

This

is

known

as

staircasing

You

can

buy

shares

of

or

more

at

any

time

If

you

bought

your

house

in

you

may

also

be

able

to

buy

shares

of

each

year

for

the

first

years

Ask

your

landlord

if

this

applies

to

you

You

can

not

buy

shares

of

or

The

cost

of

your

new

share

will

depend

on

how

much

your

home

is

worth

when

you

want

to

buy

the

share

It

will

cost

more

than

your

first

share

if

property

prices

in

your

area

have

gone

up

less

than

your

first

share

if

property

prices

in

your

area

have

gone

down

If

you

want

to

buy

a

share

of

or

more

you

’ll

need

to

pay

for

a

valuation

by

a

surveyor

Your

landlord

will

let

you

know

whether

they

’ll

arrange

the

valuation

or

you

need

to

arrange

it

yourself

The

surveyor

must

be

registered

with

the

Royal

Institution

of

Chartered

Surveyors

RICS

Your

landlord

will

tell

you

the

price

of

the

share

after

the

valuation

If

you

want

to

buy

a

share

the

price

will

be

based

on

the

original

price

of

your

house

increased

or

decreased

in

line

with

the

House

Price

Index

HPI

Your

landlord

will

give

you

a

HPI

valuation

at

least

once

a

year

and

whenever

you

ask

to

buy

a

share

Selling

your

home

If

you

own

a

share

of

your

home

the

landlord

has

the

right

to

find

a

buyer

for

your

home

The

landlord

also

has

the

right

to

buy

it

first

known

as

first

option

to

buy

or

pre

emption

You

can

sell

your

share

yourself

if

the

landlord

does

not

find

a

buyer

and

they

do

not

want

to

buy

it

themselves

If

you

own

of

your

home

you

can

sell

it

yourself

How

to

apply

To

buy

a

shared

ownership

home

you

need

to

register

with

the

Help

to

Buy

agent

in

the

area

where

you

want

to

live

North

Find

out

how

to

register

and

apply

for

shared

ownership

in

the

north

Midlands

and

London

Find

out

how

to

register

and

apply

for

shared

ownership

in

the

Midlands

and

London

South

excluding

London

Find

out

how

to

register

and

apply

for

shared

ownership

in

the

south

Help

to

Buy

ISA

You

can

no

longer

open

a

Help

to

Buy

ISA

If

you

already

have

a

Help

to

Buy

ISA

You

can

pay

in

up

to

each

month

The

government

will

top

up

your

savings

by

up

to

when

you

buy

your

first

home

If

you

are

buying

with

someone

who

also

has

a

Help

to

Buy

ISA

both

of

you

will

get

the

bonus

You

can

pay

into

the

ISA

until

November

You

can

claim

the

bonus

until

November

When

you

buy

your

property

The

home

you

buy

must

have

a

purchase

price

of

up

to

or

up

to

in

London

be

the

only

home

you

own

be

where

you

intend

to

live

Your

solicitor

or

conveyancer

will

apply

for

the

extra

You

do

not

have

to

pay

it

back

You

can

use

the

scheme

with

an

equity

loan


Overview

You

can

get

information

about

registered

property

or

land

in

England

and

Wales

even

if

you

do

not

own

it

The

type

of

information

you

can

get

includes

the

title

register

who

owns

the

property

or

land

and

any

rights

of

way

title

number

the

unique

number

given

to

a

property

or

piece

of

land

title

plan

the

property

or

land

’s

location

and

boundaries

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

Search

the

land

and

property

register

Get

copies

of

title

register

and

title

plan

by

searching

the

register

Search

the

land

and

property

index

map

Ask

for

a

search

of

the

index

map

if

a

property

does

n’t

come

up

on

a

search

of

the

register

Get

a

copy

of

the

deeds

You

may

be

able

to

find

out

current

and

past

information

about

a

registered

property

such

as

its

previous

owners

by

requesting

a

copy

of

the

deeds

Search

property

prices

Get

information

about

property

prices

by

searching

the

house

price

index

and

the

price

paid

data

service

Search

the

register

HM

Land

Registry

holds

records

about

most

property

or

land

sold

in

England

or

Wales

since

including

the

title

register

title

plan

and

title

summary

Search

the

online

register

Search

the

register

by

address

or

location

If

a

property

does

not

appear

in

a

search

it

may

be

filed

under

the

wrong

address

Ask

for

a

search

of

the

index

map

instead

Title

register

The

title

register

has

details

about

the

property

or

land

in

a

PDF

It

includes

the

title

number

who

owns

it

what

they

paid

for

it

properties

only

if

available

any

rights

of

way

whether

a

mortgage

on

it

has

been

discharged

for

example

paid

off

Title

summary

The

title

summary

viewable

online

includes

the

title

number

who

owns

it

what

they

paid

for

it

whether

the

property

is

freehold

or

leasehold

known

as

tenure

the

lender

’s

name

and

address

if

there

is

a

mortgage

on

the

property

The

lease

will

have

more

information

if

the

property

is

a

leasehold

Title

plan

The

title

plan

is

a

map

showing

the

property

’s

location

the

general

boundaries

there

’s

usually

no

record

of

exact

boundaries

Buy

copies

of

the

information

You

can

download

online

copies

of

the

information

for

a

fee

but

you

can

not

use

them

as

proof

of

ownership

To

get

copies

to

use

as

proof

of

ownership

for

example

in

a

court

case

order

official

copies

Ordering

official

copies

Download

and

fill

in

an

application

for

official

copies

of

documents

and

send

it

to

HM

Land

Registry

with

your

fee

Your

copies

will

arrive

in

less

than

a

week

Fees

Document

Fee

Title

register

online

copy

Title

plan

online

copy

with

VAT

Title

register

official

copy

Title

plan

official

copy

Rights

over

adjoining

land

and

property

boundaries

The

title

register

may

give

you

details

about

rights

over

adjoining

land

Apply

for

a

copy

of

the

deeds

if

you

need

more

information

Title

plans

only

give

general

boundary

information

There

’s

usually

no

record

of

exact

boundaries

Get

historical

title

registers

You

may

be

able

to

find

out

who

owned

the

property

before

the

current

owner

from

a

historical

title

register

It

can

also

be

useful

if

you

’re

trying

to

find

out

how

old

a

property

is

Ask

HM

Land

Registry

to

search

who

owned

the

property

for

a

specific

date

or

multiple

dates

For

properties

registered

before

Contact

HM

Land

Registry

with

the

title

number

or

address

of

the

property

date

or

dates

you

’re

applying

for

They

’ll

search

their

records

and

tell

you

if

they

have

a

copy

and

how

to

apply

for

it

For

properties

registered

after

Download

and

fill

in

form

Send

the

form

to

HM

Land

Registry

along

with

for

each

date

you

’re

applying

for

The

results

of

your

search

will

arrive

in

less

than

a

week

If

you

do

not

know

the

date

you

’re

searching

for

contact

HM

Land

Registry

Search

the

index

map

The

index

map

contains

information

on

all

land

and

property

that

’s

registered

or

being

registered

with

HM

Land

Registry

Use

it

to

find

the

title

number

of

a

property

that

does

not

appear

in

a

search

of

the

register

Some

properties

do

not

appear

in

a

search

of

the

register

because

the

property

boundaries

have

changed

since

it

was

registered

or

the

property

address

has

been

spelled

incorrectly

for

example

How

to

search

You

can

not

search

the

map

yourself

You

should

provide

the

address

of

the

land

or

property

if

it

has

one

If

the

land

or

property

can

not

be

identified

by

the

address

you

can

provide

a

plan

which

clearly

identifies

the

land

or

property

an

Ordnance

Survey

map

reference

for

the

land

or

property

Download

and

fill

in

the

application

form

and

send

it

to

HM

Land

Registry

HM

Land

Registry

will

send

you

the

search

results

including

the

title

number

or

numbers

under

which

the

land

or

property

is

registered

You

can

use

them

to

search

the

register

The

search

will

also

confirm

if

the

property

or

land

is

unregistered

How

much

it

costs

It

costs

to

search

an

area

covering

up

to

registered

titles

If

your

search

covers

more

than

titles

HM

Land

Registry

will

contact

you

with

an

updated

fee

You

’ll

be

charged

for

groups

of

additional

titles

How

long

it

takes

The

results

of

your

search

will

arrive

in

less

than

a

week

If

you

’re

searching

the

index

map

to

apply

for

home

rights

You

must

write

This

search

is

being

made

solely

for

the

purposes

of

the

Family

Law

Act

across

the

top

of

the

application

form

Get

a

copy

of

the

deeds

You

may

be

able

to

find

out

current

and

past

information

about

a

registered

property

such

as

its

previous

owners

in

the

deeds

The

register

may

give

more

details

about

rights

over

adjoining

land

HM

Land

Registry

does

not

store

original

paper

deeds

How

to

request

a

copy

of

the

deeds

Find

out

if

the

property

or

land

is

registered

Pay

to

download

a

copy

of

the

title

register

If

the

deeds

are

marked

as

filed

in

the

register

then

HM

Land

Registry

has

a

scanned

copy

Fill

in

the

deeds

request

form

using

the

property

’s

title

number

from

the

title

register

Your

search

may

return

no

results

if

HM

Land

Registry

does

not

hold

a

scanned

copy

of

the

deeds

The

deeds

could

be

made

up

of

several

documents

Each

official

copy

of

a

document

costs

Send

your

completed

form

and

payment

to

HM

Land

Registry

Copies

of

deeds

can

not

be

used

to

prove

ownership

for

example

in

a

court

case

Get

official

copies

of

the

title

register

instead

If

you

’re

a

business

Register

for

business

e

services

if

you

’re

a

business

that

needs

to

manage

multiple

searches

and

download

multiple

copies

of

documents

Search

for

property

prices

You

can

search

for

how

much

a

property

sold

for

in

England

or

Wales

You

can

correct

information

about

the

sale

price

if

you

find

any

incorrect

records

You

can

also

search

UK

house

price

averages

by

region

county

or

local

authority

on

the

house

price

index