Autumn Budget Update - How it could affect your Property.

In today’s Autumn Statement the Chancellor announced that from 1 April 2016 buy-to-let landlords and people buying second homes will face paying Stamp Duty Land Tax at a rate 3% above the current rate. 

There will be exemptions for certain types of properties such as mobile homes and houseboats, and for companies and funds making “significant investments in residential properties”.  The government will also be consulting on an exemption for companies and funds owning more than 15 residential properties.  The Chancellor believes that this will raise £1 billion over the next six years. 

This comes on top of the reduction in tax relief on mortgage payments announced in the summer Budget which is due to affect buy-to-let landlords from 2017. 

There seems to be a clear intention on the part of the government to shift focus from the private rented sector – certainly in relation to “amateur” buy-to-let landlords – to home ownership for all, as evidenced by the announcement of the extension of the Help to Buy scheme in London, additional funding for the government’s starter homes programme and more funds being earmarked to build Housing Association shared ownership properties.