Property

A Church Legal Compliance Checklist

The Charity Commission. Employment law. Property Regulations. Data Protection. Sometimes complying with the law can seem complicated and burdensome to churches. Which policies and procedures do churches legally need? We’re here to help. We at Edward Connor Solicitors understand that churches want to be legally compliant as part of their service to Jesus and we … Read more …

Man signing a contract when buying a new house

Disposing of charity land – changes to requirements

Charities must comply with certain legal requirements before they ‘dispose’ of land they own (whether that be selling, transferring, or leasing land). It is therefore important that churches and other Christian charities know their obligations. The Charities Act 2022 As we have reported on in an earlier article, the Charities Act 2022 introduces a raft … Read more …

What will Martyn’s Law mean for churches and Christian ministries?

Until now protective security at UK venues has been entirely voluntary. ‘Martyn’s Law’ will change this, bringing in legal requirements for many venues – including churches – to ensure public safety on their premises. Background Following the Manchester Arena bombing attack in 2017, Martyn’s Law aims at preventing such acts of terrorism. While clearly having … Read more …

Your church premises and the Equality Act

Your church building is a great asset and a valuable resource. It enables your church family to meet on Sundays and other groups to meet in the week. It may be a means of reaching out to your community and caring for those in need. Sometimes, a church building can be used to generate income … Read more …

Residential Conveyancing and Serving Jesus

NB: We are in the process of reviewing the contents of this article in the light of the changes recently introduced to the Charities Act. As Christians we are called to serve God in all we do. Part of this is stewarding our resources well. What do you need to think about when your church … Read more …

Selling Charity Property

NB: We are in the process of reviewing the contents of this article in the light of the changes recently introduced to the Charities Act. Please note in this article we assume that all churches or organisations are charities and therefore need to comply with charity law.   There are many different reasons why you … Read more …

Building Projects

NB: We are in the process of reviewing the contents of this article in the light of the changes recently introduced to the Charities Act. Please note in this article we assume that all churches or organisations are charities and therefore need to comply with charity law.   A building project can be an exciting … Read more …

Use of Charity Property by a Third Party

NB: We are in the process of reviewing the contents of this article in the light of the changes recently introduced to the Charities Act.   A charity’s property is a great resource and a gift from God. You may be approached by someone from your community who would like to hire your property for … Read more …

row of houses

New requirements for ASTs

If your church or Christian organisation is the landlord of residential property leased using an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (‘AST’) then there have been some amendments to the law that you need to know about. From October 1st 2018, all ASTs in England are subject to the Deregulation Act 2015 (DA 2015) even if they were … Read more …

Letting Out A Church Manse

NB: We are in the process of reviewing the contents of this article in the light of the changes recently introduced to the Charities Act. Please note that the following advice only refers to churches in England due to differing regulations in the rest of the UK.   For a church that has a manse, … Read more …