Property & Land
for Charities & Faith Groups
Property is often one of the most valuable — and sensitive — assets a charity or faith-based organisation owns.
Whether you are purchasing a new building, managing a church hall, refinancing existing property or navigating complex occupation arrangements, decisions must balance legal risk, financial stewardship and your organisation's wider mission.
How We Support Charities and Faith Groups
Property and land services
Buying and selling charity property
Purchase and sale of land and buildings; church buildings, halls and community spaces; residential and mixed-use property; development land.
Church buildings and places of worship
Churches and chapels, halls and community buildings, ancillary residential property, shared or multi-use spaces.
Leases, licences and occupation arrangements
Leases and underleases, licences to occupy, occupational arrangements for ministers, workers and caretakers, shared use agreements, regularising informal arrangements.
Refinancing, lending and equity release
Secured lending and refinancing, liaising with lenders and funders, reviewing loan documentation.
Development, projects and future use
Development projects, change of use and redevelopment, structuring property use to support charitable activities.
A trustee-focused, proportionate approach
Our advice is clear and jargon-free, proportionate to your organisation's size, and focused on risk management rather than over-engineering. We understand that trustees carry personal responsibility and that decisions must withstand scrutiny.
What we do not advise on
We do not advise on charity law regulation, Charity Commission consents, or constitutional matters. Where specialist charity regulatory advice is required, we will identify this early and help you source suitable input.
Fees and affordability
Where possible we provide clear fee estimates at the outset, offer fixed or capped fees for defined work, and keep advice proportionate. See our Fees & Pro Bono page for more detail.
Client Experiences
What Charities & Trustees Say
“PDA Law guided our trustees through the sale of a redundant church building and the acquisition of a new community hub. They understood the Charity Commission requirements, the trustee obligations and the practical pressures we faced — and delivered a smooth transaction on time.”
Trustees, North West Church
Property disposal & acquisition, Chester area
* Details anonymised to protect client confidentiality. Experiences reflect genuine client engagements.
Free Resource Guides
Download our free guides for charity trustees — including the trustee guidance notes, lease checklist and SDLT exemption guide.
8 pages · Free Guide
Trustee Guidance Notes
Duties, responsibilities & decision-making
A practical reference guide for charity trustees covering their core legal duties, decision-making obligations, Charity Commission requirements and how to protect themselves from personal liability.
- Core trustee duties under the Charities Act 2011 (as amended by the Charities Act 2022)
- Key changes introduced by the Charities Act 2022: easier disposal of charity land, relaxed trustee benefit and payment rules, and simplified merger procedures
- Acting in the best interests of the charity
- Managing conflicts of interest
- Trustee decision-making and resolutions
- Charity Commission reporting obligations
- Personal liability — when trustees are at risk
- Property transactions: what trustees must do
5 pages · Free Guide
Charity Lease Checklist
Before you sign — key points for trustees
A step-by-step checklist for charity trustees reviewing or negotiating a lease. Covers the key clauses to check, the questions to ask your solicitor, and the trustee resolutions required before exchange.
- Lease term, break clauses and renewal rights
- Rent review provisions and frequency
- Repairing obligations — full repairing and insuring leases
- Alterations and fit-out rights
- Assignment and subletting restrictions
- Charity Commission consent requirements
- Trustee resolutions before exchange
6 pages · Free Guide
SDLT & Stamp Duty Guide for Charities
Charities are exempt from Stamp Duty Land Tax
A clear guide to Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) for charities. Charities are exempt from SDLT on property purchases where the property is held for charitable purposes — this guide explains the exemption, how to claim it and the conditions that apply.
- What is Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)?
- The charity SDLT exemption — how it works
- Conditions for claiming the exemption
- What "held for charitable purposes" means
- Mixed-use properties and partial exemption
- How to claim the exemption on your SDLT return
- Clawback provisions — when the exemption is lost
Your Specialist Solicitors
Paul D'Ambrogio
Founding Director & Solicitor
Paul D'Ambrogio is the founding Director of PDA Law with 30 years' experience as a qualified solicitor. He has guided clients through an extraordinary range of legal matters — from individuals seeking straightforward advice to charities for whom PDA Law has become an integral part of their mission. Paul understands that clients are not merely paying for legal services — they are people with real problems, reaching out for help at some of the most challenging moments of their lives.
Ana Pestana
Solicitor — Commercial Property
Ana is a commercial property solicitor with several years' post-qualification experience advising institutional investors, developers, landlords, tenants, lenders and corporate occupiers on transactional and advisory real estate matters. She brings a thorough, commercially minded approach to every instruction, ensuring clients receive clear, practical advice at every stage of their transaction.
Get in Touch
Make an enquiry
Tell us about your property or land matter. We will review your details and be in touch within one working day.
Related Charity Legal Services
Supported Housing, Tenancies & Licensing
Specialist advice for charities housing vulnerable people. Critical changes from 1 May 2026.
Leases, Licences & Occupation
Leases, licences to occupy, ministerial housing and shared use agreements.
Buying, Selling & Development
Property acquisitions, disposals and development projects for charities.
Speak to a charity property solicitor
Clear, proportionate property advice for charities and faith-based organisations — costs explained before any work begins.
No obligation — talk through your options first. Clear fees confirmed in writing.