REMF66: Real Estate Law

Module code: REMF66

Module provider: Real Estate and Planning; Henley Business School

Credits: 20

Level: 7

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Ms Christina Walton-Pocock, email: christina.walton-pocock@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 19 November 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module is designed to help students develop a conceptual and practical understanding of the legal environment in which real estate operates in England and Wales.

Students will gain a systematic appreciation of the legal framework governing the rights and obligations which attach to owners and occupiers of real property.

Students will explore the key issues of ownership, transfer, use and enjoyment of freehold and leasehold land relevant to a real estate professional, in their practical and commercial contexts. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

• Demonstrate a systematic knowledge and conceptual understanding of the legal principles governing the ownership and transfer of land and the rights which can be enjoyed by one person over land of another;
• Demonstrate a systematic knowledge and conceptual understanding of the principal liabilities, obligations and rights arising between landlords and tenants;
• Critically evaluate how these principles impact on the ownership and occupation of real estate, and demonstrate a critical awareness of current legal issues affecting land owners and occupiers;
• Critically analyse hypothetical scenarios from a legal perspective and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of techniques required to apply and evaluate the law in order to formulate original advice.

Module content

• Estates and interests in land, their creation, transfer and protection; 
• Legal and equitable property interests; 
• Third party rights in land affecting a freehold estate; 
• The land registration system; 
• The essential characteristics of a lease and the key features of leasehold property; 
• The alienation of leasehold property; 
• The principal leasehold covenants, both express and implied and remedies for breach of covenant; 
• The statutory protection of business tenancies. 

Bibliography: 

Bray, J. (2022). Unlocking Land Law. 7th ed. London, Routledge. 

Walsh, E. (2018). A Guide to Landlord and Tenant Law. 1st ed. London, Routledge. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Three hours of in-person teaching per week comprising a mixture of lectures andseminars involving practical application and discussion.   

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Participation in seminars will allow students to receive formative feedback on their application of key legal principles and concepts.

One mock examination in the same style and format as the summative examinationto be attempted by the students at a time of their own choosing.

Reassessment

Additional costs