Yorkieabroad

Just scanned the link quickly, but it didn't seem to address residency (or non-residency). If you are not resident for tax purposes in the UK, then you will not be liable to UK CGT on the sale of any property, main residence or not.

Elvira

Are you sure???

This would seem too easy - move abroad for a while and save a fortune on CGT...

Yorkieabroad

Essentially, Yes, I am sure.
Going abroad for a couple of weeks in the sun isn't going to cut it, but if you meet the qualifications for being non-tax resident, then you are exempt from UK CGT. Can't remember the requirements offhand, but I'm sure you can look them up on the IR website, or check with your tax advisor. Also make sure you don't return to the UK and become tax resident again in the year after you sell the property, otherwise you might screw things up.....

Lynne

You should know from when you fill in your yearly tax returns for the UK declaring your rent and maintenance deductions. Although not applicable now, at the time you came here if you had a mortgage and no longer got tax relief then you were non resident. Once I moved to the UK and started renting my house I wrote to HMIT requesting non resident tax status.

If your house is not costing you anything and you don't desperately need the money here, then I would keep it. If you think about what you will get when you sell it and compare the interest you would earn on that money versus the rent, you will be better off renting it. The only reason we sold our house was because it was coming up 25 years old and getting close to needing a new heating system and other major works, all of which we would be responsible for.