Notable Notaries

Meet the Team: Giovanni Serra.

Giovanni’s academic and professional journey spans three different jurisdictions. He earned his Master’s degree in Law from the University of Sassari in Italy and expanded his horizons with extensive studies in Spanish law at the University of Barcelona.

To complement his European background, Giovanni later completed the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) in the United Kingdom.

Giovanni is qualified as a Notary Public in England and Wales. He specialises in handling Italian and Spanish notarial matters alongside his English practice.

Fully fluent in English, Italian, and Spanish, he is able to seamlessly assist clients in any of these languages, ensuring that international documents are flawlessly authenticated and prepared for use abroad.

L'eccellenza italiana trionfa a Roma: le congratulazioni di Notable Notaries a Jannik Sinner.

Ieri abbiamo assistito a una pagina memorabile per lo sport italiano: a 50 anni dall'ultimo storico trionfo di Adriano Panatta, Jannik Sinner ha conquistato gli ATP Masters 1000 di Roma, regalando un’immensa emozione a tutta la nostra nazione e, in modo speciale, alla vasta comunità italiana che vive e lavora qui a Londra.

Notable Notaries si unisce con entusiasmo all'orgoglio di tutti i connazionali nel fare i più sentiti complimenti a questo straordinario atleta. Jannik non rappresenta soltanto il talento puro, ma incarna valori fondamentali come la dedizione assoluta, lo spirito di sacrificio e il costante perseguimento dell'eccellenza. È un modello d'ispirazione per le nuove generazioni, un esempio di come l'impegno costante porti a superare ogni confine e a raggiungere vette internazionali.

Guidati da questa stessa ricerca della precisione e dell'eccellenza, in Notable Notaries supportiamo quotidianamente la comunità italiana a Londra e le imprese che creano ponti tra il Regno Unito e l'Italia.

Proprio come nello sport ai massimi livelli ogni dettaglio fa la differenza, anche nel nostro lavoro assistiamo privati e aziende con la massima accuratezza, offrendo servizi notarili specializzati, traduzioni certificate e legalizzazioni consolari (Apostille) con un team multilingue dedicato. Il nostro obiettivo è far sentire i nostri connazionali a casa, garantendo la massima validità internazionale ai loro documenti societari e personali.

Complimenti ancora, Jannik! Orgoglio italiano nel mondo. 🇮🇹🎾

Scopri come supportiamo la comunità italiana a Londra: https://www.notablenotaries.co.uk/it/

Potential wider impacts of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, now in force.

What's new:

Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, landlords in the private rented sector can no longer carry out ‘no fault’ evictions under section 21 Housing Act 1988. Evictions will be possible for valid reasons including anti-social behaviour and serious rent arrears.
Fixed term tenancies have been abolished, replaced automatically by ‘periodic’ assured tenancies which will proceed on a monthly rolling basis.

There is a new procedure for rent increases, capped at once per year. Rental bidding has been banned and the payment of rent in advance has been restricted.

Who is Affected:

Landlords and tenants in the private sector. Families and tenants on benefits will benefit from stronger anti-discrimination protections. Local authorities will be given stronger powers for enforcement and investigation. Specific advice should be sought regarding student lettings.

Key dates:

From 1 May 2026, phase 1 reforms are in force to the private rented sector. From late 2026, all landlords will need to register with a central PRS database and pay a yearly fee. In 2028 it is expected that the landlord ombudsman scheme will be fully operational. By 2030, rented homes must meet EPC C standard for energy efficiency, unless exempt.

Immediate and wider potential implications:
These are wide-reaching reforms which will have significant impacts in many areas. Even in anticipation of these reforms, many landlords have already taken the decision to sell their property, leading to an increase in property sales which could put pressure on house prices to fall, potentially leading to opportunities for more first-time buyers. It could also lead to a greater share of the rental market being held by commercial landlords rather than private landlords with small portfolios.

In regard to property sale transactions, many banks, estate agents and solicitors accept copy ID and proof of address certified by a notary for their AML checks. If you would like help with copy identification documents or an ID1 form, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Finally, as the reforms prohibit landlords from taking more than one month’s rent in advance, new solutions will need to be found for tenants who have recently arrived in the UK and do not yet have a credit score.

What is a notary? Why do I need one?

A Notary Public of England and Wales.

Notaries Public are trained legal professionals whose primary function is to oversee the proper ex*****on of documents and who also play an important role in the prevention of fraud and as gatekeepers for anti-money laundering purposes.

The qualification process for Notaries Public includes a law degree, the Notarial Practice Course, a criminal record check and extensive good character references.

In England and Wales, Notaries Public are regulated through the Faculty Office and are held to high standards in terms of their work.

They must properly identify all parties to a document and if a company is to be represented, they must check that the signatory has been expressly authorised to represent the company. They must also check the mental capacity of each signatory and keep records of their work.

Notarial certification

Notaries Public issue notarial acts, sometimes referred to as notarial certifications, by affixing their signature and embossed seal to a document.

The value of a notarial certification is not in the seal and signature itself, but in the wording of the notarial certification and the trust that is placed in their statements on a global scale. The notarial certification provides evidence that the document has been properly executed and the signatory properly identified so that the document can be accepted for use in many different foreign jurisdictions.

Who might need a Notary and why?

Certification by a Notary Public is often required to evidence the proper ex*****on of a document which is to be submitted to an overseas body or institution. UK companies with subsidiaries overseas may be requested to have a confirmation of the existence and representation of the UK parent company issued by a Notary Public of England and Wales.

UK banks and employers increasingly request the certification by a Notary Public on copy identification documents. Notaries Public can also take oaths and affidavits for use in court and act as Commissioners for Oaths.