This is the sort of thing that has fuelled the ludicrous price rises for property that have put most ordinary folk out of the housing market.
She will get clobbered by capital gains tax though as she hasn't lived in long enough to avoid paying it - the owner (like most property speculators) is scum for doing this particularly when there haven't even been any improvements done. I just wish buyers would avoid this flat but it won't happen, sadly it's a sellers market and desperate people will still buy.

Jan