Residential Leasehold Solicitors
Leasehold residential property can be complex, whether you own the freehold of a development of leasehold properties, manage that development or own a lease of a flat or house on a leasehold development.
Historically, Bournemouth has had one of the greater concentrations of leasehold properties outside of London. Preston Redman’s long- standing connection with landed estates and larger freehold owners in the area has given us a wealth of experience in this field. We advise landlords, freeholders, management companies, resident management companies and leaseholders across the country on all aspects of residential leasehold from purchasing your flat, day- to- day lease and management questions, setting up lease schemes, extending leases, collective enfranchisement, freehold sales, the right to manage and matters before the Courts and Tribunals.
How Preston Redman Can Help
Our team of specialist Residential Leasehold Solicitors can advise you on:
- Claims to an extended lease
- Negotiating claims to the freehold acquisition of a building (enfranchisement)
- The right to manage a building
- The tenant’s right of pre-emption under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987
- Service charge problems
- Landlord and tenant matters generally
We give clear, practical advice at every stage, helping you understand your rights, obligations and options so that matters can be resolved as efficiently as possible.
Claims to an Extended Lease
If you own a leasehold property it is important to know how long your lease is.
Once the remaining term of your lease (amount of time you own the property for) drops below 80 years this can affect its value, it can be more expensive to extend your lease, and you may encounter difficulties with securing a mortgage against it. To prevent these problems occurring, long leaseholders can extend the term of their lease.
Preston Redman can provide expert advice to landlords who need to respond to a tenant’s claim, and to tenants who wish to extend their lease.
Negotiating Claims to the Freehold Acquisition of a Building (Enfranchisement)
If you are a leaseholder you may wish to exercise your right to buy the freehold of your property. If you own a flat, this would usually be collectively with other leaseholders of the building. This process is known as enfranchisement.
At Preston Redman we have specialist lawyers who can:
- Guide you through the process of purchasing the freehold of a property, either as an individual or collectively with the other tenants in your building
- For landlords, deal with the work involved when receiving notice of a tenant’s claim to purchase a freehold
- Advise both landlords and tenants on the complicated statutory processes involved
The Right to Manage a Building
Many leaseholders want to be more in control of the management of their building without buying the freehold. The Right to Manage (RTM) is a legal process which allows them to do just that.
Our team at Preston Redman has experience in advising both landlords and tenants in all aspects of an RTM claim. We can:
-Guide you through the process of setting up a right to manage company, either together with the tenants in your building or individually, and advise on the statutory process involved in acquiring the right to manage
-For landlords, deal with the tenant’s right to manage claim under the statutory procedure
Tenant’s Right of Pre-Emption Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987
If a landlord wants to sell a property which contains flats they must offer qualifying tenants the right of first refusal to buy the freehold before offering it to anyone else. Our property team is very experienced in advising both landlords and tenants on the statutory procedures associated with this. Preston Redman can:
- Advise landlords on your obligations and help you ensure you comply with the statutory procedure
- Advise tenants on your rights, important timeframes and the collective decision-making process
Service Charge Problems
Preston Redman’s experienced team supports both landlords and tenants where a service charge dispute arises. We can review the lease and explain what services a landlord must provide in return for the tenant’s service charge contributions.
- For tenants, we can then explain your rights under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and help you exercise them. In the case of dispute, we can advise you on making an application to the First-Tier Tribunal.
- For landlords, we can explain your obligations under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and help you deal with problems where a tenant is not complying with the terms of their lease.
Landlord and Tenant Matters Generally
We can assist you with a wide range of landlord and tenant problems, including:
- Variations to leases
- Regaining possession of a property
- Leasehold covenant disputes
- Alterations to leasehold property
- Making applications to the First Tier Property Tribunal
Why choose Preston Redman?
Bournemouth has one of the highest concentrations of leasehold property outside London, and Preston Redman's long-standing connections with landed estates and freehold owners in the area mean we've built up genuine depth of experience in this specialist field. Our residential leasehold team advises landlords, freeholders, management companies and leaseholders across the country, not just locally.
We use modern case-management technology to keep applications and negotiations on track, but leasehold law is technical, and the stakes are real. Knowing exactly which statutory process applies, and how to use it, is where our experience counts. Contact us today.
Need help with residential leasehold?
If you are a landlord, freeholder, management company, leaseholder or tenant dealing with a residential leasehold issue, contact us to discuss how we can help.
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