Services
Service Charges
After the Grenfell tower disaster, the spotlight on how landlords are charging leaseholders for fire safety works and cladding replacement has come into sharp focus. These are just one kind of costs you pay through your service charge
Your obligations to pay service charges are governed by the terms of your lease and the law. The starting point is always your lease
Some landlords are creating service charge accounts and billing leaseholders at times and in amounts not permitted by leases
The standard service charge clause in many leases provides for the landlord to estimate service charges in advance each year. The leaseholder pays the amount estimated, usually in two instalments six months apart
If you have received a service charge demand for a large sum of money or if you are confused about how much you are paying, or the frequency or the times you are being charged, we may be able to help
We can give you a free appraisal and advise on your options to reduce the amount you pay or receive a reimbursement
Lease Extensions
Due to a quirk in English Law all homes in larger buildings are leasehold. Leases are wasting assets
The only way to maintain the value of your leasehold home is to extend your lease. Typically, lease of flats and apartments are sold on leases for 125 years. As the term of the lease reduces year by year, the value of your home reduces. Once there are 70 years or less remaining on your lease your home will become difficult to sell
The Lease Advisory Service advises on how to extend your lease on the best terms and at the lowest cost
There are two methods of extending your lease. By agreement with your landlord or by notice under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993
The better method is by notice under the Act, because this gives you the right to extend your lease by 90 years on the same terms as your existing lease and the premium you pay is determined by a professional valuer
If you negotiate an extension with your landlord, you have none of the protections afforded by the law, you will get fewer years added to the lease and the terms of the new lease will be less favourable to you. That is why Landlords usually encourage leaseholders to renew by agreement because it nearly always results in a better deal for the landlord
We advise on the advantages of renewing by notice under the Act in accordance with the law, and we guide you through the process from start to finish
Disputes
All kinds of dispute can arise between homeowners and their landlord
You might be concerned about service charge bills, or the state of repair of your building, or any other disagreement or complaint affecting your home or the treatment you receive from your landlord
It can often appear that the only way to resolve these kinds of dispute is to go to law. We specialise in finding alternative ways to resolve disputes, through dialogue and negotiation, saving costs and achieving quicker results