Author: Bishop & Sewell

There has been a fair amount of legislative change proposed recently that will be of relevance to leaseholders and freeholders!

There have been numerous reforms, and a great deal of talk about future changes, since the Government announced that it was going to tackle the question of reforming leasehold ownership.

The proposal for a Leasehold and Freehold Bill in the King’s Speech on 7 November 2023 demonstrates an ongoing and determined commitment by the government to reform of the residential leasehold sector – and for leaseholders and freeholders, there are immediate questions and considerations.

This month I have been asked to discuss ‘disputes’ in the realm of landlord and tenant law. Simply put: where would you like to start?

“The levying of service charges by landlords under leases of residential property in respect of their expenditure upon repairs and the provision of other services has for long been controversial.”

It is important to understand that purchasing the freehold in the context of a block of flats is a collective action rather than an individual right. There are two main ways in which leaseholders can buy their freeholds, either in response to a notice served by the freeholder to sell…

Rhian Radia suggests that businesses should keep policies up to date and adopt zero-tolerance on all allegations of bullying and harassment.

Laurent Vaughan outlines the process by which flat owners can take control of their block via the Right to Manage process.

Laurent Vaughan, a Senior Associate in Bishop & Sewell’s Landlord & Tenant team, considers service charges and the need for leasehold reform. The Government focused on onerous ground rents last year when it introduced legislation which would effectively put an end to freeholders being able to charge ground rent when…

The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 received Royal Assent on 8th February 2022 and will come into force on 30th June 2022.