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QUESTION I am a leaseholder of a flat for which the freeholder has appointed a managing agent.  The managing agent is paid to provide the usual full range of services. In the event of there being matters that need to be attended who do I approach in the first instance?  The managing agent or the freeholder? ANSWER Where a landlord has appointed managing agents, this means that the day to day management of the building moves away from the landlord to the managing agents. Therefore, all issues such as repa

Developers might assume that the answer is to simply pack flat leases with the appropriate development rights. Unfortunately the case of Snowball Asset Limited v Huntsmore House (Freehold) Limited [2015] UKUT 0338(LC) has shown this may not be sufficient protection. Developers may be surprised to hear that for example express rights reserved by the flat leases were ineffective in the face of the way in which the scheme had been marketed for sale originally. This case demonstrates the need for freeholders

12 months ago Colin Horton, who is the Managing Director of Under 80 Ltd set up the Young Leasehold Professionals Association. 12 months later and the group now has over 220 members and has hosted a number of hugely successful networking events. The events are not your standard networking events, they offer the guests not only free drinks but a relaxed and informal atmosphere which is key for building the long lasting business relationships that will shape the leasehold industry in the years to come. Howe

QUESTION Our Managing agent has been charging us twice the amount of service charge on the basis of unit cost as per flat. ​The lease says 0.226%  and they have been charging 0.496%. They even went to court to demand the unpaid service charges and legal costs which were paid. The Solicitors never managed to pickup the unit costs that was charged and we had to pay expensive Solicitors fees. Now we have noticed and demanded the refund after employing a different Solicitors who wrote and now have confirmed a

What is Powder Coating? Powder coating is a widely accepted process that can result in a more durable and superior finish for a variety of products.  This includes façade cladding, windows and doors and is also widely used in other sectors such as the automotive industry. But what is powder coating?  Well, scientifically speaking, the process of powder coating involves electrostatically spraying pigmented powder onto say aluminium or steel frame such that the powder sticks to the frame.  The powder is the

QUESTION I have a question on S20 Qualifying Works. One of the directors of an RTM has decided to run with a project to install a new patio. We would consider this as major works at the development and subject to S20 however; they have already bought the materials (under S20 threshold) and now want us to appoint a contractor to install the patio (under S20 threshold value). The purchase of the materials and the contractor will be over a S20 but the purchase of the materials is under and the employment of

QUESTION The flat above me was refurbished last summer. They took away all the rubble from under the floor between the joists & beams. House was built in 1841 & this rubble was a form of insulation. He said he has put in wonderful insulation under the floor boards [ there are no carpets]. The renting tenants he has put in are making my life HELL.I can hear everything [even snoring] & the walking /scrapping of chairs goes on until 1am. The Noise & Nuisance Service from the Council have written to them. But

QUESTION In my lease the landlords is entitled to increase the rent in November. Does he have an obligation to inform me of his intention to do this? ANSWER For the purpose of this response, I am assuming that your lease is a residential lease. In your lease, you are likely to have a “rent review clause” which will specify the mechanism by which the rent will be reviewed. It is common for the rent review clause to specify that notice must be given by the landlord (or sometimes the tenant) to initiate the

QUESTION I am a long leaseholder.  What responsibility does the freeholder have for maintaining/replacing internal fixtures?  My lease contains a clause prohibiting me from removing the landlord's fixtures without consent however it does not specify what these fixtures are.  They do not appear on any plans, are not mentioned in the description of the demise nor is there any reference in either the freeholder's or leaseholder's maintenance obligations.  In the absence of itemised fixtures would I be in bre

QUESTION   I own a flat and a garage held under separate, long leases in the same development. I would like to extend the leases of both my flat and garage but understand that in order to be eligible to make a claim for a statutory lease extension, the property must be a flat. Does that mean that I can't bring a statutory claim to extend my garage lease?   ANSWER   The short answer is that you may be able to bring a claim to extend your leases of both your flat and your garage together.   A claim for a l

We are delighted to announce the Finalists for the Property Management Awards 2016. These famous awards have become an important calendar event within the industry and recognise the excellence and professionalism of all specialists working in the industry both at an individual and company level. The year we received the highest volume of entries EVER, demonstrating the dedication and passion (and competitive nature!) of those working in the industry. During a lengthy and in-depth process, the independent

Leading property developer Bellway has appointed SDL Bigwood to manage five housing schemes in the West Midlands. As part of the deal, SDL Bigwood, a multi-disciplined property consultancy, will work closely with Bellway to set realistic service charge budgets in order to enable the schemes to run efficiently. SDL Bigwood will also devise management strategies to comply with best practice and ensure compliance with any planning requirements.  The estate management team will lead operations at; Digby Co