People choose to own a leasehold flat, apartment or a house for many reasons.  It may be because the apartment is situated in a unique building, the location or the included facilities.  Sometimes people are drawn by the special nature of community living.  Whatever the motivation, if you own such a property, Pickworths are the experts to help you with issues such as:

• Fluctuating annual maintenance charges
• Increasing ground rent
• Changes to lease conditions
• Advice for the Residents Management Company (RMC)*
• correspondence with the landlord
• demands for payment of charges that have been received
• Neighbour issues

*If you have been asked to become a director or secretary of an RMC or join the Committee and you want to know what it entails, click here to download a helpful, fact-filled explanation.

Leasehold owners should ensure that they are up to date with many recent changes to legislation.  We help owners understand their rights/responsibilities in relation to:

• Extending your lease
• Right of First Refusal (Owners right to buy, should the Landlord wish to sell his interest.
• Right to Enfranchise (the opportunity to fully own your block jointly with other residents)
• Right to Manage the block in which you live
• The Residents Association

Pickworths fields a senior team of three Partners, each with their particular area of leasehold property expertise together with experienced solicitors and paralegals.  We have both the experience and resources to assist you whether you are an individual owner or a member of an RMC.  We are happy to meet you in our offices or attend a meeting of your Company to consult with your team as a whole.

Under the provisions of the Leasehold Reform and Urban Development Act 1993 rights were given to leaseholders enabling them to obtain extension of their lease.  This right is now available to anyone who has owned their property for at least 2 years. 

If you receive notification from a landlord that the freehold is to be sold, you can exercise your Right of First Refusal (under the Landlord & Tenant Act 1987) to purchase the freehold as a resident body of owners.  There are certain procedures which must be followed which Pickworths will be pleased to assist with.  Contact any of the experts named below for an initial conversation, outlining your options.

Even if you only have a few questions regarding any of the above, or are only considering buying a leasehold property, email or talk to us, we will be happy to assist you in any way we can.

(Also known as Collective Enfranchisement or Leasehold Enfranchisement).

The Government has passed a great deal of legislation over recent years which now gives the right to flat owners to either extend their leases or under certain conditions to join with others to buy the freehold from the landlord. We deal with individual and collective enfranchisement and guide you through the pitfalls. We will also guide you through the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal, should the Tribunal's intervention be necessary.

As both a resident and representative of the RMC you may well be faced with:

• Residents who are unwilling to pay for necessary maintenance
• Confusing legislation that is hard to apply equitably
• Unruly neighbours, whose behaviour has been brought to your attention by others

Pickworths acts for many residents and for the representatives of RMCs in dealing with such matters. We can advise you on relevant legislation and the options available to you in each case. We will also advise you when an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal might be needed.

We can, for example, review lease conditions and advise on your liabilities for maintenance or other charges and consider whether it might be appropriate for the residents to form a Right To Manage Company in order to exercise their right to manage the building.

For RMCs we may, where necessary, pursue outstanding debts through the courts. We also advise on disputes between flat owners and can issue court proceedings where necessary.

If there is no Management Company, consider forming a Residents Association to lobby the landlord as a recognised residents association is entitled to be consulted about certain  matters. Most of the relevant legislation is contained in the Landlord and Tenant Acts of 1985 and 1987. 

Pickworths will be pleased to assist you in forming the Association and by providing advice on how to deal with the landlord.

Contact Glenda Ferneyhough in Hemel Hempstead or Belinda Walkinshaw in St Albans.

Click here to email the Landlord & Tenant Team.

Click here to meet the team.