Living in a mixed-use building means your flat sits within the same freehold structure as commercial premises: shops, offices, restaurants, or other business uses. This creates a distinct set of legal rights, service charge obligations, and ownership opportunities that differ materially from those in a purely residential block. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 […]
Section 20 consultation failures occur in the majority of major works disputes brought before the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). Understanding the most common errors, alongside the genuine exemptions that remove the consultation requirement entirely, gives leaseholders the tools to protect their position before costs escalate.
Most retirement housing in England and Wales is sold leasehold. That means residents own their home but not the land it sits on, leaving them subject to ground rents, service charges, and a landlord who ultimately controls the building. For many retirement leaseholders, this arrangement can feel frustrating and, at times, disempowering. The good news […]
Retirement property is a purpose-built housing category with an age threshold written directly into the lease, not a loose marketing label applied to any flat occupied by older people. It carries specific legal weight under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, and those legal details determine who can live there, what you pay in […]
Service charges are the ongoing costs leaseholders pay towards the upkeep and management of their building, and they are one of the most common sources of dispute in leasehold flats. The good news is that leaseholders have strong statutory rights to challenge charges that are unreasonable, incorrectly demanded, or not permitted by the lease. In […]
Buying a leasehold flat means buying a time-limited right to occupy the property rather than owning it outright forever, and that lease will usually require the leaseholder to pay ground rent and service charges under its terms. Government guidance describes leasehold as ownership for a set period, often 99 or 999 years, with obligations that […]
Buying a leasehold property in the UK can be complex, especially when you start exploring ways to gain more control. Whether you’re considering collective enfranchisement, the Right to Manage (RTM), or switching to commonhold, each option offers a different route to ownership, management, and long-term value. If you’re aiming for a share of the freehold […]
Leasehold and commonhold are two property ownership terms that can be a bit of a minefield. But with the UK’s leasehold reform getting a whole lot of attention throughout 2026, this could be a pretty pivotal time in how we go about buying and selling residential properties, including new leasehold flats. While converting from leasehold […]
An estate agent can call a flat whatever they like, “virtual freehold,” “long lease,” “share of freehold.” None of that is legally binding. The Land Registry title is the only document that settles tenure, and getting it wrong can cost a buyer their mortgage. Consider a scenario that played out for dozens of buyers in […]
Think of the difference between waiting many months for your permission for an essential roof repair, and making the decision to act (and pay for the repairs, building maintenance and improvement) yourselves. This is what leasehold property owners in London and across the UK now enjoy by joining with others to collectively buy their freehold. […]
