You try to wrap your head around the idea of owning a freehold flat on the first floor – only to find yourself puzzled and unsure. It’s a pretty odd scenario, even for someone well-versed in property ownership. And you’re not alone – loads of people have the same question! Lenders can be a bit […]
It’s a question that often confuses even experienced flat owners: if you share the freehold of your building, who exactly is your landlord? The answer lies in understanding the legal structure of share of freehold flats, and how the traditional concept of a landlord changes when leaseholders also become freehold owners. This guide explains who […]
Thinking about extending your lease? You’re definitely not the first one to be worrying about the dwindling time left on your lease. For many flat owners, the ticking clock can be more than a little unnerving. But it’s not just about the countdown – it’s about making sure your home is still worth something, and […]
As the introduction of Commonhold looms, experts fear tensions between neighbours will rise – not because the system is inherently flawed, but because it radically enforces the reshaping power, responsibility, and human behaviour within shared buildings. Under leasehold, most disputes are aimed at the landlord or managing agent. Under Commonhold, decision-making shifts sideways, placing neighbours […]
The Freehold Collective is expanding its services with the launch of a multi-disciplinary network designed to achieve better outcomes for leaseholders. The TFC Partnership Network will see solicitors, surveyors, managing agents and other experts coming together within the TFC ecosystem to provide a one-stop shop for collective leasehold and commonhold claims and litigation. Mike Somekh, founder of […]
Whilst they share some similarities, important practical and legal distinctions remain. In practice, the confusion between share of freehold and commonhold rarely costs people a legal argument. It costs them money at the point of sale. Imagine a buyer shown a two-bedroom flat in East London described by the agent as ‘commonhold: no ground rent, […]
The letter usually arrives without warning. At Garden Lodge Court in East Finchley, it was a Section 5b notice: the freeholder was selling the block — twelve one- and two-bed flats — at auction, and a developer was already interested. The leaseholders were strangers to one another; the person who had originally contacted us had […]
Commonhold property ownership is an established concept in UK law which offers several advantages to owners of property in relation to current leasehold arrangements. Despite its benefits, it remains significantly underutilized, with fewer than 20 registered commonhold developments currently in the UK. That number deserves a moment. Commonhold has been on the statute book since […]
One of our favourite client stories began with exactly the worry this article answers. A leaseholder at Garden Lodge Court in East Finchley contacted us about a lease extension — a shortening lease, and the assumption that extending it was the only way out. Mike’s advice was to do something the caller thought impossible: buy […]
When you live in a leasehold property, your home might feel like it’s truly yours; but legally, many decisions about the building’s upkeep aren’t in your hands. One of the biggest grey areas is major works: large-scale repair or improvement projects initiated by the freeholder (or their managing agent) that can lead to substantial service […]
