News and Articles

Renters Rights Bill & Ground Rent relief

13/09/2024

This week saw the first reading of the Renters Rights Bill. In addition to bringing welcome relief for tenants who fear “no fault” evictions, the RRB also reintroduces the closing of the “Housing Act ground rent trap” feared by many leaseholders and their conveyancers. The Housing Act trap is a complex ground rent muddle which can make selling difficult in cases where the ground rent exceeds either £250 outside of Greater London or £1,000 inside of Greater London due to repossession rights of the landlord in these cases. Section 30 of the RRB proposes to close this loophole which will no doubt bring welcome relief to those with onerous ground rents and to the conveyancing industry.

Conference season

30/08/2024

Our team are off on tour this Autumn speaking at various industry events on a range of subject matter. Catch our team here:

10^th September Manchester – complex leasehold conveyancing conference

17^th September London – complex leasehold conveyancing conference

19^th September Bournemouth – property conference

1^st October London – enfranchisement conference

2^nd October London – Leasehold Management Professionals conference

15^th October London – ALEP Annual conference

7^th November Bournemouth – Bournemouth Law Society

12^th November online – virtual shared ownership conference

Please contact us for booking details for any of these events.

Selling with an "onerous" ground rent

29/08/2024

A News on the Block reader posted a question about difficulties selling a property with onerous ground rents. See our reply to the reader here.

We are back!

27/08/2024

After a restful week off, we are back up and running for what promises to be a busy Autumn for the firm and for the industry. We will be posting a list of our various speaking engagements coming up in the next few months shortly. We thank you for your patience whilst our team took a well-earned break!

Annual summer break

10/08/2024

Our offices will be closed for a week commencing on Monday 19 August and re-opening on Tuesday 27 August. During the week of the office closure, emails and the telephone will not be monitored. In the case of an emergency, please email advice@commonlease.co.uk. Any emails sent to this address that are not urgent will be dealt with when the office re-opens. We thank you for your patience and understanding.  

Property Law Conference

01/08/2024

Matt will be speaking at the Bournemouth Law Society’s annual property law conference this Autumn. Matt will be speaking on the topic of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 and the key points for residential conveyancers together with practical tips. Details of the event can be found here.

The Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill

17/07/2024

The ink is barely dry on the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, and we now have confirmation that the “Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill” will be released in draft form at some point in this Parliamentary session. The briefing pack suggests that the bill will include the manifesto-promised ban on the sale of leasehold flats, further ground rent work, forfeiture and full implementation of the Law Commission recommendations on right to manage and enfranchisement. The full briefing note can be found here.

Welcome to Karen!

15/07/2024

We are delighted to welcome Karen Muir to our team today. Karen is an excellent transactional paralegal, having worked closely with Mari, Matt and Jeremy on opposite sides of transactions over the years. Karen will be working remotely from her home in Devon and is a very welcome addition to the CLE team!  

The reforms: here we go again!

08/07/2024

After a snap election was called last month, we now have a new Government. The manifesto of the new Government set out clear plans to progress yet more reforms in the commonhold and leasehold space. Read our article written for News on the Block of what might happen next. The full article can be read here.

LMP strikes again!

27/06/2024

The Leasehold Management Professionals hosted two packed events for managing agents this month – one in Brighton and the other in Bournemouth. Both events were very well attended and included speakers from The Property Institute and barristers Rebecca Cattermole and Justin Bates. Mari Knowles also spoke, Following the success of the events, LMP has confirmed that they will be hosting their first event in London this year on 02 October. Watch this space for more information.

Legal costs and lease extensions

24/06/2024

We are pleased to have helped News on the Block with one of their reader questions this month, on the topic of landlord’s legal costs and lease extensions, Read the full article here.

Final call for conveyancers!

18/06/2024

Mari will be hosting the MBL Seminars “complex leasehold conveyancing” for residential conveyancers in central London next week. The course will cover the trickier aspects of leasehold conveyancing, including latest changes to building and fire safety, handling leasehold disputes during a conveyance, the key changes for conveyancers following LFRA 2024, and the LPE1 pack.   

Shared ownership and LFRA 2024 update

28/05/2024

For shared ownership leaseholders, please check our update on Shared Ownership Resources for information about the impact of Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 on shared ownership properties. The link to the website can be found here.

Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024

24/05/2024

Following a fiery week in politics, the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill received Royal Assent today in an unexpected turn of events. Various amendments have been made to the final version of the Bill, now Act, and it will take a few days for the final version to be updated before we can see the final product.

In terms of next steps, the Act will now need to be commenced. A very small number of sections will commence two months from today, but otherwise, the remainder of the Act will need to be formally commenced via secondary legislation. The Government will decide if and when to switch on the Act, and which may not necessarily all be at the same time.

Furthermore, key policies contained within the Act will require secondary legislation setting out further detail on the headline policy before they can commence.  

Given the election, it is unlikely that we will now see any substantial movement on the Act in terms of commencement until the Autumn.

If you are an existing or prospective client of ours, we will be writing to you next week with an update once we have had time to review the final version of the Act.

General Election called! But whatabout the LFR Bill?

23/05/2024

A General Election has been called for 04 July 2024. Whilst there is significant discussion about the Election itself, what happens to all of the legislation that was working through Parliament? Importantly, this includes the Renters Reform Bill and the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill, both of which the current Government committed to during the last election in 2019.  

Between now and tomorrow afternoon (Friday 24 May), which is when the pre-election period commences, we enter a period called “Wash Up”. During “Wash Up”, a decision must be made on all outstanding bills. The bills will either be pushed through to conclusion and be given Royal Assent or they will simply fall by the wayside. In the latter scenario, the bills may never become law unless the next Government decides to adopt it. If adopted, the next Government could push the bills through as currently drafted, amend it or start again. Nothing is guaranteed in this scenario.  

At the time of writing, there are four working days left of “Wash Up”. The next four working days will therefore be make or break for the bills, and in particular our two ground-breaking industry bills.

We are on BBC Moneybox!

24/04/2024

We are thrilled to have been invited onto the BBC Moneybox show today as panellists for their “What’s going on with leasehold?” show, joining Chair of the Leasehold Advisory Service and Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, Martin Boyd. The show featured some tricky topics on marriage value, ground rents and service charge transparency. The show is available to download here.

Live on NOTB!

20/04/2024

We have joined the News on the Block professional directory today, which already hosts many other industry professionals. We are delighted to join our esteemed colleagues! Our profile can be found here.

New office in Poole!

19/04/2024

We are excited to announce the launch of our new office in Poole, headed by Matt Lewis. The launch follows a successful recruitment campaign in the Autumn and to accommodate our growing team. Please visit our expert profiles for more information on who is who!   

Leasehold Management Professionals

10/04/2024

Leasehold Management Professionals has released details of their next events: 13 June in Brighton and 26 June in Bournemouth. The events are designed for managing agents and will cover topical discussions on the reforms and on resident-managed buildings. Mari Knowles will speaking at both events with Rebecca Cattermole, barrister from 39 Essex Chambers. Tickets can be booked here.

Leasehold conveyancing conference

28/03/2024

We are delighted to present a residential conveyancing conference being held in London on Tuesday 25^th June. The conference is dedicated to the leasehold aspects of a conveyance including building and fire safety, the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill, LPE1, service charges and dealing with disputes amongst other topics. Details of the conference and booking can be found here.

Bill back in the Lords

28/03/2024

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill was in debated in the Lords yesterday for the Second Reading, with a broad range of subject matter raised. The next stage will be the Report Stage, currently scheduled to commence from 22 April 2024. The Bill progress can be tracked here.

Emily is now on sabbatical

26/03/2024

Emily is now on sabbatical, taking a very well earned and much needed break. Emily has worked tirelessly on the reforms, including several years at the Law Commission, and as the bill nears the final stages, Emily has taken the opportunity to take a break before the bill becomes law. Matt Lewis is providing cover for Emily during her sabbatical. We enviously wish Emily a jolly and restful time on her sabbatical.

Leasehold London 2024

21/03/2024

Thank you to News on the Block for organising yet another successful conference for industry professionals this week. Mari was delighted to be speaking to a packed room with Rebecca Cattermole, Barrister at 39 Essex Chambers. The session was a lively affair grappling with the nuances of managing buildings owned or managed by the residents. Event details can be found here.

Shared ownership reforms

12/03/2024

We are delighted to have written an article for shared ownership leaseholders on behalf of Shared Ownership Resources. In true reform fashion, the Bill has since been amended! We will be keeping shared ownership leaseholders updated as the Bill progresses via the Shared Ownership Resources team. The article can be found here.

Welcome to Sue!

07/03/2024

In quick pursuit of Elaine, we are delighted to welcome Sue who joins our Poole office today. Sue has a keen interest in law and looks forward to working with our team in the South West.