News and Articles

Free right to manage webinar for leaseholders!

04/02/2025

We are delighted to announce the first of our webinars designed for leaseholders this year. In November 2024, the Housing Minister, Mr Pennycook MP, confirmed that the Government would commence the right to manage provisions set out in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 in Spring 2025.This will allow many more leaseholders to aquire right to manage and make significant costs changes, in favour of leaseholders.

Our first webinar of the year will be on the topic of right to manage, designed for leaseholders keen to explore right to manage. The session will include a look at the new qualifying criteria, procedure, timeframes, what “management functions” are acquired and common pitfalls, in readiness for introduction in Spring 2025.

The session will be held via Teams on Wednesday 26th February at 6pm. If you would like to join our session, please email advice@commonlease.co.uk. We will then send you a link nearer the time.

We will be running monthly webinars for leaseholders throughout the year. Watch this space for details of our March session!

Lease extension rule commences!

31/01/2025

The law previously provided that a qualifying leaseholder cannot apply for a statutory lease extension until they have owned their flat for a minimum of two years. In practice, this can often cause problems where the lease approaches two years, or a buyer insists on the seller applying for a lease extension before completing the purchase.

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 includes a clause which removes the requirement to own the flat for two years first. The relevant clause in LFRA commences today, meaning that any qualifying leaseholder no longer has to wait two years before starting a statutory lease extension.

It is, and has always been, possible to apply to the relevant landlord for an informal lease extension. An informal lease extension does not have the constraints of a formal or statutory lease extension, but only works if the relevant landlord agrees to grant a lease extension. In these cases, there has never been a two-year rule, so the changes today will not impact informal arrangements.

The full commencement provision can be found here. The relevant clause in LFRA can be found here.   

Building Safety update for RMCs

09/01/2025

The Building Safety Regulator has today released a helpful website dedicated to resident management companies. Building safety can be tricky to manage, and where there is a resident management company, there can be additional consideration. The new website can be found here.

Happy New Year!

02/01/2025

A Happy New Year from all of us at CLE! This year promises to be fast-paced in the world of leasehold, commonhold and freehold reforms. We have lots of exciting plans, so watch this space!

Office closure

13/12/2024

We will be closing our office from 4pm on Monday 23 December, re-opening at 10am on Thursday 02 January. If you are an existing client, please contact advice@commonlease.co.uk in the event of an emergency. We thank you for your patience and understanding.   

National Leasehold Campaign webinar

28/11/2024

Following the Ministerial Statement on the Reforms, we are delighted to be working with the National Leasehold Campaign once again to host a webinar for leaseholders. This will be held at 6pm on Monday 02 December. The webinar will update leaseholders on the Ministerial Statement together with next steps. If you are a leaseholder and a member of the NLC, booking information is available on their webpage.

Ministerial Statement on Reforms

21/11/2024

We have today heard from the Government on the leasehold, freehold and commonhold reforms, for the first time since the King’s Speech. The lengthy statement sets out the Government’s very robust plans to progress not just the existing reforms, but also extending the reforms further to include other matters, such as potential regulation of managing agents and overhauling the major works consultation process. The statement also sets out a timetable and confirms that there will be consultations to come. The full statement can be read here.

Welcome to Dr Georgina Bensted!

05/11/2024

We are hugely excited to welcome Dr Georgina Bensted to our team today. Georgina joins us as a litigation paralegal working with the team in Wales. Georgina has a long career in Welsh politics but has previously trained in law.  

LFRA & building safety commencement

31/10/2024

Today heralds the second tranche of clauses to commence in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. Sections 114 (steps relating to remediation of defects), 115 (remediation orders), 116 (remediation contribution orders) and 120 (interpretation of definitions for these provisions) all commence today, and relate to the Building Safety Act. No update yet on commencement of the remainder of LFRA.

ALEP Conference 2024

15/10/2024

The annual Association for Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners conference was today, at which both Mari Knowles and Matt Lewis spoke at. Mari took the delegates through the basics and future of commonhold, with emphasis on key points for enfranchisement lawyers and valuers. Matt reviewed the right of first refusal, in light of the increase in the number of freeholders looking to sell their reversions.

BBC Radio Oxford & leasehold

10/10/2024

We are delighted to have appeared on BBC Radio Oxford this morning to discuss the thorny issue of major works. A reader set out various issues with a block of flats and major works, to which we provided responses to live on air. This was a particular problem some, but not uncommon issue.

LMP Conference 2024

02/10/2024

The annual Leasehold Management Professionals conference took place today, designed for managing agents. The conference was very well attended and had some interesting content such as building safety and resident-owned or managed buildings.

Welcome to Victoria!

01/10/2024

We are delighted to welcome Victoria to our team in Wales! Victoria joins the firm as a litigation solicitor, bringing with her a wealth of experience in landlord and tenant disputes in particular. Victoria is also experienced in residential conveyancing. We look forward to working with Victoria! 

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:

10th September Manchester – complex leasehold conveyancing conference

17th September London – complex leasehold conveyancing conference

19th September Bournemouth – property conference

1st October London – enfranchisement conference

2nd October London – Leasehold Management Professionals conference

15th October London – ALEP Annual conference

7th November Bournemouth – Bournemouth Law Society

12th 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.