A landlord has won its appeal over the validity of service charges even though it was late in giving notice. The court held that it was enforceable because the tenant had “waived the invalidity”. The case involved Southwark Council and one of its tenants. At the beginning of each financial year the landlord had to
A Lease is usually a written agreement between a Landlord (usually the owner of the building) and the Tenant (the occupier of either the whole or part of the building). It is important to have a written agreement to regulate the relationship between the Landlord and the Tenant, particularly to avoid any ambiguity arising between
A landlord has lost a dispute with his local housing authority over the licensing of two of his properties that had been renovated without planning permission. The issue arose out of Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004, which provided for the selective licensing by local housing authorities of private-sector housing in particular areas. In
New measures including £30,000 fines to tackle the problem of rogue landlords have now come into force. Councils also have new powers to access tenancy deposit protection data to help them identify rental properties in their area, and deal with the small minority of rogue landlords who flout the rules and shirk their responsibilities. Councils
The terms of a rental agreement that would have meant fashion designer Vivienne Westwood having to pay an extra £100,000 on her flagship store in Mayfair were too severe to be enforceable, the High Court has ruled. Vivienne Westwood Ltd leased the premises from Conduit Street Development Ltd in 2009 on a 15-year term with
The landlord of a holiday park has won a legal dispute with chalet tenants over service charges. The tenants held long leases that obliged them to pay whatever the landlord “”may reasonably require on account”” by 31 December every year to maintain and manage the park. The lease specified that the service charge was to
A landlord has been obliged to sell a commercial property because of the terms contained in a “badly drafted” lease agreement. The case involved a property that was let under a 10-year lease beginning in 2011. The company that granted the lease later sold the property to a new landlord. The lease granted the tenant
A property developer has been told he must honour an oral agreement to sell some land to former friends despite falling out with them during the course of the transaction. The case involved a developer who agreed in 2003 to sell a building plot and a meadow to some family friends for £200,000. The plot
A landlord is not liable to pay council tax if a fixed term tenancy ends early. The payment remains the responsibility of the tenant even if they are no longer resident. That was the decision of the Court of Appeal in a case involving Leeds City Council. The landlord in the case had granted assured
The government is to use banning orders to crack down on rogue landlords and property agents. The orders will be used in cases involving serious offences against tenants. Ministers say such offences could include failing to carry out work required by the council to prevent a health and safety risk to tenants, threatening tenants with