‘With many businesses large and small struggling to survive or collapsing into administration or liquidation landlords are particularly vulnerable to rent arrears and the difficulty of finding a suitable tenant to replace the existing. The following is an overview of what steps a landlord can take in this uncertain world.’
Pump Court Chambers, 26th May 2020
Source: www.pumpcourtchambers.com
‘The Court of Appeal decision in Dr Julia Duval v 11 – 13 Randolph Crescent Ltd [2018] EWCA Civ 2298 was a wake-up call to landlords to be alive to their, often overlooked, obligations to enforce tenants’ covenants at the behest of other tenants. That decision has been confirmed by the Supreme Court: [2020] UKSC 18.’
Hardwicke Chambers, 12th May 2020
Source: hardwicke.co.uk
‘Two of the leases of 11-13 Randolph Crescent are held by the respondent, Dr Duval and a third lease Is held by Ms Martha Winfield. Each lease contains a covenant, clause 2.6, which prevents the lessee from making any alteration or improvement in, or addition to, the premises demised by the lease without the prior consent of the landlord. Each lease contains an absolute covenant, clause 2.7, which prevents the lessee from cutting into any roofs, walls, ceilings or service media. Clause 3.19 requires the landlord to enforce, at the request and cost of the lessee, certain covenants in the leases held by other lessees, including any covenant of a similar nature to clause 2.7. Mrs Winfield sought a licence from the landlord to carry out works to her flat which the landlord granted, subject to Mrs Winfield securing adequate insurance. Dr Duval then issued proceedings against the landlord seeking a declaration that the landlord did not possess the power to permit Mrs Winfield to act in breach of clause 2.7 of her lease. The landlord appealed to the Supreme Court.’
UKSC Blog, 6th May 2020
Source: ukscblog.com
‘This article is intended to provide a brief overview on the law of enfranchisement under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 (‘LRA’), with an update on recent case law.’
St Ives Chambers, 4th May 2020
Source: www.stiveschambers.co.uk
‘Leaseholders and landlords of residential leasehold properties face difficulties without any direct precedent in modern times. In particular, the sudden collapse in leaseholder incomes has had a dramatic effect on service charge receipts. The challenges pose numerous legal questions.’
Tanfield Chambers, 1st May 2020
Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk
‘Mr Fivaz had (and still has) long leases of two flats in a block owned by by Marlborough. In around 2014 he unilaterally replaced the front door of each flat. About 5 years later the landlord complained that his actions constituted a breach of the leases. It brought proceedings in the FTT for a determination of breach pursuant to s.168(4) of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002.’
Falcon Chambers, April 2020
Source: www.falcon-chambers.com
‘Sweeping and unprecedented rules, previously unimaginable, have been enacted by the Government to delay the spread of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Taken together, these changes constitute the most restrictive and draconian laws imposed in England since the Second World War. In particular, The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 (‘the Regulations’) were enacted on 26 March 2020 by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock. These Regulations impose severe restrictions mandating the closure of certain types of businesses alongside prohibitions on freedom of assembly and freedom of worship.’
New Square Chambers, 20th April 2020
Source: www.newsquarechambers.co.uk
‘The procedure by which a landlord may recover arrears of rent in relation to commercial premises was fundamentally changed several years ago. Chapter 2 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 abolished the common law right to distrain for arrears of rent, replacing it with the commercial rent arrears recovery procedure (‘CRAR’). But what has been the impact of this change on whether a landlord taking enforcement action to recover arrears waived his right to forfeiture of a lease?’
Tanfield Chambers, 9th April 2020
Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk
‘In Freehold Properties 250 Ltd v Field and others [2020] EWHC 792 (Ch) (Marcus Smith J) the court considered: (i) whether a tenant has a right to enfranchise under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 (“the 1967 Act”) where the structural parts (i.e. the roof, foundations and load-bearing walls) of the house are excluded from the demise; and (ii) whether the exclusion of the structural parts is void under s.23(1) of the 1967 Act.’
Each Other, 14th April 2020
Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk
‘The UK is currently grappling with what is hoped to be the peak of the Coronavirus crisis. Landlords and tenants have both been hit: government guidance and legislation has prevented many tenants from using premises as they expected, and prevented landlords from forfeiting leases or seeking possession. Both may feel that they are locked into a bargain that they could not have anticipated and want to escape from. But can they?’
Falcon Chambers, April 2020
Source: www.falcon-chambers.com
‘Leasehold enfranchisement and right to manage practitioners are used to dealing with unexpected developments, tight deadlines and strict rules. They ought therefore to be well placed to manage the difficulties presented by the Coronavirus crisis. Nonetheless, the present circumstances are undoubtedly challenging for those acting for landlords or tenants in enfranchisement, lease extension and right to manage matters.’
Falcon Chambers, April 2020
Source: www.falcon-chambers.com
‘In its latest decision on the modification of restrictive covenants in leases under s. 84, the Lands Tribunal has refused to modify a use covenant in a long lease prohibiting the use of the demised premises in question as a hotel.’
Falcon Chambers, April 2020
Source: www.falcon-chambers.com
‘The FTT improperly purported to determine matters which it had no statutory authority to do so on the basis of the generality of the County Court’s order transferring the matter to it.’
Tanfield Chambers, 2nd April 2020
Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk
‘The Upper Tribunal determined, by reference to the interpretation of the specific terms of various “Right to Buy” leases, whether the leaseholders were liable to contribute to the landlord’s costs of repairing structural defects.’
Tanfield Chambers, 2nd April 2020
Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk
‘In a claim for relief from forfeiture the High Court refused to order relief where there was no good reason for delay beyond 6 months from re-entry, whether this resulted in a windfall for the landlord was irrelevant to the question of promptness.’
Tanfield Chambers, 25th February 2020
Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk
‘A husband and wife who are the joint freeholders of a block of flats, granted a number of leases of various parts of that block to one or other of themselves. These were found to be disposals which were exempt from the provisions of part 1 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 (‘the 1987 Act’), either because these were gifts to family under s.4(2)(e) or disposals within a family under s.4(2)(h).’
Tanfield Chambers, 25th February 2020
Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk
‘A couple of First Tier Tribunal decisions to add to the growing pile of findings that short let use is in breach of lease.’
Nearly Legal, 14th March 2020
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
‘The first case under the capped costs pilot reached trial last week, with the judge commending the parties for their “significant degree of collaboration” to make it work.’
Litigation Futures, 2nd March 2020
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
‘An investigation into the leasehold property market has found “worrying evidence” that buyers are being treated unfairly and charged unreasonable fees.’
BBC News, 28th February 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘In this case comment, Michael Cox of CMS comments on the judgment handed down in the matter of The Manchester Ship Canal Company Ltd v Vauxhall Motors Ltd (Formerly General Motors UK Ltd) [2019] UKSC 46. Michael is a senior associate in the Real Estate Dispute team at CMS. Michael advises on all aspects of property law, with a particular emphasis on development advice and dispute resolution.’
UKSC Blog, 21st February 2020
Source: ukscblog.com
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