Leasehold News, Legal Updates & Guidance.
Legislation, case law and best-practice guidance affecting block management, leasehold and Right to Manage.
89 articles across 11 topics.
Building Safety and Fire 16
Waking Watch Costs, Common Alarms and Funding in England
What a waking watch should cost, how a BS 5839-1 Category L5 common alarm compares, the funding open now, and how tribunals treat unreasonable…
Stay Put and Compartmentation: How the Strategy Works
How stay put works in blocks of flats, what compartmentation is, what breaks it, and what directors and residents should do if the strategy changes.
PAS 9980 and the FRAEW: External Wall Fire Appraisals
What a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls involves, how PAS 9980:2022 approaches it, who is competent to carry one out and what each outcome means.
Higher-Risk Buildings: Registration, Duties and Certificates
The 18 metre or 7 storey test, who the accountable person is, how registration with the Building Safety Regulator works, and what a safety case must…
The Golden Thread of Building Information Explained
What the golden thread is, which buildings must keep one, the information and documents it must hold, and how a managing agent keeps it current.
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: Fire Door Checks
Regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 sets quarterly communal fire door checks and annual flat entrance door checks above 11…
What Is an EWS1 Form? Ratings, Validity and Who Signs
An EWS1 form is a mortgage valuation document, not a fire safety certificate and not a legal duty. What A1 to B2 mean, who signs, and how long it…
Residential PEEPs: The 2025 Evacuation Plan Regulations
Residential PEEPs became law in England on 6 April 2026. Which blocks are covered, what the responsible person must do, who pays, and how stay put…
Building Safety Act Duties: Buildings Under 11 Metres
Under-11-metre blocks fall outside the higher-risk regime, but Fire Safety Order, health and safety and building regulation duties still apply in…
Fire Risk Assessments in Blocks of Flats: What the Law Says
What the Fire Safety Order, the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the 2022 Regulations require in a block of flats: who is responsible, which type, how often.
Cladding Safety Scheme: Funding and Eligibility
The Cladding Safety Scheme funds the assessment and remediation of unsafe cladding where no developer can be held liable for the cost. Here is what…
Radcliffe v Meeson Waking Watch Costs
KDL Law's legal update on Radcliffe Investments v Meeson: how the Upper Tribunal judged whether waking watch costs at Park Rise were reasonable.
First FTT Remediation Order - Building Safety Works
Landmark remediation order issued by FTT for safety works. Learn the implications for leaseholders and landlords.
Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings (No. 2) Bill
A clear guide to the MEPB (No. 2) Bill, covering compliance obligations, energy performance standards, and impacts on property management.
FTT's First Remediation Contribution Order
A legal overview of the First-tier Tribunal’s first remediation contribution order under the Building Safety Act 2022 and how remediation…
Waking Watch & Reasonableness of Service Charge Costs
A practical look at when waking watch costs are considered reasonably incurred for service charge recovery and how tribunals assess cost and service…
Service Charges and Money 12
Ground Rent and the Proposed Cap: What Has Changed
Ground rent on new long leases has been a peppercorn since 30 June 2022. What the 2022 Act covers, what it left alone, and where the £250 cap stands.
Forfeiture of a Lease: The Hurdles and Relief Explained
How forfeiture of a long residential lease works in England: the section 167 threshold, the section 81 and 168 determinations, and relief from…
Challenging a Service Charge at Tribunal: Section 27A
A section 27A application asks the First-tier Tribunal whether a service charge is payable and reasonable. The fees, evidence, costs risk and first…
Sinking Funds and Reserve Funds for Flats: How Much to Hold
How reserve funds work in leasehold blocks in England: what the lease must allow, how to set contributions from a lifecycle plan, the trust, and the…
How a Service Charge Budget Is Built, Line by Line
A director’s guide to a block service charge budget: repairs, insurance, utilities, compliance, fees and reserves, and how apportionment follows the…
How Far Back Can Service Charges & Rent Be Recovered?
Learn the rules on how far back landlords and managing agents can recover unpaid service charges and rent, with practical guidance and time limits…
Amending Service Charge Contributions Under Lease
Guide to dealing with contractual provisions for amending service charge contributions under a lease, with practical tips for landlords, agents and…
When Are Service Charges Reasonable?
Learn what makes service charges reasonable in law, including key tests, common disputes, and practical guidance for landlords, managing agents, and…
Payment Plans: Are They a Good Way of Recovering Arrears?
Explore whether payment plans are an effective way to recover arrears, including benefits, risks, and key considerations for landlords and managing…
How to Recover Unpaid Service Charges: Step‑by‑Step Guide
Understand the step‑by‑step procedure for recovering unpaid service charges from leaseholders, including when to involve court or tribunal action and…
Paying for Unused Services
KDL Law's legal update on Reekie v Oakwood Court: whether a leaseholder must contribute to a lift or common parts they have no need to use.
Can You Charge Leaseholders a Fee for Serving Demands?
KDL Law's legal update on the Court of Appeal ruling in the Stampfer case: whether a lease allowed a landlord to charge a fee for serving a rent…
Major Works and Section 20 9
FTT Dispensation Conditions Explained
KDL Law's legal update on a First-tier Tribunal that attached unrelated conditions when granting dispensation from Section 20 consultation.
When Should the Tribunal Make a S.20C Costs Order?
Learn when the Tribunal should make a Section 20C order relating to costs under the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985, with practical guidance for landlords…
Recovery of Costs in the Tribunal: Rule 13 Explained
Learn how Rule 13 governs cost recovery in the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) and the circumstances in which the Tribunal may award costs.
Section 20 Notice Guide: Who Gets Consulted & What to Expect
A clear guide to Section 20 consultation requirements: who must receive a notice, how it should be served, and what happens when a notice is missing.
Is Contracting Out of a Section 20 Consultation Allowed?
A practical guide to whether landlords and managing agents can contract out of Section 20 consultation requirements and the implications for service…
Vista Tower Case: The Cost of Section 20 Dispensation
Learn about the potential costs involved in applying for a dispensation from Section 20 consultation requirements and when it may be justified under…
Supreme Court Ruling in Aviva v Williams
UK Supreme Court final ruling in Aviva v Williams on whether landlords can amend service charge proportions under a lease, key takeaways for…
Section 20 Dispensation: Proving Sufficient Prejudice
KDL Law's legal update on Section 20 dispensation and what leaseholders must show to establish sufficient prejudice from a failed consultation.
Notice Validity & the Mannai Test
The Court of Appeal’s ruling in O G Thomas Amaethyddiaeth CYF v Turner & Others [2022] on notice validity and what it means for serving legal notices…
Running an RMC or RTM Company 3
Companies House Filing Duties for RMC and RTM Companies
Confirmation statements, dormant and small company accounts, registers, deadlines, penalties and strike off risk for RMC and RTM company directors.
How to Appoint or Remove an RMC or RTM Company Director
How to appoint a director by board decision or ordinary resolution, and how the section 168 removal route, special notice and Companies House filings…
RMC Director Duties: Companies Act Sections 171 to 177
Sections 171 to 177 of the Companies Act 2006 applied to an unpaid RMC or RTM director: the seven duties, personal liability, and what happens on…
Compliance and Maintenance 3
Legionella Risk Assessment for Blocks of Flats: The Law
What the Health and Safety at Work Act, COSHH, ACOP L8 and HSG274 require for communal water systems in blocks of flats, and how often to check and…
Asbestos in Communal Areas: Duty to Manage and Surveys
Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 in a block of flats: who holds the duty, which survey you need and what the register records.
Automatic Opening Vents (AOVs): Testing and Maintenance
What an automatic opening vent does in a block of flats, design benchmarks in Approved Document B, how often it must be tested, and why older systems…
Right to Manage 9
Right to Manage or Change Agent? When RTM Makes Sense
Understand the Right to Manage for leaseholders, including eligibility, legal requirements, benefits, and when taking control of your building makes…
Right to Manage Company Responsibilities Explained
Learn the key responsibilities that come with Right to Manage, from legal duties to finances, and how to manage your building effectively.
RTM Companies: Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them
Discover common pitfalls RTM companies face and learn practical strategies to avoid them. Stay compliant, save costs, and manage effectively.
RTM Claim Process: Notices, Counter-Notice and Handover
Empower leaseholders with our Right to Manage services, facilitating control over property management decisions, service charges, and maintenance.
Court of Appeal on RTM Company Enforcement Powers
KDL Law's legal update on the Court of Appeal ruling on whether an RTM company can enforce leaseholder covenants, in Eastpoint Block A RTM v Otubaga.
Can Right to Manage Companies Grant Lease Consents?
KDL Law's legal update on whether an RTM company can grant consents under a lease, and the 30 or 14 days' notice it must give the landlord first.
RTM Qualification for Shared Ownership Leaseholders
KDL Law's legal update on Avon Ground Rents v Canary Gateway: the Court of Appeal held that shared ownership leaseholders qualify for the Right to…
Can RTM Companies Take Lease Breach Cases to Tribunal?
KDL Law's April 2023 update on whether an RTM company can seek a tribunal determination of a breach of lease, a ruling the Court of Appeal later…
RTM Qualifying Premises Test for Terrace Conversions
A detailed explanation of the Right to Manage qualifying premises test for terrace houses converted into flats, with legal criteria and how to assess…
Leases, Buying and Selling 16
Licence to Alter: What Flat Alterations Need Consent
How absolute and qualified covenants differ, which alterations need a licence to alter, what a landlord may charge, and what happens if you skip…
Lease Extension Cost and Process for Flats
How a statutory flat lease extension works in England: who qualifies, the section 42 notice, the statutory deadlines, premium drivers and reform…
Deed of Variation of a Lease: Fixing Service Charge Shares
How a deed of variation changes a flat lease: who must sign, lender consent, Land Registry fees and the section 35 tribunal route for service charges.
Leasehold Advice: LEASE, Advisors or a Solicitor?
Confused about leasehold rules? Learn what leasehold advisors do, when you need one, and how professional block management can help avoid disputes.
Fleecehold vs Leasehold: Meaning, Estate Charges and Risks
Fleecehold vs leasehold: estate rentcharges, section 121 risks, the 2024 Act rights not yet in force, and what to check on a new Plymouth estate.
Your Rights as a Block Resident in England
Living in a managed block of flats? Learn your legal rights as a resident, how to deal with disputes, and what your managing agent is responsible for.
Tenant Death: What Landlords Should Do
Essential advice for landlords on handling tenant deaths. Understand legal steps, tenancy rights, and property management after a tenant passes away.
New How to Rent Guide Released
An overview of the updated How to Rent Guide released on 2 October 2023, explaining what’s changed and what landlords and letting agents need to know.
Repair Responsibilities When Leases Are Unclear
KDL Law's legal update on a 2023 First-tier Tribunal decision about who is responsible for repairs when the lease is unclear.
Lease Repair Obligations & Door Responsibility
Understand how lease terms determine repair obligations for items such as flat entrance doors, and what to do when responsibility isn’t clear
Planning Permission for Holiday Lets: What You Should Know
A practical overview of when holiday letting a house or flat needs planning permission, current London limits and possible national planning rule…
Morshead Mansions v Di Marco: Leaseholder or Shareholder?
Explore the Morshead Mansions Ltd v Leon Di Marco case, how the court distinguished between leaseholder and shareholder rights, and its implications…
Rakusen v Jepsen: Rent Repayment Orders Explained
A legal review of Rakusen v Jepsen where the UK Supreme Court ruled that superior landlords cannot be held liable for Rent Repayment Orders.
Gas Safety in ASTs
KDL Law's legal update on a landlord's gas safety duties when a property is let on an assured shorthold tenancy, and what the Regulations require.
Directors Not Enforcing Lease Terms: Legal Duties & Risks
A guide to directors’ fiduciary duties under company law, RTM obligations, and lease enforcement issues when directors choose not to act on lease…
Preparing for an Eviction of Your Tenants: Landlord Guide
A practical guide for landlords on preparing for tenant eviction, including legal requirements, notice procedures, and steps to reduce risk and…
Leasehold Reform 4
Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024: What Is in Force
A status tracker for the 2024 Act: which sections are commenced in England, which still await regulations, and which the draft Bill will change.
Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill: What Is Proposed
Commonhold has existed since 2002 but covers fewer than 200 units. Here is what the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill would change, and when.
Independent Regulator for Managing Agents Announced
The government will legislate for an independent regulator of property agents, with licensing, mandatory qualifications and capped fees.
Leasehold Service Charge Reforms: What Changes in 2027
How the government will bring the service charge reforms in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 into force, and what leaseholders will see in…
Choosing a Managing Agent 3
How to Change Your Managing Agent: From Notice to Handover
A practical route for RMC and RTM boards: deciding to switch, checking the contract term and section 20, running a tender, and managing the handover.
Questions to Ask a Managing Agent Before Appointing
What to ask a managing agent before you appoint one: fee structure, commissions, client money, staffing, compliance evidence and redress scheme…
How Block Management Affects Your Flat's Value
Discover how quality block management in Devon safeguards your property investment, improves value, compliance and resident satisfaction with expert…
Tribunal Decisions and Case Law 4
Court of Appeal Decision on Live/Work Properties
KDL Law's legal update on a Court of Appeal ruling about what 'live/work' means in a lease user covenant, and its impact for leaseholders and…
Standard Disclosure in Litigation
Understand standard disclosure in litigation, what must be disclosed, key procedures and practical tips for property professionals and legal…
Emails Can Amount to a Binding Agreement
Court confirms emails can form binding agreement. What it means for landlords, agents, and property managers.
Statements of Truth in Legal Proceedings Explained
Learn how statements of truth operate in litigation, who must sign them, and the legal consequences of making a false statement of truth.
Lettings and Tenancies 10
Renters' Rights Act 2025: What It Means for Let Flats
Written in February 2025: what the Renters' Rights Bill proposed for landlords and leaseholders in blocks of flats before it became law in October…
Section 21: Returning a Deposit by Cheque or Transfer
A guide to returning tenancy deposits by cheque or bank transfer, how this affects compliance with deposit rules, and implications for serving a…
Dealing with Squatters
KDL Law's legal update on removing a squatter from a residential development's car park, and the steps involved in obtaining a possession order.
How Not to Deal with Nuisance
Avoid common mistakes in handling nuisance issues in properties with practical block management advice to keep residents happy and disputes resolved…
Renters Reform Bill Introduced to UK Parliament
Read about the Renters Reform Bill’s introduction to Parliament, aiming to overhaul rental rights, end no-fault evictions and strengthen tenant…
Joint Tenancies: What Not to Do
Understand key things landlords shouldn’t do when managing joint tenancies, from incorrect notices to mishandling tenancy ends and communication…
How Not to Behave: Avoiding Unlawful Eviction in the UK
Learn what counts as unlawful eviction and harassment, why it’s a criminal offence, and how landlords should act to avoid illegal conduct and legal…
Updated How to Rent Guide (24 Mar 2023) Explained
A practical explanation of the How to Rent: the checklist for renting in England guide updated 24 March 2023 and its importance for landlords issuing…
Tate Modern Viewing Gallery Nuisance Ruling
Learn how the UK Supreme Court decided that constant visual intrusion from Tate Modern’s viewing platform can interfere with residents’ enjoyment of…
How Possession Claims Work: Accelerated and Standard Routes
Understand how accelerated and standard possession procedures differ, when to use each, and what landlords must do to obtain a court order for…
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