Report comment

I am not commenting upon the question of "pet solicitors" save to say customers (not clients anymore do not forget) look for the cheapest on many occasions and in particular with leasehold are unlikely to ask many questions on the rights and obligations in leases and appear to be wholly ignorant when told what they can or cannot do. Whether that is true or by design I do not know.

I am a landlord and tenant litigator and I am accustomed to being told by a new lessee "I was not told I could not do that." True or not I have become too cynical to express my opinion.

Turning to the protections given to lessees, there are so many protections that I sometimes wonder whether those who criticise the residential leasehold law actually have the full knowledge.

I do find it curious however that the law makers have given lessees the right to takeover management or purchase the freehold yet unless the leases for the building are well drawn (and believe me they are not a lot of the time) the lessees have an uphill struggle to enforce many rights due to the glaring omissions in the leases. This is in my view because the powers that be still see landlords and also developer landlords (many of whom want rid off the building once all flats have been sold) as deliberately out "to get " the lessees.

Still if everyone was friendly I would be out of a job.