First book dedicated to a narrow subject

This is the book I would want to have on my desk if I were handling a complex right-to-manage transaction for the first time. It would not matter whether I was acting for leaseholders or a ground landlord. 

Right to manage is the junior partner to freehold enfranchisement. It was introduced by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, to give leaseholders the option of collectively taking over the management of their blocks without the additional cost of buying out a landlord’s freehold interest. Right to manage is entirely process-driven and does not require any proof of fault on the part of the landlord. 

This book explains the qualifying criteria for right to manage and sets out the process which has to be followed. It also provides templates of the notices which have to be served, not only on landlords but also on contractors. It includes a wealth of case law, much of it unreported, including county court and upper tribunal decisions.

Although this narrow subject is already well covered in other books dealing with residential leasehold law, this is the first book I have seen dedicated to right to manage. It is also challenging for anyone to write an up-to-date book on right to manage, when the law itself is changing. We have seen this with the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, which has widened eligibility for right to manage. Nor does right to manage exist in isolation. As the book points out, anyone taking over the management of their block will also take responsibilities under the Building Safety Act 2022. The book contains separate sections on the law as it applies to Wales.

For me, the only thing missing from the book was the author bios. While it was obvious that the five authors were writing from their own extensive experience, I would have liked to know something about their professional backgrounds and how the book came to be written.

V. Charles Ward is a senior property lawyer with HB Public Law