Expert legal advice for landlords and tenants
At Heringtons, our landlord and tenant solicitors proudly offer outstanding legal support for both tenants and landlords in a range of different circumstances and situations.
We appreciate that property and housing issues can be a sensitive area. We are dedicated to offering our clients professional and practical advice, tailored to their personal requirements and concerns.
Our landlord legal advice services
If you’re a residential or commercial landlord, you’ll need to be aware of your responsibilities and obligations. You may need help drafting legal documents and contracts to fulfil your role.
While becoming a landlord is a great investment, there are also many potential issues and disputes that may arise. To adequately deal with the risks, you’ll need specialist legal support.
Our tenant legal advice services
As a tenant, you may need legal assistance if you’re having an issue with your landlord or agreement. Equally, you may simply want general advice concerning a tenancy related- matters.
Access the best legal advice from our highly skilled team
Thanks to our talented team, we have a fantastic reputation in this area of the law.
Our landlord and tenant solicitors Nikki Coward and Beth Reid have a wealth of experience and are passionate about serving our clients.
Get in touch with our landlord and tenant solicitors in East Sussex
Our clients come to us from across East Sussex, including Rother and Wealden, for the excellent service we provide in landlord and tenant law.
For advice about residential or commercial landlord and tenant law, contact your local Heringtons office in Battle, Bexhill on Sea, Eastbourne, Hastings or Rye.
Or fill in our online enquiry form, and we will be in touch shortly.
Residential landlord and tenant services
At Heringtons Solicitors, we understand how valuable our landlord and tenant services are to the community. This is why we take such pride in offering a full range of legal assistance, dealing with both contentious and non-contentious matters.
We appreciate that the issues that surround landlord and tenant dealings can be difficult to grasp. Both parties may require support for different reasons to best protect their interests, both financially and otherwise.
Our residential property solicitors can support landlords and tenants across many areas, including:
Possession proceedings
If a landlord requires a tenant to leave a rented property, they must first provide the tenant with a valid notice period. If the tenant does not leave by the given date, the landlord may need to apply for a possession order.
Our residential landlord and tenant solicitors can help with:
- Shorthold tenancies (s.21 / s.8)
- Long leaseholds (forfeiture / s.146 / breach of covenant)
- Trespass and adverse possession (‘squatters’ rights’)
Lease extensions
A lease extension is a type of legal agreement that serves to extend the terms on a current rental contract or lease. The lease extension includes the dates that the extension starts and finishes and the parties involved, as well as referencing the initial lease or rental agreement.
We can help with lease extension and related matters such as:
- Informal lease extensions
- Statutory lease extensions
- Lease assignments
Leasehold enfranchisement and management
Leasehold enfranchisement covers the tenant’s rights to acquire a freehold or extend a lease. Enfranchisement options can also provide leaseholders with mortgage abilities and the opportunity to preserve capital value.
Our landlord and tenant solicitors in East Sussex can help with:
- Buying or selling the freehold of the building (collective enfranchisement and right of first refusal)
- Right to Manage
- Appointing a manager
Advising on leases and agreements
Understanding the legal aspects of landlord and tenant relationships is not always straightforward. Both parties will require advice from time to time about the terms of their leases and agreements.
We can help with matters such as:
- Service charges
- Ground rent
- Repair and disrepair
- Consent (assignment, subletting and alterations)
- Variations
- Responsibilities under the lease or agreement
- Access to the property
- General explanation on the lease or agreement
Drafting and preparing documents
As a landlord, it’s vital that you acquire the correct documents, for matters of legal compliance and to pre-determine the specifics of the agreements between yourself and the tenant(s).
Our residential landlord and tenant solicitors can help with:
- Tenancy agreements
- Notices
- Licences
- Leases
- Deeds of variation
- Lease extensions
Residential landlord and tenant disputes
Residential landlord and tenant disputes can arise for all manner of reasons. When these issues appear, both sides require expert legal guidance. Our landlord and tenant solicitors can handle all types of disputes using a pragmatic and sensitive approach.
We can assist with residential landlord and tenant disputes such as:
- Enforcing court and property tribunal orders
- Dealing with absent landlords
- Debt recovery
- Harassment and unlawful eviction
Commercial landlord and tenant services
We offer a specialist service for commercial landlords and tenants. At Heringtons, we understand that both commercial landlords and tenants rely on the smooth running of commercial property related matters.
Our expert team of commercial property solicitors provide a wide range of services to support landlord and tenant requirements and relationships, helping both parties to comply with property law.
Heringtons Solicitors offer a range of related legal services including:
Break clauses and break notices
Break clauses, also referred to as ‘break notices’, are terms included as part of a commercial lease that permit either tenant or landlord to terminate the lease at a pre-determined points in the term. For instance, a break clause might be included at 12-months and 3.5 years, as part of a 5-year lease.
At Heringtons Solicitors, we can offer tenants advice on using a break notice to terminate their lease. Our landlord and tenant solicitors can support landlords with break clauses in various ways, including:
- Drafting break clauses as part of lease agreements
- Creating break notice conditions to protect your interests
- Legal advice on the benefits and drawbacks of using break clauses
Advising on the lease or agreement
Many business owners rely on rented commercial property as a base for their day-to-day operations. To ensure that everything runs efficiently, you may need support when entering into a new commercial agreement or if you have any concerns or requirements regarding your rented premises.
Commerical landlords have many responsibilities to uphold and so, on many occasions, landlords need expert legal advice to fulfil their duties.
Our commercial landlord and tenant solicitors can help with:
- Service charges
- Rent and rent reviews
- Repairs and dilapidations
- Consent (lease assignment, subletting and alterations)
- Responsibilities
- Variations
- Access to the property
- General explanation on the lease or agreement
Drafting and preparing documents
Commerical landlords and tenants require expertly drafted property documents to comply with commercial property law. The terms of these agreements must also be clearly defined and apprehended by both parties.
We can assist with:
- Leases
- Rent deposit deeds
- Tenancies at will
- Licences
- Notices
- Deeds of variation
Possession proceedings
Under some circumstances a commercial landlord may require a tenant to vacate the property. If the commercial tenant fails to leave within the notice period provided, the landlord may have to resort to applying for a possession order to reclaim their property.
Our commercial landlord and tenant solicitors in East Sussex can help with:
- Breach of lease (forfeiture / s.146)
- Trespass / squatter
- Tenant at will
- Licence
Commercial landlord and tenant disputes
Commerical property disputes can be complex and sensitive by nature. When these conflicts arise, there are often negative repercussions for both parties. To resolve disputes quickly and sensitively, it’s crucial to seek the support of a commercial property solicitor.
We can assist with commercial landlord and tenant disputes such as:
- Enforcing court and property tribunal orders
- Dealing with absent landlords
- Debt recovery
- Harassment and unlawful eviction
Our landlord and tenant fees
We strive to keep our legal costs for landlord and tenant legal advice to a minimum. From the very beginning, our landlord and tenant solicitors will offer an estimate of the approximate expenses. Our lawyers will consistently review progress, ensuring that you are aware of any updated fees throughout the case.
We provide some fixed fee services for landlords and tenants if appropriate for the particular case.
Get in touch with our landlord and tenant solicitors in East Sussex
For advice about any aspect of landlord and tenant law, please contact your local Heringtons office in Battle, Bexhill on Sea, Eastbourne, Hastings or Rye.
Or fill in our online enquiry form, and our landlord and tenant solicitors will be in touch shortly.