Residential landlords and tenants often need support to govern the legalities of their relationships. Our expert residential landlord and tenant solicitors are dedicated to offering an outstanding legal service, helping clients with their residential property requirements and responsibilities.
We realise that our clients rely on streamlined residential property guidance to make the best of their landlord and tenant contracts, while adhering to their duties and resolving any issues that may arise. Our specialist legal team provide a full range of services to guide our clients on residential property-related matters, and support both parties to comply with relevant property laws.
Heringtons Solicitors can support clients with various matters, including:
- Residential lease extensions
- Collective enfranchisement
- Drafting tenancy agreements
- Preparing and drafting leases
- Deeds of variation
- General advice on landlord responsibilities
- Landlord and tenant disputes and possession proceedings
Get in touch with our residential landlord & tenant solicitors in East Sussex
For legal advice about residential landlord and tenant related matters contact your local Heringtons office in Battle, Bexhill on Sea, Eastbourne, Hastings or Rye.
Alternatively, fill in our online enquiry form, and our expert property disputes resolution solicitors will be in touch shortly.
Our residential landlord and tenant services
Lease extensions
For tenants who are looking to extend their lease, there are two different options:
Informal lease extension: our residential property solicitors can support tenants to negotiate an informal extension on an existing lease. There are no formal rules in place for this type of extension, which is why it’s crucial that both tenants and landlords receive independent legal advice. Landlords will charge the tenant an extension fee under most circumstances.
Statutory lease extension: To be eligible for a statutory lease extension, the tenant must have owned the property for two years or more. The landlord is likely to ask for a premium to grant the lease extension. A statutory lease extension provides the lease holder with the option to extend the lease by 90 years, as well as reducing the ground rent to zero.
Our landlord and tenant solicitors can offer legal advice for both landlords and tenants who are interested in lease extensions.
Collective enfranchisement
When a group of flat owners occupy a building, collective enfranchisement gives the group the right to jointly purchase the freehold under the Leasehold Reform Housing & Urban Development Act 1993. The process tends to be complicated, which is why it’s important that tenants receive the guidance of a specialist solicitor.
Our expert lawyers have plenty of experience in supporting tenants who would like to buy the freehold of their building as a collective. We will answer any queries you have and ensure that you fully understand your legal position.
Drafting tenancy agreements
When a landlord is renting out a property, there must be a clearly drafted tenancy agreement in place, to outline the accountabilities and entitlements of both parties. Our residential landlord and tenant solicitors can support landlords to draft tenancy agreements to reflect their needs and comply with UK property law. We can also provide tenants with advice on their tenancy agreement, to ensure that their interests are accounted for, and their rights are protected.
If you are entering into a rental agreement and you’d like recommendations concerning the terms, or support with the associated processes, our tenant solicitors can provide you with the assistance that you need. We can offer tenants advice on the specifics of their agreements, commitments, deposits, or on leaving an Assured Shorthold Tenancy.
Preparing and drafting leases
Landlords who offer long- term leases may need legal assistance to prepare and draft the terms. At Heringtons Solicitors we’ve been supporting clients to draft leases for many years. Our solicitors can help clients to address various issues, including:
- Defining the length and terms of the lease, including rights to extend the lease.
- Establishing ground rent, and potentially sinking fund matters.
- Advice on arranging a managing agent to conduct services and repairs.
As well as drafting leases, we can support residential landlords to prepare various other legal documents including licences and guarantees, or a tenancy at will. For more information, get in touch with our specialist solicitors at Heringtons.
Advice on leasehold ownership
Owning a property by leasehold refers to an agreement with the landlord, stating that you’ll own the property for a set period of time, for example 40 years, or 90 years. If you’re looking to purchase a flat through leasehold, or a house under a shared ownership scheme, our landlord and tenant lawyers can provide you with the legal guidance you need. We’ll ensure that you understand the associated terms that state your privileges and duties as a leaseholder.
Deed of variation
A deed of variation refers to a type of contract, the contract is used to agree and outline any proposed changes to a lease. A deed of variation could be used to adjust or change various restrictions, including:
- Whether or not pets can be kept on the premises.
- To establish the external or internal alterations which can or cannot be made to the building.
- Restrictions or permissions to use the property to conduct business.
- Permission or restrictions involving subletting.
General advice on landlord responsibilities
Residential landlords have many different responsibilities, legally and professionally. Our landlord and tenant solicitors can provide a landlords with general advice, covering a wide range of matters, including:
- Advice regarding the deposit protection scheme
- Guidance on issues such as repairs and maintenance
- Mandatory safety checks, including appliances and gas installations
- Inventories for rental properties
- Fire safety responsibilities
- Required to comply with various laws related to race, sex and disability discrimination
- Responsibilities for leaseholds and lease extensions
Landlord tenant disputes and possession proceedings
Unfortunately, not all landlord and tenant relationships run smoothly. If you’re having a dispute with a landlord or tenant, and you need legal advice, our residential property lawyers can offer assistance. We have supported our clients with a wide range of issues, including debt recovery, absent landlords, unlawful eviction, and assistance with property tribunal orders.
If you’ve served a tenant notice and they have failed to vacate your property, we can help you to go ahead with possession proceedings, to rightfully reclaim your premises, in accordance with UK property law.
How our residential landlord & tenant solicitors work
Our residential landlord and tenant solicitors use a practical approach, providing tailor-made solutions to cater to the individual requirements of both landlords and tenants. We appreciate that positive residential landlord and tenant relationships are a crucial part of the community, which is why we pride ourselves on providing a top-quality service.
When problems arise, we are dedicated to helping you resolve these quickly and efficiently, improving the relationship if we can. Where it is not possible to amicably resolve matters, we provide support for both landlords and tenants, in property tribunal processes or court proceedings.
Our residential landlord & tenant solicitor fees
At Heringtons Solicitors we provide all clients with a clear break down of our fees at the start. The expenses will depend on the type of landlord or tenant service that you acquire, which is why we start with an initial consultation, to assess your needs. We understand the value of our services to the wider community, which is why we attempt to keep fees affordable for all of 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 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.