Leasehold Solicitors
More about Leasehold
We are specialists in providing leasehold advice and assistance to the social housing sector. The laws around management of residential and commercial leases are often complex and technical. Our team of expert solicitors are always on hand to guide you through your legal obligations and make your task as straightforward as possible.
Our leasehold management team is led by partner and higher court advocate Lachlan McLean who is recognised in the Chambers and Legal 500 directories. Clients frequently praise him as being a technically gifted lawyer with a knack for dealing with even the most complex situations. He is supported by a large team of property litigation solicitors with experience in both residential and commercial disputes. Lachlan is a highly qualified and experienced advocate who carries out his own advocacy in the County Court, High Court and First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).
We cover all aspects of residential and commercial lease disputes including service charge statutory consultations (section 20), rent and service charge debt recovery, forfeiture, shared ownership rent possession, rent reviews, right to manage, leasehold schemes for the elderly, Right to Buy lease disputes, contested commercial lease renewals, break clause activation, terminal dilapidations, and leasehold insolvency issues.
Examples of our work include:
Managing a residential leasehold dispute with over 200 respondents, from claim commencement through to representing the management company at the final Tribunal hearing.
Successfully recovering over 95% of service charges owed by a leaseholder stretching across 6 years, including representing the social landlord at Tribunal and resisting allegations of disrepair.
Recovering unpaid charges owed to a landlord by a corporate tenant which was being liquidated, after seeking reimbursement from its mortgage lender.
Securing repossession and evicting the unlawful sub-tenants of a leaseholder under a mixed-use commercial/residential lease, after the leaseholder was declared bankrupt.
Obtaining a declaration in the Tribunal for a housing client against a residential leaseholder who had repeatedly disputed the interpretation of the lease and raised vexatious complaints. We managed the case from start to finish and conducted our own advocacy in Tribunal.
Advising a housing client with leasehold flats in a residential block on its options regarding ownership of the scheme, where the freehold company had been liquidated and title had vested in the Crown.
Obtaining an injunction for a housing client against a shared ownership leaseholder who had engaged in unlawful sub-letting through Air B'n'B.
Assisting a housing client who had inadvertently lost its right to end a business tenancy by failing to acknowledge a Section 26 request in time, but which needed possession of the premises for demolition in the near future. We successfully negotiated a break clause into the renewed lease and terms of statutory compensation, so that the client was able to terminate the lease and demolish the premises.
Advising a housing client on the rights of a tenant under Farm Business Tenancy which was in place on land which was being purchased for a new housing development.
Advising our clients in the wake of the Grenfell disaster regarding their obligations for fire safety in blocks of flats, including the allocation of duties between freeholder, management company and long leaseholders.
For further information about how we can assist, please contact Lachlan McLean or phone 01257 240834 | 07976 242526.
We cover all aspects of residential and commercial lease disputes including service charge statutory consultations (section 20), rent and service charge debt recovery, forfeiture, shared ownership rent possession, rent reviews, right to manage, leasehold schemes for the elderly, Right to Buy lease disputes, contested commercial lease renewals, break clause activation, terminal dilapidations, and leasehold insolvency issues.
Examples of our work include:
Managing a residential leasehold dispute with over 200 respondents, from claim commencement through to representing the management company at the final Tribunal hearing.
Successfully recovering over 95% of service charges owed by a leaseholder stretching across 6 years, including representing the social landlord at Tribunal and resisting allegations of disrepair.
Recovering unpaid charges owed to a landlord by a corporate tenant which was being liquidated, after seeking reimbursement from its mortgage lender.
Securing repossession and evicting the unlawful sub-tenants of a leaseholder under a mixed-use commercial/residential lease, after the leaseholder was declared bankrupt.
Obtaining a declaration in the Tribunal for a housing client against a residential leaseholder who had repeatedly disputed the interpretation of the lease and raised vexatious complaints. We managed the case from start to finish and conducted our own advocacy in Tribunal.
Advising a housing client with leasehold flats in a residential block on its options regarding ownership of the scheme, where the freehold company had been liquidated and title had vested in the Crown.
Obtaining an injunction for a housing client against a shared ownership leaseholder who had engaged in unlawful sub-letting through Air B'n'B.
Assisting a housing client who had inadvertently lost its right to end a business tenancy by failing to acknowledge a Section 26 request in time, but which needed possession of the premises for demolition in the near future. We successfully negotiated a break clause into the renewed lease and terms of statutory compensation, so that the client was able to terminate the lease and demolish the premises.
Advising a housing client on the rights of a tenant under Farm Business Tenancy which was in place on land which was being purchased for a new housing development.
Advising our clients in the wake of the Grenfell disaster regarding their obligations for fire safety in blocks of flats, including the allocation of duties between freeholder, management company and long leaseholders.
For further information about how we can assist, please contact Lachlan McLean or phone 01257 240834 | 07976 242526.
We find that Forbes have a wealth of experience in all elements of our housing management needs.
Chambers 2024
Not only did Forbes handle complex and sophisticated matters greatly, they also explained these in a way which was understandable and comprehendible.
Chambers 2024
The firm is always very responsive and the service is excellent.
Chambers 2024
Forbes are involved in a number of schemes where we purchase ‘off the shelf’ Section 106 developments, and where the timescales are short between exchanging contracts with the developer and build completion of the first affordable units. Forbes always work to our timescales for the drafting of the Shared Ownership lease and setting up the conveyancing.
Legal 500 2024
Forbes is a well known legal practice within our social housing sector. Having worked with many other legal practices, I view their success is down to their solid team work and communication. Always reasonable and adaptable to our business needs.
Legal 500 2024
Our dedicated Housing & Regeneration team
Partner, Head of Housing and Regeneration (Property), Housing & Regeneration
Catherine Kennedy
Partner, Head of Housing and Regeneration (Litigation), Housing & Regeneration
Siobhan Hardy
Contact Us
Get in touch to see how our experts could help you.
0800 689 0831 - Monday - Friday: 09:00 - 17:00
Please note that our offices will be closed from midday, Friday 20th December 2024
The offices will be open as usual on Monday 23rd December 2024.
The offices will then be closed from Tuesday 24th December through to Wednesday 1st January (inc), reopening as usual from 2nd January 2025.
The emergency contact number during this time is - 01772 220022 or 01254 675050.