Landlord and tenant solicitors are people you thought you never need to hire, but when the time comes that you would need one, you would regret not having to look for someone whom you can trust and already have gotten to know. In this fast paced day and age of real estate booms and fails, economic gains and losses, growing markets and expensive commodities, and not to mention unstable political matters, there are only three kinds of persons in this world: homeowners, landlords or lessors, and tenants or lessees. If you are one of the lucky few who actually have it in their financial capabilities to buy a home for themselves and their family, then you would not need the services of landlord and tenant solicitors. Even if you are in the better end of the spectrum as an earning landlord, it does not guarantee that you would not need to deal with legal matters with regards to your tenants. And of course that some goes with tenants, you will not always have a good hearted landlord, and that is why it is important to know the ins and outs of your legal contract so you do not have to get mistreated. Knowing a landlord and tenant solicitor you could count on and trust could help you such issues arise.
All Charges Must be Included in the Contract or Agreed Upon by Both Parties
Landlords should never charge more than what is stipulated in the contract. All increases, additional service charges, and expenses for repairs and maintenance or safety deposits should be written in the contract prior to the tenant signing the document. If your landlord would charge you additional service charges not included in the contract, your solicitor would be able to help you out so you do not have to. Any additional expenses to be deducted in safety deposits or to be charged to tenants must be first agreed upon by all parties if it is not stipulated in the contract. In the same way that tenants could not just simply deduct an amount from their monthly rental because of a repair or expense they made for example to repaint a room in the apartment. This must first be discussed with the landlord for of course approval, and if it can be agreed upon that it would be taken out of the monthly rental. It is always a two-way straight where communication should be utilised in order to avoid such disputes. But if it cannot be avoided, your best bet is to get the legal advice of landlord and tenant solicitors.
Lease Extensions Should be Done Legally so No Party Would be Disadvantaged
If both parties agree to a lease extension, then a landlord and tenant solicitor could be helpful in terms of drafting the legal document to support that the contract lease has been extended. The term of the extension should be the number of weeks, months, or years both parties agreed on. A solicitor would be able to help both parties to have a contract that is beneficial for both parties so that no one would be disadvantaged in any way. It is also good to have the extension documented legally so that should an issue arise out of the whole term of the new contract, both parties would know who to hold accountable for. You might think that it is just an easy document to draft and you do not want to spend a little extra for legal advice from a solicitor, but when the time comes that you are at the disadvantage, you would wish you had the help of landlord and tenant solicitors in the first place.
Collective Enfranchisement for Tenants of the Building
Legally, tenants who own flats and even commercial spaces in a building, could come together in order for them to purchase the freehold or tenure of the building. Should the purchase come through, the tenants would be able to get lease rates at a minimal value for longer term periods, without the ground rent. Tenant-owned buildings would also be managed by the tenants themselves already, so they could actually dictate the term lease lengths, depending on how beneficial it is for them. Since they are able to manage the building themselves, they have better access to make the building and their own flats a more accessible and accommodating space for themselves and for possible lessees. Even though this is a good thing for tenants, building landlords should also be well informed that in order for tenants to be able to purchase the freehold of the building, it should have at least 75% residential spaces being utilised. It is also a good thing for building owners who plan to sell in the future because tenant-owned buildings have a certain charm which allows for buildings to have a better selling perspective from potential buyers.