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Leasehold Enfranchisement

Practice Area Specialist:

 

Mark Coupe

Mark heads up our Lease Extensions and Enfranchisement team acting for tenants who are extending their leases or grouping together to buy their freehold as well as for landlords.

Mark also acts for GP practices and for dentists who are buying and selling practices. He has a wealth of experience of all aspects of commercial property work and assists both private individuals and companies whether they are buying, selling or leasing commercial property.

Leasehold enfranchisement allows individual tenants and groups of tenants in blocks of flats to obtain the freehold of a property that is held on a long-term lease. Stillwells’ residential conveyancing solicitors are highly experienced in this area and are able to help guide clients through the process with minimal fuss or expense.

The benefits of leasehold enfranchisement include (but are not limited to):

  • Being able to live in the property as long as you wish without fear of being evicted
  • Removing ground rent
  • Increase value of the property
  • Being able to modify the land without landlord approval

To be eligible for leasehold enfranchisement, clients must satisfy the following:

  • There must be at least twenty one years left on the lease
  • The tenant must have been the tenant of the whole house under a long tenancy for at least two years
  • The tenant isn’t a charitable trust

Stillwells is able to assess the eligibility of your claim and guide you through the process from serving the initial notice to the landlord through to acquiring the freehold.

Tenants in blocks of flats / Collective enfranchisement

Collective enfranchisement allows tenants in blocks of flats to group together in order to take over the management of the building and grant leases at a smaller cost. There are a number of conditions that must be met in order to enfranchise, such as the building being self-contained and a minimum of two-thirds of the tenants qualifying for enfranchisement. Stillwells has acted for many groups of tenants and is able to you identify whether you are eligible and if so, help you breeze through the process.