Upcoming Events :
Seminar: Outsourcing and Contract Procurement
Tue 28 Feb 2012
Minerva House, 5 Montague Close, London, SE1 9BB
Landlords 'lack comprehensive knowledge of leasehold law'
Thu 29 Apr 2010
Many people are becoming landlords without acquainting themselves with the laws that will affect them, an expert has noted.
Tom Entwistle, director of online community LandlordZONE.co.uk, said leasehold law in particular is a very complex issue.
As a result, many landlords are proceeding without knowing the full legal implications the system brings with it.
Mr Entwistle noted that even normal householders who let a property for convenience fail to appreciate some nuances of the law.
However, he said leasehold comes with many "additional complications", which means landlords have even more issues to contend with.
Mr Entwistle was speaking after the Leasehold Advisory Service said demand for its services has gone up by 24 per cent in the last year.
He attributed this mainly to an increase in the number of people in the UK letting properties, as the leasehold laws themselves are "ancient" and are unlikely to change "dramatically" in the near future.
Emma Chadwick, partner at law firm Winckworth Sherwood, stated that landlords should "ensure that they understand their obligations to maintain and repair in addition to rents and other charges before they let out properties to make sure legal obligations were not overlooked which might prevent them maximising their rental returns". 
