Residential Management Disputes Seminar

On a cold and frosty February evening the great and the good of the residential property management scene descended on Forsters' offices at 31 Hill Street for the hotly anticipated Residential Management Disputes Seminar.

The speakers included partner Natasha Rees and solicitors Emma Gosling, Sarah Heatley and Yvonne Hills The event was hosted together with members of the Property Litigation and Residential teams.

Conscious that many legal seminars can become quite dry (ahem), we tried to keep the legalese to a minimum and instead focused on practical solutions to some frequently encountered problems in residential blocks.

The speakers all reviewed a case study relating to a rather unloved building in the heart of Mayfair, and each dealt with a different scenario. Firstly we covered a situation where there was water ingress between two long leasehold flats. This was followed by a scenario where unauthorised alterations had been carried out by a tenant to create a new bedroom which they proceeded to let out on Airbnb.

The number of knowing nods in the audience confirmed that we had hit a nerve and that these were indeed frequently encountered issues. Finally we considered the issue of "land grabs" in residential blocks, and the potential consequences if you haven't first considered lessees' rights of first refusal.

We were delighted that the seminar prompted so much discussion between those who attended, with many a war story being exchanged. It is safe to say that there is always one tenant in a residential block whose sole aim appears to be making life difficult for the landlord's professional advisers.

Following the talk, wine and canapés were enjoyed by all, and the stragglers made the obligatory trip to the Punchbowl after our offices were closed for a night cap.

Please click here to access the slides we used. If you would like to discuss the content or to be included on the mailing list for updates relating to residential property management, please feel free to contact Natasha Rees or Emma Gosling.