Property Repairs

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Obligations relating to property repairs and maintenance rest upon landlords and tenants alike.

Whether the property is commercial or residential, if the respective duties are not met on either side, this may lead to a dispute over property repairs.

Because disputes over property repairs may escalate and become heated very quickly, it is essential to take action as soon as you are aware that there is a problem, in order to reduce the potential costs as well as to avoid any unnecessary tensions further down the line.

The property experts at Stirling Ackroyd Legal have many years’ combined experience in dispute resolution. We will act for landlords, tenants and leaseholders alike in cases involving disputes over property repairs, and will offer sound and practical advice and robust representation, with a view to resolving the issue as swiftly and cost-effectively as is possible in the circumstances.

Services for landlords

Landlords and freeholders may require tenants to carry out or cover the costs of maintenance work, or to agree upon the types of work for which they will be responsible. We will provide advice on the full extent of your legal rights and obligations, including:

• Recovering payment from leaseholders in respect of essential maintenance or property repairs
• The consultation prior to undertaking building work
• The recovery of outstanding service charges
• Defending against claims brought for allegations of disrepair

Services for leaseholders

As a leaseholder, you may need to contest excessive service charges, or the failure of the freeholder to carry out essential maintenance or property repairs. We offer a full range of services, including:

• Challenging excessive service charges
• Seeking remedy for inadequate consultation before undertaking major building works
• Disputing the requirement for major works to be carried out on the property
• Challenging the failure to carry out property repairs

Services for tenants

If you are a tenant, your landlord has a duty to carry out property repairs and maintain the property to a reasonable standard, as well as to take reasonable steps to protect you from infestations. If they fail in these obligations, the first step is to ask them to carry out the work, however if this is unsuccessful it may be necessary to take legal action to remedy the situation, and we can help you to obtain a Court order to compel the landlord to fulfil their legal duties, as well as to meet your legal costs.

On the other hand, it is also important for tenants to ensure that their own responsibilities concerning repairs and maintenance are fully met, because failure to do so may have an impact upon the renewal of the lease, the return of deposits or your position if you need to take advantage of a break clause.

Property law is a complex area, however we are here to help.

We will represent your interests throughout the process, and are always on hand to answer any queries and provide regular updates on the progression of your case. We will apply creative solutions with a view to achieving resolution as swiftly and cost-effectively as possible.

Should you wish to know more about the services we offer, please feel free to contact our client services department via our enquiries page, or give us a call 0203 058 3365.