Landlord & Tenant solicitors in England & Wales

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Plain-language guide

What a landlord and tenant solicitor does.

A landlord and tenant solicitor acts for landlords and tenants of residential and commercial property: serving valid notices under the Housing Act 1988, bringing and defending possession claims, recovering rent arrears, disrepair and housing conditions claims under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, deposit protection disputes, and leasehold matters such as service charges, lease extensions and enfranchisement. The rules are technical and a defective notice can cost a landlord months.

When you need one

Your tenant has stopped paying rent or you need the property back.
You have received a notice seeking possession and want to know whether it is valid.
Your rented home is in disrepair and the landlord will not act.
You are a leaseholder facing a large service charge demand or wanting to extend your lease.

How fees usually work

Possession work is commonly fixed-fee per stage: the notice, the claim, the hearing and enforcement. Disrepair claims for tenants are often taken on a conditional fee agreement. Leasehold work is charged hourly or by fixed fee for a statutory lease extension. Legal aid is available for tenants facing eviction under the housing possession court duty scheme. Ask what the court fee and bailiff's fee add.

Questions to ask before you instruct

Is my notice valid, and have all the prescribed requirements been met?
Which ground for possession applies, and is it mandatory or discretionary?
How long will it take to obtain possession, and what will the whole process cost?
Was the deposit protected and the prescribed information served, and what if it was not?

See the listed practitioners

General information about England & Wales law and practice, not advice on your matter. The practitioners listed on this page give that advice.

Landlord and tenant solicitor questions

How does a landlord end an assured shorthold tenancy?

By serving a valid notice and, if the tenant does not leave, obtaining a possession order from the County Court. The grounds in Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988 are relied on through a section 8 notice; the notice-only route has been the subject of reform, and the solicitor will advise which procedure applies at the time.

What happens if the deposit was not protected?

A deposit for an assured shorthold tenancy must be protected in an authorised scheme within thirty days and the prescribed information served. If not, the tenant can claim between one and three times the deposit, and the landlord cannot serve a valid notice-only notice until the deposit is returned or the claim resolved.

Can my landlord evict me without a court order?

No. Evicting a residential occupier without a court order and a bailiff's warrant is a criminal offence under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, and harassment intended to make you leave is also an offence. If it happens, contact the council's housing team and a solicitor at once.

For the practitioners listed here

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