Blog
Oslo tragedy reminds us why Pride still matters
Melinka Berridge
A landlord must bear the costs of almost £270,000 for repairs to a block of flats after failing to recover these from the tenants due to non compliance with the statutory requirements to consult the tenants over the proposed costs.
The Court of Appeal concluded that it was not reasonable for the landlord to dispense with the requirements under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 to consult with the five tenants concerning major works costing £270,000 which would have been paid for by the tenants through the service charge. The consequence was that the recoverable contribution paid by each tenant was capped at £250 i.e. a total contribution of just £1,250 towards an overall bill of £270,000.
It was decided that:
The message to landlords when contemplating works where the costs are due to be recovered through the service charge is to make sure that there is strict compliance with the statutory requirements to consult tenants or the financial penalties could be severe.
For tenants, if the position is that there has not been proper consultation under the 1985 Act, financial contribution to the works could be limited to just £250 for each tenant.
Daejan Investments Ltd v Benson & others – 28 January 2011
We welcome views and opinions about the issues raised in this blog. Should you require specific advice in relation to personal circumstances, please use the form on the contact page.
Melinka Berridge
Sameena Munir
Georgia Roberts
Skip to content Home About Us Insights Services Contact Accessibility
Share insightLinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email to a friend Print