Real Estate

Almost all leases include an obligation on the landlord to insure the building.  The main reason for this is that the landlord has a capital interest in the building and wants to control its state of repair by way of insurance and service charge rent.  Additionally, where the building has several tenants, it is far […]

The damage that Japanese knotweed can cause has been highly publicised over recent years. Growing by up to 10cm a day, it quickly covers land above ground, and has the potential to spread widely underground. It is said to spread beneath the foundations of properties and compromise their structure; it can cause cracks, undermine garden […]

Fladgate LLP has acted for London & Regional on the finance aspects of the refinancing of 55 Baker Street, a 530,749 sq ft prime office building owned and managed by London & Regional. The central London property serves as London & Regional’s London headquarters and includes tenants such as BDO, Knight Frank and Oliver Wyman. […]

Two recent cases highlight the importance of ensuring both landlords and tenants diarise important dates in legal documents, especially those which involve payments. It seems obvious on the face of it that dates such as rent payment dates in leases must be met. Yet in practice, it happens more often than one would expect that […]

Since the Localism Act 2011, public houses have been the most popular use of a building/land to be protected as an Asset of Community Value (ACV). A list of ACVs is kept by each local authority. If land is added to the list it remains on it for five years. During that time the owner […]

The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 (Regulations) introduced measures to improve energy efficiency in both residential and non-residential private rented properties in England and Wales. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the changes brought about by the Regulations and to consider their practical implications for […]

Fladgate has assisted Mindspace, a European provider of coworking space, in its entry into the UK market and all legal aspects relating to the opening of its first facility in London.  This involved completing a lease of two floors totalling 31,000 sq ft at the Relay Building, London E1 and assisting Mindspace with its plans […]

The Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) regime was introduced under the Finance Act 2004 to regulate tax on payments between contractors and subcontractors for construction work. The regime requires subcontractors to be registered with HMRC in order to receive payments gross (i.e. without deduction of tax). If subcontractors are not registered, contractors are then obliged to […]

When a tenant decides to take a lease of new premises they are usually eager to get the deal “done and dusted”. Having been in contact with an agent throughout negotiations it’s usually second nature for the deal to be passed to a tenant’s lawyers with instructions “to get the deal done ASAP”. A well […]

The announcement by prime minister Theresa May on 28 June 2017 that the cladding used at Grenfell Tower did not comply with Building Regulations is a worrying development in this tragic saga.  How defective cladding came to be installed in circumstances where the public rightfully expect construction works to be properly carried out and certified […]

Updates for real estate professionals

It is common for heads of terms to refer to a licence to use or occupy a property when the agreed terms would actually be construed as a lease. The two terms are bandied around and often used interchangeably; knowing the difference is key to avoiding lengthy and costly proceedings which go hand in hand […]