The sad reality of home ownership is that most of us will not be able to afford to get on the property ladder without help; more and more people are clubbing together with their nearest and dearest to buy a property together.

However, given that this is likely to be the biggest investment you will ever make in your life, there are some things you should be aware of to avoid the pitfalls and problems which can arise later when the relationship/partnership is less amicable.

Harassment by a landlord may take various forms – it may involve a landlord interfering with a tenant/occupiers use of the property or engaging in intimidating or violent behaviour. Harassment may often lead to, or occur along with illegal eviction.

A tenant’s right against a landlord engaging in harassing behaviour will depend partly on the nature of the tenancy or licence held at the property. The following gives an overview of common forms of harassment.

Occasionally deeds to a property or land may contain an old archaic covenant that restricts the way an owner can deal with the land or property. This may impact on the ability to develop, which can be frustrating, should an owner want to extend their premises or build another property on their land.

A lease or tenancy agreement may contain a clause which suspends the rent in the event that the property becomes uninhabitable. The clause may state that there should be a suspension of the whole of the rent, or sometimes part of the rent, subject to how much of the property is usable.

Removing a tenant without an order of the Court opens up the possibility for the tenant to claim damages for…