If you own a leasehold flat you will usually have to pay service charges (sometimes known as maintenance charges) to a separate company who maintains the communal parts of the building in which your flat is situated.

The House in Multiple Occupation (“HMO”) licensing and planning regimes often spring a nasty surprise on unsuspecting landlords, placing them at risk of hefty fines for breaking the rules.

With the law soon to change, and to place demands on even more landlords, this blog post sets out the current and future HMO regulatory landscape.

Leaseholds are today the most common form of ownership especially in the South, with new build flats nearly rivalling new build houses which has been compounded by the shortage of square footage.

However, there are increasing issues with this type of tenure which is leaving a sour taste of home owners across the country. The most common issues I come across in practice surround service charges, maintenance and repairs, and neighbour nuisance.

Last night on Eastenders we saw the inevitable break up of Martin and Stacey’s relationship which had been brewing since Christmas when she cheated on her husband.

A violent showdown between the two ended with Martin throwing Stacey out of their home declaring that “I gave you everything. You ain’t having the kids and you ain’t having this house”.

Love them or loathe them but property is big business in the UK and despite the growing trend to dispense with them, they are still by far the preferred method when selling and renting.

How do you pick one?