Leasehold Advisory Service: Where to find the best advice for leaseholders

The government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service provides completely free, in-depth and legal advice online, on the 'phone or face to face.

It seems only yesterday that the cry was that owners of leasehold flats had no idea where to go for advice when things went wrong with the landlord, managing agent or neighbours.  Now they can find themselves overwhelmed by the results of a Google search and spend hours online  – but often end up no wiser for all that.

Online ‘entrepreneurs’ are fighting for dominance of the online space for leaseholders with commercial web sites offering information on block management, service charges etc  that often adds up to no more than a cursory summary.

Meanwhile, the government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service continues to provide free, in-depth and personal legal advice, not just bland, caveated overviews of the law. It’s web site has useful search functions fast-tracking users to answers to the most frequently asked questions, and all of its detailed and definitive publications are available to view and download.  The web site works in tandem with a free telephone advice service that  is manned by a team of qualified solicitors and non-practising barristers.

“Our goal is to ensure that a visitor to our web site comes away with a clear understanding of the issues facing them and of the way forward, not just an even longer list of questions, “ says LEASE chief executive Anthony Essien.

Last year, LEASE dealt with some 25,000 personal enquiries from leaseholders, freeholders, managing agents and professional advisers and hosted nearly half a million web visitors. Subjects searched for  included enfranchisement (buying the freehold), lease extension, the leaseholders’ right to manage the block themselves, disputes between leaseholders and managing agents and, of course, service charges.

Find LEASE (The Leasehold Advisory Service) at www.lease-advice.org or call them on 020 7354 5380

Notes to editors

The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) is an Executive Non Departmental Public Body (ENDPB) funded by Government to provide free legal advice to leaseholders, landlords, professional advisers, managers and others on the law affecting residential leasehold and commonhold. It also provides a mediation service.

LEASE is funded by -

-   Communities and Local Government (CLG)

-   Her Majesty's Court Service (HMCS)

-  Welsh Assembly Government (WAG)

LEASE provides advice by telephone, by letter or email, or in person at the office; and it can arrange seminars and group meetings where large numbers of leaseholders want to discuss a joint issue. LEASE publishes a wide range of free advice notes, that are available on request or to download.

Leasehold advisers are available for telephone advice from 9:30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday 0n 020 7374 5380

Contacts

NDS Enquiries
Phone: For enquiries please contact the above department
ndsenquiries@coi.gsi.gov.uk