The Practical Lawyer

A summary of the requirements for new lets of residential properties:

On a residential let, all gas fittings must be maintained in a safe condition; each appliance and flue must have a safety check within 12 months of being installed (and every 12 months thereafter); that check must be by an HSE-approved person, with the records being kept for two years.

Suppose service charges have been raised for many years in a way that does not properly accord with the wording of the lease; if T subsequently questions those service charges, can L argue that there is an ‘estoppel by convention’ (ie a shared assumption that now prevents T from reneging on that assumption)?

Many Ls have an informal ‘no DSS’ policy when selecting Ts. However, there are press reports of a case that was settled when L was accused of discriminatory behaviour (note: this was merely an out-of-court settlement, but it does illustrate the point at issue).