Landlord and tenant services provide legal and technical advice to both landlords and tenants related to the renting, letting and leasing processes. This advice can be given prior to commencement, during a lease, or at termination and covers a multitude of individual services aligned to specific requirements. The aim is to provide honest, impartial advice to help all parties maintain compliance with statutory obligations. For landlords, this advice can also aid their business endeavours and ensure risks to their assets are managed or mitigated. 

However, Landlord and Tenant services don’t solely relate to compliance and disputes. Landlords and Tenants also require technical advice in relation to fit outs, alterations, renovation and refurbishment projects, and the acquisition or disposal of their assets. 

Landlord and Tenant services are required throughout the lifecycle of a property, to ensure compliance is maintained and disputes are avoided; otherwise, when a dispute already exists, to ensure they are resolved promptly in accordance with the best interests of all parties. They are also required when a landlord or tenant intends to alter their properties, whether undertaking fit-outs, renovations and refurbishments, or creating new spaces.

If there is a dispute between a landlord and tenant related to a property, such as a dispute over the withholding of deposit funds or a dispute over rent payments, an expert third party in the property industry – such as Watts – can be consulted for legal, technical, and business advice to help the parties involved settle the dispute legally (and amicably, if possible). In some legal disputes, an impartial third party like Watts can be hired as an arbitrator or expert witness to try to come to a decision without having to go to court.

If you’re a landlord or tenant with a grievance related to a tenancy, contact Watts today for impartial, expert advice to help resolve the issue before it escalates.

You should always try to resolve disputes out of court first if this is possible. First, effective communication is key to resolving disputes, which should always be the first process. Failing this, various Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes can be adopted, such as mediation, adjudication and arbitration. Impartial third-party adjudicators or arbitrators, who will usually be a legal professional or an expert in the relevant sector, will hear both sides of the dispute during a formal process, and they will then make a decision based on the evidence provided. Disputes may then proceed to litigation if either fails.