Our specialist and experienced team offer a full range of legal services to businesses that use the property guardianship business model. Importantly, we understand how your business model works and all the issues you may encounter.
Our Property Guardianship lead, Kirstie Goulder, has been described as ‘an encyclopaedia of knowledge on the complex issues of property guardianship.’
Property guardianship is a fast-growing alternative housing model in the UK and across Europe. It involves private individuals protecting empty buildings through their occupation. The demand for living space has priced many out of the market, especially in the City. The guardianship model offers these individuals the ability to secure housing for comparatively low cost, and the building owner the security that comes with having someone occupy their property.
Our Advice
Our specialists can assist with:
- Advisory work and training to educate best practices within the sector
- Drafting or reviewing standard documents such as licence agreements, terms and conditions and commercial agreements with the property owner
- Issuing notices to determine and/or warning letters to guardians
- Commencing trespass proceedings against guardians who fail to vacate on expiry of the notice to determine. In particular we have comprehensive experience of common “licence v tenancy” arguments made by guardians and property guardian agent’s arguments in response. This knowledge and experience is supported by a bespoke case management system which we have developed based on innovative case-scripting technology
- Advising in respect of enforcement of possession orders or money judgments
- Dealing with potential commercial disputes with property owners for failure to hand back properties on time
- Knowledge of HMO and Health and Safety requirements supporting the business model
- Employment advice for personnel issues
Adding value to your business
As sector specialists, we are able to offer in-house training to ensure personnel at all levels understand how the business model works and best practices to minimise the risk of inadvertently creating tenancies. We will also issue email alerts to clients on matters affecting the sector.
To talk about how we can help, please contact Amy Castleman
