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23 October 2026 / Fern Schofield , Gwyneth Everson
Issue: 8182 / Categories: Features , Leasehold , Property , Landlord&tenant
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Property law brief: quarterly review (October 2026)

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© Getty images

From service charges to disputed boundaries, Fern Schofield & Gwyneth Everson survey the latest property law decisions

  • Recent rulings clarify right to manage requirements, service charge recovery and the enforceability of surrender and boundary agreements.
  • Further decisions offer guidance on access injunctions, possession proceedings, beneficial ownership and repayment offers intended to stop default interest accruing.

For the third quarterly update of 2026, we consider a selection of significant decisions in property law from June through to August 2026. These cases range from more familiar territory regarding residential leasehold management and the court’s approach to common issues, to some rather more abstruse legal doctrines.

Residential leasehold management

The Courtyard RTM Company Ltd v Rockwell (FC103) Ltd [2026] EWCA Civ 712

The Court of Appeal handed down its decision in two appeals, heard together, on the statutory test for a ‘self-contained part’ of a building under s 72(3)-(4) of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 (CLRA 2002).

The first appeal concerned three

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Carter-Ruck—Tomas Vail

Carter-Ruck—Tomas Vail

Carter-Ruck strengthens International team with appointment of arbitration partner Tomas Vail

Slater Heelis—Nick Terry

Slater Heelis—Nick Terry

Slater Heelis strengthens crime and regulatory team with appointment of Nick Terry as partner

Payne Hicks Beach—Thomas Moran & Sarah Gogan

Payne Hicks Beach—Thomas Moran & Sarah Gogan

Payne Hicks Beach strengthens private wealth offering with appointment of two new partners

NEWS
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An indemnity costs battle with a £20m gap could reopen an important question: what weight should an approved budget carry?
The Environment Agency can prosecute offences beyond environmental legislation where proceedings support its statutory functions, the Divisional Court has confirmed
Should a conviction stand when a later ruling reveals that the law underpinning it was wrong? The answer exposes a clash between finality and justice
Witness evidence can be compromised by AI before a solicitor sees the draft, leaving safeguards focused on authorship incomplete
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