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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

Bell Yard Kysen—Liz Giles

Bell Yard Kysen—Liz Giles

Bell Yard Kysen appoints senior legal PR and ex-government communications adviser, Liz Giles

Clarke Willmott—Lee Edwards

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Clarke Willmott boosts Southampton commercial property team with addition of partner Lee Edwards

Lime Solicitors—four promotions

Lime Solicitors—four promotions

Lime Solicitors announces four promotions

NEWS
The Attorney General, Ellie Reeves KC MP, and Solicitor General, Andy Slaughter KC MP, marked the 25th anniversary of Pro Bono Week by joining lawyers, charities, students and parliamentarians at events celebrating voluntary legal work
Witness evidence can be compromised by AI before a solicitor sees the draft, leaving safeguards focused on authorship incomplete
Possession claims are entering a new digital era, with procedural traps awaiting practitioners who assume familiar rules still govern every step
A polished legal defence may owe more to artificial intelligence than legal merit—and creditors risk paying the price in delay and expense
An indemnity costs battle with a £20m gap could reopen an important question: what weight should an approved budget carry?
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