The demand for social housing grows ever more acute. Registered Providers face increasing challenges both in the delivery of new housing and the maintenance and upgrading of their existing stock.
Our social housing team draws on decades of experience advising both private and public sector clients and is therefore exceptionally well placed to assist Registered Providers in meeting these challenges.
We have acted for many affordable housing providers throughout England and Wales including all members of the G15 and advise on a full range of real estate matters including property development and acquisition, disposal programmes, intragroup transfers and stock swaps.
We also have enormous experience advising Registered Providers on the property charging aspects required to secure a broad range of financial transactions including loan facilities and capital markets products such as bond issues and private placements.
The social housing team also advise Registered Providers across a wide range of construction, corporate, employment, housing management and procurement matters.
- Advising a Registered Provider (RP) in respect of the property charging required to secure a £400M bond which was the first in the sector to secure an uplifted MV-STT valuation for LSVT stock post deregulation.
- Advising an RP on the security aspects relating to a new £80M loan facility.
- Advising an RP on the property charging relating to the transfer of engagements of two of its subsidiaries. The security portfolio comprised of 4,482 freehold and leasehold units.
- Acting on behalf of RPs who are acquiring sites for development in respect of planning, nomination agreements, Section 106 agreements and unilateral undertakings (highlighting any EUV-SH / MV-STT valuation implications of the mortgagee exclusion provisions).
- Drafting Golden Brick sale contracts and bespoke development agreements; ensuring that the documentation takes into account any funding and construction requirements.
- Drafting land transfers, leases, deeds of easement, deeds of variation and deeds of covenant. Ensuring that any mortgagee exclusion clauses are robust and will allow for an MV-STT valuation for charging purposes.
- Setting up sales packs following handover of units for low-cost home ownership initiatives.
- Getting uncharged properties ready for charging in advance of need.
- Uplifting the charging value of ex-LSVT stock from EUV-SH to MV-STT.
- Negotiating and completing on deeds of variation with various third parties to correct title and planning defects with a view to maximising the value of an RP’s housing stock for charging purposes.
- Carrying out Asset and Liability Register work for RPs.
- Acting for an RP on the rationalisation and procurement of planned and reactive maintenance services across nationwide regions.
- Providing general commercial and procurement support to a number of RPs.
- Providing ongoing and ad-hoc construction advice to multiple RPs across a range of contentious and non-contentious matters.
- Advising RPs in respect of possession claims, tenancy arrears, anti-social behaviour and disrepair claims.
Going Green
It is vital for the legal industry to support the environmental agenda. Our specialist teams are finding more and more ways to support our clients green goals and obligations. Visit our green goals page for more details on how we can achieve green aims both for our clients in the work we do as well as a business and employer.
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