Heather Rawling

Associate (L1)

Heather Rawling is an Associate in the firm’s Technical & Complex Team, acting for landlords, management companies and appointed tribunal managers in a broad range of residential landlord and tenant matters. She qualified as a Solicitor in 2023 and has since developed a strong and growing practice within the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) and County Court. Heather works on technical disputes involving the Landlord and Tenant Acts and the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, with particular experience in service-charge recovery, management challenges, claims against the client and breach of lease issues.

In her role, Heather manages a substantial caseload of complex and often multi-party disputes, and she also supervises the firm’s Out of Jurisdiction ledger and multiple party issuing of manual arrears claims. Her work regularly includes applications under section 27A or transferred s27a from the County Court, section 24 manager appointments, arrears recovery, historic accounting issues, and contested breach of lease issues. She frequently advises on repairing obligations, service charge challenges, disrepair issues, and enforcement action including statutory demands and insolvency-related steps taken by or against leaseholders.
Heather has experience in handling complex and multiple layered disputes from leaseholders in a cost effective manner.
Notable cases / career highlights:

• Chamberlayne – S27A application in respect of 7+ years’ worth of service charges with over 40 leaseholder applicants with a high value of service charges in dispute £300k+

• J0304048 - Kilmeny House – Acting on behalf of the appointed manager in which we made an application to the Tribunal for assistance in respect of the reimbursement of any unexpected monies to the paying parties following the expiry of the Management Order.

• J0312575 – Appleton Point – Successful defended a complex set aside Judgment application. Recovery of full Judgment sum & costs totalling £15k.

• J0232137– Glossop Road Baths (ongoing) – Acting on behalf of the Tribunal’s appointed manager in a S24(9) LTA 1987 to extend and vary the management order. The application was initially rejected by the FTT and appealed to the UT, to which we were successful with. S24 application is ongoing. An interim management order to substitute our appointed manager has been made. Waiting for our interim management order to be heard before a determination hearing is listed.

• J0327553 – Glossop Road Baths (ongoing) – Acting on behalf of the Tribunal’s appointed manager for service charge recovery from commercial units. Successful in obtaining judgment in sum of £89k. Currently advising the Client and residential association of their enforcement options. Insolvency issues also present.

• J0341580 – Racecourse Apartments (ongoing) – Currently advising a residents management company in respect of issuing a conversion of goods claim against a previously appointed managing agent for essential financial documentation, which was not handed over.

• J0335834 – Antrim Mansions (ongoing) – Acting on behalf of a Landlord in respect of a breach of lease claim involving the removal of a dog. Arguments of the Equality Act 2010 are likely to be considered.

Memberships:

Law Society of England & Wales

Education:

  • Legal Practice Course with a combined LLM - Merit (Oct 2021)
  • LLB (Hons) 2:1 including a Sandwich Placement at DWF (2018)

Publications:

  • Flat Living Article – a “valid” point – October 2024
  • Flat Living Article - Leaseholder Maintenance Contracts and Service Charges: Understanding the Implications for Landlords – September 2024