Defective Premises

Advice on Limiting Liability and Mitigating the Risk of Claims Under Amended Legislation

Assent of the Building Safety Act (2022) introduces amendments to the Defective Premises Act (DPA), and specifically that the limitation period in which a potential claimant can bring a claim under the DPA changes from six years from completion of a dwelling, to either a 30-year limitation period for dwellings completed before 28 June 2022, or 15 years for dwellings due to be complete after 28 June 2022.

With an extended scope of potential liability under the extended time periods, we can offer support in advising and pursuing those who may be liable under the DPA even where previously limitation was problematic.

Our team can also advise on the best course of action regarding your duties of care, managing claims and ensuring documentation, guarantees, warranties and insurance protections are in place to mitigate potential risk.

Speak to our building safety experts or send an enquiry directly to our team via the form opposite.

Key Contacts

Katie Edwards

Phil Parkinson

During our long relationship, JB Leitch has become part of our core team. Their Landlord and Tenant advice is authoritative and clear, and they understand our sector inside out. Their credit control service is highly effective, but also sensitive to the wider relationship we have with our leaseholders
Tim Wilson - Managing Director - E&J Estates
We have worked with JB Leitch for many years now. Their knowledge surrounding the legalities and technicalities of Service Charge collection is excellent and their approach is always helpful and professional.

During this particularly challenging time they continue to provide invaluable support by remaining easily contactable, sending regular reports and offering solutions to any problems that may arise.

Therina Crowley AMInstLM - Service Charge Arrears and Apprentice Supervisor - Encore
We have a strong and well-established working relationship with JB Leitch, having worked with them over a long period of time.

They have a good grasp on the nuances of residential property management so are well-placed to provide specialist advice and assistance on a wide range of issues affecting our industry.

They continue to provide invaluable support to our business, operating in many ways as a seamless extension to our in-house legal team.
Lucie-Anne Rhodes - Head of Legal - Operations - FirstPort
Over the last five years we have built a solid relationship with JB Leitch, they have provided us with a remarkable ground rent collection service for our freehold property portfolio on criteria and non-criteria debts. They provide a fast, effective recovery of our stand alone Ground Rent and also through their bolt-on Service Charge recovery by liaising with multiple managing agents on our behalf.
Bernadette Jones - General Manager - HomeGround Management Ltd
I would highly recommend JB Leitch although part of me would like to keep them a secret to ensure we have the advantage over competitors. They have increased my knowledge of the legal processes as well as the preparation required to avoid any issues from the beginning.
Dave Poppleton - Director - Inspired Property Management
After using JB Leitch for a number of years, we have personally found them to be very professional and reliable. Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward use JB Leitch on a large number of blocks and have recovered an outstanding amount of service charge arrears, in a particular case recovering over £12,000 from one owner.
Carl Warland - Block & Portfolio Management Director - Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward
JB Leitch are simply excellent. It is good to know that we are dealing with a market leading firm who provide superb quality up-to-date advice. When we give JB Leitch an instruction, whether a routine enfranchisement or a complex leasehold query they always deliver. They are highly responsive, professional and have a great team. A pleasure to do business with!
Jenny Jackson-Shilling - Director - The Freehold Group

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