Jennifer Slater

Head of Leasehold Property

Salaried Partner

Jennifer is a Partner and Head of our Leasehold Property Team. She is also a member of our Property Investor Team, advising investors on their various leasehold issues.

At the core of the leasehold property team’s work  are lease extensions  and enfranchisement. The 5 strong team carry out up to 450  these transactions each and every year – making them one of the most specialist teams in the country.

Jen and her team are experienced in working with both Landlords and Tenants of long leasehold interests. They specialise in residential lease matters including;

– Statutory lease extension – acting for both leaseholders and freeholders extending residential leases using the formal, statutory route under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993

– Informal lease extensions – negotiating voluntary lease extensions by agreement without the need to make a formal application

– Collective enfranchisement – acting for leaseholders who come together to jointly buy the freehold of their residential block

– Enfranchisement of houses – helping leaseholders buy the freehold of their leasehold house

– Informal freehold purchase of houses – voluntary sale/purchase of the freehold of residential block by leaseholdersor the freeholder by agreement (without serving a formal notice)

– The right of first refusal – freehold sale/purchase compliant with provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987

– Licences to alter – preparing licences for minor or major works, representing either Landlords or Tenants

– Deeds of variation – preparing and registering deeds reflecting any agreed changes to a current lease

– Right to Manage –  helping leaseholders exercise their right to take on management of their block

– Court Appointed Property Manager – assisting leaseholders who are unhappy with the management of the building, to apply to the First Tier Property Tribunal Property to appoint a new block manager.

– The grant of new leases – preparing and registering leases either to replace an existing lease or where none previously existed

– Tribunal and Court applications – both application and attendance, relating to leasehold enfranchisement matters and representing either Landlords or Tenants – especially at the First Tier Property Tribunal

Jen has worked for Bonallack & Bishop since 2009 in a variety of roles and has worked with the Leasehold Property Team since 2013.

When not at work, or busy with family life Jen enjoys running and being outdoors enjoying the beautiful countryside surrounding Salisbury.

“I would happily recommend Jennifer Slater for all types of leasehold enfranchisement. She has the knowledge and experience you would normally only find at a specialist London firm.”

Tom Jefferies, Landmark Chambers

“The leasehold team at Bonallack & Bishop are professional, highly competent in this complex specialist field and a pleasure to work with. We have worked with them over a number of years and would have no hesitation in recommending Jennifer Slater and her team for any leasehold enfranchisement matters”

Keith Chapman-Burnett, Director – Chroma Chartered Surveyors

“I have been in property professionally full time for over three years now and I have worked with many solicitors firms which included buying, selling and re-mortgaging both in personal and Ltd Companies.  To date I have used six different solicitors firms with some average, some awful and some pretty good. But the team at Bonallack & Bishop out shined them all.

I takes a lot to impress me and this is exactly what Jennifer and Louise did. I gave them a pretty difficult challenge as a new client. It was a cash buy of a short leasehold property (23 Year left) with a very tight deadline to exchange and complete by Friday 25 January as the seller was moving abroad and was the bottom of the chain and would have lost £9k in penalties on his onward purchase . They had 6 weeks with Christmas 2018 & New Year 2019 in the middle and they pulled off the impossible.

A few days before the projected exchange date a compulsory purchase order by the council was uncovered. Louise did a fantastic job of working with the council to get all the information regarding the CPO and gave me great advice on this issue.
I did not know what a good solicitors firm could do and I always thought  exchanging and completing in 28 days was a myth. The team at Bonallack & Bishop proved that this could be done.

I will certainly will be recommending this firm a lot and using them  again in the future.”

Phil Hope, Director –  Premier Housing Group

“Jennifer Slater at Bonallack and Bishop did all the legal work for a freehold purchase and were super. Very well-organised, good at communicating and explaining things as they went, and effective in dealing with the vendor. I would highly recommend them and would return for further work.”

Will Fraser

“All residents have been extremely happy with the timely service and support received from Jen Slater, Head of Leasehold Property Team with regards to our freehold purchase and subsequent lease extensions. Highly recommended!”

Sarah Higginson

“I worked with Jen Slater on a freehold purchase and she was excellent. Professional, knowledgeable and diligent. Highly recommend for lease extension or freehold purchasing work.”

Harriet Fleming 

“Used twice. Once to sort a lease extension on a flat which was a slow process to do but was handled brilliantly by Jennifer and her team. Also used to sort a change of ownership on a property and that was a big success too. Do not live anywhere near Salisbury but that was not an issue at all. If you are going to do something like a lease extension then you must use experts and these guys are experts in that tricky field.”

Nathan Duncan