My name is Sharon and I write and research the website Leasehold Life.
Leasehold Life is a free online information resource, based not just on my experiences of flat living and working within flat management, but also on extensive research.
It started out simply as a way to get my story of Wellington Mansions with it’s negligent freeholder and managing agents out to a wider public in the form of a blog; Life at Wellington Mansions. However, whilst researching the leasehold sector I was amazed at how fragmented the enormous amount of available information was. Having to move between sites depending on the issues I was dealing with at the time was confusing and time consuming. As a result of the frustration I decided to expand Leasehold Life into it’s current form.
I have submitted articles to News On The Block, as the main contributor to their ‘From The Frontline’ series, articles which appeared alongside the writings of industry professionals such as Myra Bar-Hillel and Jane Barry of the Evening Standard. My story was also picked up by the Observer, focusing on the importance of having a good managing agent. I have been quoted in an article written by the property journalist Graham Norwood on anti-social behaviour which appeared in the Daily Mail and quoted in an article written by Property Week’s residential editor Doug Morrison on whether landlords, lettings and managing agents should be licensed.
I was interviewed by the solicitor and author Tessa Shepperson for her ‘Notable Property Persons’ series on her Landlord-Law website and I have also attended the CARL Annual Conference as a leasehold panelist for the past two years.
As well as continuing to expand Leasehold Life I currently operate in a support/interface role between the Directors of our Resident Management Company and our managing agent. This entails dealing with site problems as soon as they arise and alerting the managing agent, deciding and instructing as to what maintenance and repair works need to be carried out to the development and the priority they should take. I also act as first point of contact for contractors and I raise queries on our account should the need arise.
I am also an Associate Member of the Institute Of Residential Property Management.