Edwardian house

In the early 1970s Ms A became the assured shorthold tenant of the first-floor flat in a four-storey Edwardian house in London.

Some time later the leaseholder asked Ms A if she would like to purchase the head lease of the whole building which was due to expire. Dilapidations and repairs were looming and the leaseholder could not afford to pay them.

The leaseholder did not live in the building and could not use the Leasehold Reform Act to purchase the freehold.

However if Ms A bought the head lease because she had lived in the property for five years she could purchase the building.

As background the building was only licensed to be three dwellings. However over the years the basement and ground (licensed as one maisonette) had been split...