Property and Housing Dispute Services
Specialist support for matters that need structure
Cosil Solutions supports organisations, individuals and professional partners where property, housing, leasehold, landlord and tenant, complaint, community or commercial disputes need independent structure. The work starts with assessment: what has happened, what is documented, where risk sits and what a proportionate next step looks like.
The practice is consultancy-first. Mediation is available where it is the right tool, but the starting point is understanding the matter before choosing the route.
Landlord and Tenant Dispute Support
For residential and commercial tenancy matters where correspondence has stalled, obligations are disputed, disrepair or rent issues are unresolved, or the matter is approaching a formal stage.
Who this covers
- Private landlords and portfolio landlords
- Managing agents and letting agents
- Housing associations and registered providers
- Residential tenants and commercial occupiers
- Solicitors and legal teams requiring specialist dispute input
What we handle
- Rent disputes, arrears, and payment obligations
- Disrepair, maintenance obligations, and condition disputes
- Breach of tenancy terms and lease conditions
- Notice disputes and communication breakdown
- Deposit disputes and end-of-tenancy disagreements
- Commercial lease obligations and tenant disputes
- Matters approaching or at formal stages including tribunal
Our approach
Every landlord and tenant dispute engagement begins with a structured assessment of the position: what is documented, what is in dispute, and where the compliance gaps sit. We identify what needs to be addressed before the next stage and provide clear guidance on the most proportionate path forward. Where civil and commercial mediation is appropriate, it is used as part of the strategy, not as a standalone intervention.
When to engage
If communication has broken down, a formal complaint has been filed, regulatory deadlines are approaching, or a matter is heading toward tribunal proceedings, the right time to engage is now. Early involvement in landlord and tenant disputes consistently produces better outcomes and keeps more options on the table. The longer a matter drifts without structure, the fewer options remain.
Cosil Solutions works alongside solicitors and law firms where required, bringing specialist dispute expertise that complements legal strategy.
Leasehold and Service Charge Disputes
For leasehold and service charge matters where the lease, consultation history, major works, management decisions, complaint handling or tribunal risk need structured review before the next step is taken.
Who this covers
- Leaseholders challenging service charges, major works, or management decisions
- Freeholders and landlords managing complex leasehold portfolios
- Managing agents dealing with resident disputes or regulatory compliance
- Resident management companies and residents’ associations
- Housing associations and registered providers with leasehold stock
- Solicitors and law firms requiring specialist leasehold dispute input
What we handle
- Service charge disputes, reasonableness challenges, and Section 20 consultation
- Major works disputes and leaseholder challenge processes
- Leasehold enfranchisement and lease extension matters
- Right to manage applications and related disputes
- Forfeiture, breach of lease, and restrictive covenant disputes
- Pre-tribunal case assessment and position strengthening
- Complaint escalation and pre-Housing Ombudsman matters
Our approach
Leasehold disputes require precision. The starting point is always a structured assessment of the lease, the documentation trail, and the regulatory compliance position before any action is taken. We identify procedural gaps, assess the strength of the position on both sides, and provide clear guidance on the most proportionate next steps. Where mediation can resolve the matter without tribunal proceedings, we will say so and facilitate it.
When to engage
Leasehold and service charge disputes that reach the First-tier Tribunal without proper preparation frequently result in worse outcomes than necessary. If you are facing a formal challenge, approaching an ombudsman referral, or managing a dispute that is becoming difficult to resolve internally, a structured independent assessment will clarify your position and identify what needs to be done before the next stage.
Cosil Solutions works alongside solicitors and law firms where required, bringing specialist leasehold dispute expertise that complements legal strategy.
Dispute Strategy and Case Review
For matters that have become difficult to move because the position, records, process or risk points are unclear. Cosil provides independent structure before mediation, tribunal, Ombudsman referral or further escalation.
Who this covers
- Organisations managing complex, escalating, or multi-party disputes
- Landlords and managing agents with portfolio-level dispute exposure
- Individuals dealing with high-value or complex property disputes
- Legal teams requiring independent dispute risk assessment
- Organisations preparing for mediation, tribunal, or formal proceedings
What it Covers
- Initial dispute assessment: facts, history, documentation, and current position
- Risk identification: where exposure sits and what it means in practice
- Compliance review: whether required processes and stages have been followed
- Case management: structuring the handling of complex or multi-party disputes
- Pre-mediation preparation: strengthening your position before mediation
- Pre-tribunal preparation: identifying gaps and risks before formal proceedings
- Complaint handling review: assessing whether complaint handling is defensible
- Clear, proportionate next steps at every stage of a dispute
The R.E.S.O.L.V.E. framework
All Cosil Solutions engagements are underpinned by the R.E.S.O.L.V.E. framework: a proprietary, evidence-based methodology for dispute risk assessment, position analysis, and proportionate decision-making. It provides a consistent approach regardless of the type, scale, or stage of the matter.
Full framework detail is available on request.
When to engage
The earlier a dispute is properly assessed, the more options remain available. This service is most effective when engaged before a matter reaches a formal stage. If a dispute is escalating, internal processes are no longer holding, or a critical decision about mediation or formal proceedings is approaching, a structured independent assessment is the right starting point.
Cosil Solutions works alongside solicitors and law firms where required. The focus is always on dispute strategy and risk management, on strengthening the dispute strategy without cutting across existing professional roles.
Property, Boundary and Neighbour Disputes
For property, boundary, neighbour and community matters where the original issue has been overtaken by poor communication, entrenched positions or uncertainty about the next proportionate step.
Who this covers
- Property owners in boundary disagreements
- Neighbours in dispute over access, use, nuisance, or conduct
- Residents and community groups in ongoing conflict
- Landlords and managing agents dealing with neighbour disputes within their portfolio
- Local authorities dealing with community conflict or antisocial behaviour
- Solicitors and law firms requiring specialist dispute support
What We Handle
- Boundary line disputes, encroachment, and title boundary disagreements
- Access disputes, easements, and rights of way
- Nuisance disputes including noise, light, and interference
- Antisocial behaviour disputes requiring structured independent intervention
- Community and multi-party conflicts requiring coordinated resolution
- Neighbour disputes in leasehold and shared ownership settings
- Pre-action matters where formal proceedings are being considered
Our approach
The starting point is always a clear assessment of what the dispute actually involves, what has already been tried, and where the risk sits for each party. Where early intervention is still possible, we provide structured conflict resolution support before positions become fully entrenched. Where mediation is appropriate, we provide accredited civil and commercial mediation in a confidential, impartial setting where parties retain control of the outcome.
When to engage
Boundary and neighbour disputes that are left without structure consistently escalate in cost, time, and damage to relationships. Courts increasingly expect parties to have explored mediation and structured dispute resolution before formal proceedings are issued. If a matter is approaching that stage, or if you want to resolve it before it does, earlier engagement preserves more options.
Cosil Solutions works alongside solicitors and law firms where required, particularly in matters approaching formal proceedings or where legal and dispute expertise both need to be brought to bear.
Complaint Handling and Case Review
For housing, property and leasehold complaints where missed stages, inconsistent responses, documentation gaps or Ombudsman exposure need independent review before formal scrutiny increases.
Who this covers
- Housing associations and registered providers
- Local authorities and public sector landlords
- Managing agents and private landlords
- Organisations facing Housing Ombudsman referrals or regulatory scrutiny
- Individuals whose complaints have not been adequately handled
- Solicitors and law firms requiring independent complaint case review
What we handle
- Review of complaint handling processes against the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code
- Assessment of whether the required complaint stages have been completed
- Identification of procedural gaps, inconsistencies, and evidential risks
- Documentation review: organisation, completeness, and evidential strength
- Pre-ombudsman case review and position strengthening
- Pre-tribunal documentation assessment
- Governance and accountability review for complaint-related decisions
Our approach
A complaint handling review begins with a structured assessment of the full complaint history, the documentation trail, and the processes followed at each stage. We identify where the gaps sit, what the risk is, and what needs to be addressed before the matter proceeds. For organisations, this typically means reviewing internal complaint records, assessing stage compliance against the Complaint Handling Code, and identifying whether systemic issues are present.
When to engage
If a complaint is approaching an ombudsman referral, if regulatory scrutiny is likely, or if a pattern of complaint handling failures is emerging across your portfolio, the right time to engage is before the formal stage. A structured case review at this point can materially improve the defensibility of your position and, in many cases, identify a route to resolution that avoids formal proceedings altogether.
Cosil Solutions works alongside solicitors and law firms where required, providing specialist complaint handling expertise that complements legal strategy.
Civil and Commercial Mediation
For disputes where a confidential, structured mediation process may help parties reach a workable resolution without the cost, uncertainty and exposure of formal proceedings.
Dispute types covered
- Property and housing disputes
- Landlord and tenant disputes
- Leasehold and service charge disputes
- Boundary and neighbour disputes
- Workplace and organisational disputes
- Commercial and contractual disputes
- Partnership and shareholder disputes
- Professional negligence disputes
- Probate and inheritance disputes
- Separation-related property and financial disputes
- Community and antisocial behaviour disputes
- Pre-action and court-referred mediation
How mediation works
Before the day, Cosil Solutions conducts an initial assessment of the matter, the parties, and the documentation to ensure the mediation is structured for the specific situation. On the day, each party sets out their position. The mediator then works with each party separately and jointly to explore options and identify routes to resolution that neither side had considered. Any settlement reached is documented and signed before the mediation concludes.
- Pre-mediation assessment and preparation
- Confidential and without prejudice throughout
- Written settlement agreement if resolution is reached
- Parties retain full control of the outcome at every stage
Separation-related disputes
Where separation has given rise to disputes about property, finances, or business interests, Cosil Solutions provides structured, independent civil mediation across:
- Financial settlement and asset division
- Property disputes arising from separation
- Co-ownership and beneficial interest disputes
- Family business disputes on separation
Cosil Solutions does not provide family mediation services involving child arrangements; where required, clients are signposted to mediators accredited by the Family Mediation Council.
The legal and regulatory context
Courts in England and Wales now expect parties to have engaged with appropriate forms of dispute resolution before formal proceedings are issued. Changes to the Civil Procedure Rules make clear that a failure to engage with mediation without good reason can result in adverse costs consequences, regardless of the outcome at trial. Cosil Solutions provides pre-action mediation and court-referred mediation across civil and commercial dispute types.
When mediation is the right approach
Mediation is most effective where communication has broken down, positions are becoming entrenched, or both parties want a workable resolution without the cost and uncertainty of a formal determination. It is not the right approach for every situation. An initial assessment will confirm whether mediation, dispute consultancy, or a different approach is most proportionate for your specific matter.
Cosil Solutions provides accredited civil and commercial mediation. Mediation works best as part of a structured resolution strategy. Contact us to discuss whether it is the right approach for your matter.
Not sure where to start?
Start with assessment, not assumption
An initial discussion clarifies the position, the risk and whether consultancy, case review, mediation or another route is most proportionate.
