Gatehouse Chambers

Faisel Sadiq is a property specialist whose practice has a particular emphasis on five areas: landlord and tenant, trusts and the co-ownership of land, property acquisition and development, regulation of land use (e.g. licensing of houses in multiple occupation), and non-domestic rates. In addition, Faisel has complimentary expertise in commercial, chancery, and planning and local government work, usually where those matters involve interests in property and he is particularly sought out for more unusual cases where property or trusts intersect with other areas of law - e.g. judicial review and charities.

Faisel’s recent notable cases include:

Daff v Gyalui [2023] UKUT 134 (LC) – impact of landlord’s conduct on the level of a rent repayment order. Ludgate House v (1) Ricketts & (2) Southwark LBC [2023] UKUT 36 (LC) – impact of property guardians on the valuation of a Central London office block. Wehage v Dennis [2023] – successful 5 Day trial in the high court of a will validity dispute over the ownership of a £1m watermill. Reported in the press here and here. Wilson v Charity Commission for England and Wales [2023] UKFTT 562 (GRC) – disqualification of a trustee of the Professional Footballers Union arising from, inter alia, administration of the charity’s property portfolio. Tann v Bhundia [2022] UKUT 268 (LC) – landlord’s liability to carry out repairs to a roof. R. (on the application of Batmanghelidjh) v Charity Commission for England and Wales [2022] EWHC 3261 (Admin) – judicial review arising out of the collapse of the charity Keeping Kids Company. Batson v Charity Commission for England and Wales [2022] EWHC 2609 (Ch) – application for permission to bring company proceedings in respect of a charity. The Knightland Foundation v Charity Commission of England and Wales [2021] UKFTT 365 (GRC) – charity proceedings arising from mismanagement of a charity’s property portfolio. Southwark LBC v Ludgate House Ltd [2020] EWCA Civ 1637 – impact of property guardians on a landowner’s liability for non-domestic rates. Kahrmann v Harrison-Morgan [2019] EWCA Civ 2094 – constructive trust over land to be acquired in the future. Golding v Martin [2019] EWCA Civ 446 – relief from forfeiture for non-payment of service charge. Southwark LBC v Royce [2019] UKUT 331 (LC) – liability of lessees to pay for major works to a district heating system.

Between 2008 and 2012, he was assistant editor of the Housing Law Reports and contributed to Current Law Statutes commentary on the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 and the Localism Act 2011. He regularly writes articles and gives seminars on property law.

Faisel believes strongly in contributing towards the profession. He was involved with the Bar Council’s ED&I work between 2012 and 2023, being Vice Chair of the Equality, Diversity and Social Mobility Committee and Chair of the Disability Panel between 2019 and 2023. His work on ED&I led to his winning the Chambers and Partners Award 2019 for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion.

Since 2008 he has been an accredited advocacy trainer. He has taught at the International Criminal Court in The Hague and for the Cypriot Bar Association, and he is a member of the Inns of Court College of Advocacy International Committee.

Call: 2000

Property Bar Association Chancery Bar Association Professional Negligence Bar Association Institute of Revenues, Ratings and Valuation

BVC, Inns of Court School of Law, City University LLM, University College, University of London LLB (Hons), Queen Mary College, University of London