Stop! Your Lease Extension in Frinton On Sea Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Frinton On Sea are unaware that their original lawyer had a duty to warn them about future mortgageability and saleability issues. Before you pay thousands to your freeholder, let us audit your purchase history. You might have a claim that pays for your lease extension in full

If you are facing a significant premium because your lease in Frinton On Sea has dropped toward the 80-year mark, your previous lawyer may be at fault. Our panel of experts specialise in recovering lease extension costs from negligent firms who failed to protect your investment.

Main reasons to start your Frinton On Sea lease extension


Why you should start your Frinton On Sea lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Frinton On Sea property value

The nearer a residential lease in Frinton On Sea nears to zero years unexpired, the the greater the reduction in the value of the property. If the residual term has, over 100 years remaining then this decrease may be of little impact however there will become a point in time when a lease has fewer than eighty years unexpired as part of the premium you will incur is what is termed as a marriage value. This could be significant. It is the primary rational as to why you should consider extending sooner than later. Many flat owners in Frinton On Sea will meet the qualifying criteria; that being said a conveyancer can confirm whether you qualify to extend your lease. In certain situations you may not qualify, the most common reason being that you have not been the owner of the property for two years.

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

It is generally considered that a residential leasehold with more than 100 years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the equivalent as a freehold. Where an additional ninety years added to any lease with more than 45 years remaining, the property will be worth the same as a freehold for decades to come.

Banks and Building Societies will not issue a mortgage on a short lease

The propensity since 2008 has been for mortgage companies to tighten lending requirements generally - this has extended to the types of security over which the mortgage is to be charged. This has resulted in the minimum number of years remaining under the lease required by banks has increased. Historically mortgage companies were content with twenty years plus the term of the loan - routinely fifty year leases but those requirements have been chipped away by the requirement for lengthy leases - many now have a minimum term of 75 years as a prerequisite.

Lender Requirement
Bank of Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Halifax Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Skipton Building Society 85 years from the date of completion of the mortgage

For Buy to Let cases:
- lettings must not breach any of the lessee’s covenants; and
- consent of the lessor to lettings must be obtained if necessary
TSB Minimum of 70 years at mortgage commencement, with 30 years remaining at mortgage redemption.
The Mortgage Works Minimum unexpired lease term is 70 years with 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
Where the unexpired lease term is different to that recorded on the mortgage offer, the following clarifies if we need to be informed:

Second hand property:
- If the unexpired lease term on the offer is 85 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 85 years
- if the unexpired lease term on the offer is less than 85 years – advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported
- For equity share applications - advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer

New build property:
- If the unexpired lease term stated on the offer is 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house) or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house)
- For equity share applications - always advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer

Lease terms such as ground rent and event fees must be reasonable at all times during the term of the lease and adhere to our requirements below. If you’re unsure as to whether the terms of a lease are unreasonable or onerous, please refer the details to us in plain English for Valuer consideration. If the potentially onerous terms are in relation to the ground rent please include the current ground rent figure per annum, how often it will be reviewed and the price structure it will be reviewed against. See the guidance below.

SECOND HAND PROPERTIES

Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (Will be declined):
- Unexpired lease term less than 70 years
- Less than 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term
- Ground Rent greater than 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent doubles less than every 20 years (e.g. doubles every 5, 10 or 15 years) - acceptable if doubles every 20 years or more
- Ground Rent is compounded RPI
- Ground Rent review period less than or equal to 5 years

Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Unexpired lease term is 70 to 85 years
- Ground Rent greater than 0.1% and less than or equal to 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to any indices greater than RPI
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building*
- Ground Rent review period is greater than 5 and less than 10 years
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1.0% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything that appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary

Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than 85 years
- Ground Rent less than or equal to 0.1% of the property value
- Ground Rent review period greater than or equal to 10 years
- Ground Rent escalation less than or equal to RPI

NEW BUILD PROPERTIES (includes office conversions)

Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (will be declined):
- Unexpired lease term less than 125 years on a new build flat or less than 250 years on a new build house
- Any lease which is subject to a ground rent (or annual rent) being charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis
- Any lease which is subject to a ground rent (or annual rent) being reviewed and altered on any review basis or methodology

Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1.0% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything else appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary

Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than or equal to 125 years on a new build flat or greater than or equal to 250 years on a new build house
- A lease subject to a peppercorn ground rent (annual rent) charges

For the avoidance of doubt, any new build properties completed but not sold pre 30 June 2022 will only be acceptable if the lease conforms to the above guidance

* Where the Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building, please provide the following:
- How is the value of the block/unit currently calculated and if the assessment relates to the block(s), how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned per property?
- The current valuation and Ground Rent for each unit
- What is the mechanism for future valuations of the block and how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned?
- What is the right of appeal? And is this a documented process within the lease?
- Who bears the cost of the valuation (and appeal) process?
- Confirmation the review period is not less than twenty years

LEASE EXTENSIONS

We require all lease extensions to be completed under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 and to meet the above criteria as a minimum. Where you become aware that it does not meet these requirements, please refer to the Issuing Office

Please ensure that all lender enquiries are submitted (with full documentation/requirements) at least 2 weeks prior to exchange to allow sufficient time for review and decisioning.

Get in touch with one of our Frinton On Sea lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

The conveyancing solicitors that we work with handle Frinton On Sea lease extensions and help protect your position. A lease extension can be arranged to be completed to coincide with a change of ownership so the costs of the lease extension are paid for using part of the sale proceeds. You really do need expert legal advice in this difficult and technical area of law. The conveyancing solicitor we work with provide it.

Frinton On Sea Lease Extension Example Cases:

Noah, Frinton On Sea, Essex,

Noah owned a 2 bedroom apartment in Frinton On Sea being sold with a lease of a little over 59 years left. Noah on an informal basis approached his landlord being a well known London-based freehold company and enquired on a premium to extend the lease. The freeholder indicated a willingness to grant an extension taking the lease to 125 years subject to a rise in the rent to £50 annually. No ground rent would be payable on a lease extension were Noah to invoke his statutory right. Noah obtained expert legal guidance and secured an acceptable resolution without resorting to tribunal and ending up with a market value flat.

Frinton On Sea case:

Last January we were phoned by Dr S Bertrand , who acquired a garden flat in Frinton On Sea in October 1997. The dilemma was if we could approximate the premium could be to prolong the lease by a further 90 years. Identical homes in Frinton On Sea with an extended lease were in the region of £290,000. The average ground rent payable was £45 billed quarterly. The lease lapsed on 15 October 2099. Having 73 years outstanding we calculated the compensation to the landlord for the lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 exclusive of fees.

Frinton On Sea case:

In 2013 we were approached by Mr and Mrs. O Turner who, having completed a basement flat in Frinton On Sea in July 1996. The question was if we could estimate the premium would likely be to prolong the lease by an additional years. Identical properties in Frinton On Sea with an extended lease were valued about £240,600. The average ground rent payable was £65 billed per annum. The lease concluded in 2088. Considering the 62 years remaining we approximated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £21,900 and £25,200 not including fees.