Stop! Your Lease Extension in Hounslow Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Hounslow 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 Hounslow 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.

Why you should commence your Hounslow lease extension


Main reasons to commence your Hounslow lease extension today:

A Hounslow lease depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

The market value of a leasehold property in Hounslow depends on how many years the lease has remaining. If it is close to or less than 80 years you should foresee difficulties on re-sale, so it is recommended to arrange for the lease to be extended before buying. It is preferable to start the process of extending the lease is when the lease still has 82 years to run so that a lease extension can be finalised ahead of the eighty year mark. Statute entitles Hounslow qualifying lessees to acquire a lease extension of ninety years on top of the remaining length of the lease at a peppercorn rent (that is, rent free). The reason of the valuation is to arrive at an opinion of the amount payable by the lessee to the freeholder for the acquisition of the lease extension.

An extended lease has roughly the same value as a freehold

Leasehold properties in Hounslow with over 100 years remaining on the lease are sometimes referred to as ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease is worth the same as a freehold interest in your home. In such circumstances there is often little to be gained by buying the freehold unless savings on ground rent and maintenance charges warrant it.

Mortgage lenders will not lend on a short lease

Almost all banks and building societies will be unwilling to grant a mortgage on a lease with less than 70 years remaining - although this varies from lender to lender. A purchaser will no doubt encounter difficulties to obtain a mortgage and this could result in your Hounslow property becoming difficult to sell or refinance.

Lender Requirement
Barclays plc Leases with less than 70 years at the commencement of the mortgage should be declined (see exception below).

Leases with greater than 70 years but fewer than 85 years remaining must be referred to issuing office.

Leases with fewer than 70 years should only be referred to the issuing office where the following scenario applies, as discretion may be applied subject to bank approval:

• Property is located in any of the following prestigious developments: Cadogan, Crown, Grosvenor, Howard de Walden, Portman or Wellcome Trust Estates in Central London AND
• The value of the property subject to the short remaining term is £500,000 or more AND
• The loan to value does not exceed 90% for purchases, 90% like for like re-mortgages, 80% for re-mortgages with any element of capital raising and 80% for existing Barclays mortgage borrowers applying for additional borrowing;
Barnsley Building Society 60 years from the date of the mortgage application subject to 35 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
Lloyds TSB Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
National Westminster Bank Mortgage term plus 30 years.

For Shared Ownership, the remaining term of the lease must be at least 75 years plus the term of the mortgage at the outset of the mortgage.
Royal Bank of Scotland Mortgage term plus 30 years.

Get in touch with one of our Hounslow lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

Using our service gives you enhanced control over the value of your Hounslow leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and saleable in respect of lease length should you wish to sell. The conveyancers that we work with have a in-depth market knowledge handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Hounslow Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Noah, Hounslow, West London,

Noah was the the leasehold owner of a studio apartment in Hounslow being marketed with a lease of a little over 61 years remaining. Noah informally approached his landlord being a well known Bristol-based freehold company and enquired on a premium to extend the lease. The freeholder was keen to give an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of a rise in the rent to £50 yearly. Ordinarily, ground rent would not be due on a lease extension were Noah to invoke his statutory right. Noah obtained expert legal guidance and secured satisfactory deal without going to tribunal and sell the property.

Hounslow case:

Mr Daniel Khan completed a basement flat in Hounslow in July 1995. The dilemma was if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord would likely be to prolong the lease by a further 90 years. Similar flats in Hounslow with 100 year plus lease were valued around £191,000. The average ground rent payable was £65 invoiced per annum. The lease lapsed in 2084. Taking into account 58 years as a residual term we calculated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be within £23,800 and £27,400 plus expenses.

Decision in Hounslow

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Hounslow flat is Ground Floor Flat 91 Bath Road in May 2009. in a case where the freeholder could not be traced, the Brentford County Court ordered that the Lease be surrendered in return for the grant of a new lease of the Premises at a premium determined by the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal. The tribunal concluded that the price payable by the Applicant for the new lease of the premises be £15,900 This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 60.45 years.