Stop! Your Lease Extension in South Brent Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in South Brent 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 South Brent 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.

Top reasons for South Brent lease extension


Why you should commence your South Brent lease extension today:

A South Brent lease depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

South Brent leases on residential deteriorating in value. if your lease has approximately 90 years left, you should start considering the need for a lease extension. If lease term falls under 80 years, you will then be required to pay half of the property's 'marriage value' on top of the standard cost of the lease extension to your landlord. Marriage value is the amount of extra value that a lease extension will add to the property. Leasehold owners in South Brent will usually qualify for a lease extension; however It would be wise to check with a conveyancing solicitor to confirm if you qualify. In certain situations you may not be entitled. There are also strict deadlines and formalities to follow once the process is initiated so it’s best to be guided by a conveyancer during the process.

An extended lease has roughly the same value as a freehold

It is conventional wisdom that a property with in excess of 100 years remaining is worth roughly the equivalent as a freehold. Where an further ninety years added to any lease with more than 45 years left, the residence will be worth the same as a freehold for decades to come.

Lenders may decide not to lend with a short lease

Banks and building societies are really clamping down as regards to properties in South Brent with short leases. For example you may find that their lending requirements are stricter and that they adjust interest rates depending on how many years are left on the lease. Some may even refrain from lending completely, so where you wanted to sell, your remaining options would be to find a cash purchaser, or hope for the best at auction thus reducing the number of potential purchasers.

Lender Requirement
Barnsley Building Society 60 years from the date of the mortgage application subject to 35 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
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
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.
Virgin 85 years at the time of completion. If it's less, we require it to be extended on or before completion.
Yorkshire Building Society 85 years from the date of completion of the mortgage. Please ensure that you explain the implications of a short term lease to the borrower.

Why use us for your lease extension in South Brent?

The lawyers that we work with procure South Brent 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 lawyer we work with provide it.

South Brent Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Harry, South Brent, Devon,

Harry was the the leasehold owner of a high value flat in South Brent being sold with a lease of a few days over fifty eight years outstanding. Harry informally contacted his landlord a well known Bristol-based freehold company and enquired on a premium to extend the lease. The landlord indicated a willingness to extend the lease to 125 years on the basis of a new rent to start with set at £100 per annum and doubled every twenty five years thereafter. No ground rent would be payable on a lease extension were Harry to invoke his statutory right. Harry procured expert advice and secured satisfactory resolution without going to tribunal and ending up with a market value flat.

South Brent case:

In 2009 we were e-mailed by Ms Rachael Thompson who, having was assigned a lease of a recently refurbished flat in South Brent in January 1998. We are asked if we could approximate the compensation to the landlord could be for a 90 year lease extension. Similar flats in South Brent with an extended lease were valued about £166,400. The average amount of ground rent was £60 billed yearly. The lease concluded on 7 February 2080. Considering the 54 years left we estimated the premium to the freeholder for the lease extension to be within £32,300 and £37,400 plus fees.

South Brent case:

Mrs U Gunderson was assigned a lease of a ground floor flat in South Brent in October 2001. The dilemma was if we could estimate the premium would be for a ninety year lease extension. Identical properties in South Brent with a long lease were worth £227,800. The average amount of ground rent was £45 collected every twelve months. The lease finished on 25 June 2091. Considering the 65 years outstanding we estimated the premium to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £13,300 and £15,400 not including expenses.