Surbiton Lease Extension - Free Consultation

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Main reasons to start your Surbiton lease extension


Why you should commence your Surbiton lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Surbiton property value

When it comes to domestic leasehold premises in Surbiton, you are actually buying an entitlement to live in a property for a prescribed time frame. These days flat leases are usually granted for 99 years or 125. Even though this may appear like a lengthy period of time, you should consider a lease extension sooner rather than later. Accepted thinking is that the shorter the lease is the cost of extending the lease gets disproportionately more expensive particularly when there are less than eighty years remaining. Anyone in Surbiton with a lease nearing 81 years left should seriously consider extending it without delay. Once the lease term has below eighty years outstanding, under the relevant statute the landlord can calculate and levy a greater amount, based on a technical multiplication, strangely termed as “marriage value” which is payable.

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

Leasehold premises in Surbiton with more than one hundred years unexpired on the lease are often referred to as ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease is worth the same as a freehold interest in your property. In such circumstances there is often little to be gained by purchasing the reversionary interest unless savings on ground rent and maintenance charges merit it.

Lenders may decide not to lend on a short lease

Mortgage Lenders differ in their lending requirements. Some set the bar at seventy five years remaining on the lease; others may be content with anything over 70 years. Below sixty years, it may be problematic to get a mortgage in the first place.

Lender Requirement
Halifax Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Santander You must report the unexpired lease term to us and await our instructions if:
1. the unexpired term assumed by our valuer is between 55 and 82 years, but the actual unexpired term differs by more than one year (whether longer or shorter); or
2. the unexpired term assumed by our valuer is more than 82 years but the actual unexpired term is less than 82 years; or
3. no valuation report is provided
However, we will not accept a lease where on expiry of the mortgage:
(i) less than 50 years remain and all or part of the loan is repaid on an interest-only basis: or
(ii) less than 30 years remain and the loan is repaid on a capital and interest basis

We will accept a lease that has been extended under the provisions of the Leasehold Reform Act 1993 provided statutory compensation would be available to the leaseholder.
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.
Royal Bank of Scotland Mortgage term plus 30 years.

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

The lawyers that we work with handle Surbiton 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.

Surbiton Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Theo, Surbiton, South West London,

Theo was the the leasehold proprietor of a high value apartment in Surbiton being sold with a lease of a few days over sixty years unexpired. Theo on an informal basis spoke with his freeholder a well known Bristol-based freehold company and enquired on a premium to extend the lease. The landlord was prepared to grant an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of an increased rent to £50 annually. Ordinarily, ground rent would not be payable on a lease extension were Theo to invoke his statutory right. Theo procured expert advice and secured satisfactory deal without going to tribunal and sell the property.

Surbiton case:

In 2011 we were e-mailed by Mr and Mrs. R Davies who, having took over the lease of a studio flat in Surbiton in June 2007. The question was if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) price could be to prolong the lease by ninety years. Similar flats in Surbiton with a long lease were valued about £210,000. The average ground rent payable was £50 collected every twelve months. The lease expired in 2105. Having 80 years outstanding we estimated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £8,600 and £9,800 plus professional charges.

Decision in Kingston upon Thames

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Surbiton property is Flat D 15 Claremont Gardens in September 2013. TheTribunal determined in accordance with section48 and Schedule13 of the Leasehold Reform,Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease should be fourteen thousand one hundred and eighty seven pounds (£14,187.00) This case related to 1 flat.