Harry (my fiance) and I may need to let out our Altrincham basement flat for a while due to a new job. We used a Altrincham conveyancing firm in 2001 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your previous Altrincham conveyancing lawyer is not available you can review your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the property. The rule is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is allowed. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you need to obtain consent from your landlord or other appropriate person before subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet in the absence of first obtaining permission. The consent should not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a studio apartment in Altrincham. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they will have a report out to me within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Altrincham should include some of the following:

• The length of the lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and informed of the importance of the 80 year mark

Last month I purchased a leasehold flat in Altrincham. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

All being well we will complete the sale of our £225000 flat in Altrincham next Friday . The management company has quoted £312 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Altrincham?

Altrincham conveyancing on leasehold apartments usually necessitates the purchaser’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to respond to these enquiries the majority will be willing to assist. They are entitled charge a reasonable administration fee for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some situations it is in excess of £800. The administration charge demanded by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration fees, otherwise the charge is technically not due. In reality one has little option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to complete the sale of your home.

What makes a Altrincham lease unmortgageable?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Altrincham. Most leases are individual and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain sections are missing. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the premises
• Insurance obligations
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

A defective lease can cause issues when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. National Westminster Bank, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, and Clydesdale all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the buyer to withdraw.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Altrincham - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

Where a Altrincham lease has no more than 80 years it will impact the salability of the apartment. Check with your bank that they are happy with the length of the lease. A short lease means that you will probably require a lease extension at some point and you need to have some idea of how much this would cost. Remember, in most cases you would be required to have been the owner of the premises for two years before you are entitled to carry out a lease extension. Who is in charge of the block? Most Altrincham leasehold flats will incur a service bill for maintenance of the block invoiced on behalf of the management company. Should you purchase the apartment you will have to meet this liability, normally in instalments during the year. This could differ from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large common grounds. In all probability there will be a ground rent to be met yearly, this is usually not a large sum, say approximately £50-£100 but you should to enquire as sometimes it can be surprisingly expensive.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Altrincham