Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Ampthill:

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Recently asked questions relating to Ampthill leasehold conveyancing

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Ampthill. Before diving in I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Ampthill - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title.For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

My wife and I may need to sub-let our Ampthill 1st floor flat temporarily due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Ampthill conveyancing firm in 2004 but they have closed and we did not think at the time get any guidance as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

Even though your last Ampthill conveyancing lawyer is not available you can review your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the apartment. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you are obliged to obtain consent from your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. This means that you cannot sublet without prior consent. Such consent must not not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

Planning to complete next month on a basement flat in Ampthill. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they are sending me a report next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • You should be sent a copy of the lease
  • The length of the lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and informed of the importance of the 80 year mark
  • Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?
  • You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
  • I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
  • The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
  • Responsibility for repairing the window frames For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Ampthill please enquire of your lawyer in advance of your conveyancing in Ampthill

    • I have just appointed agents to market my garden apartment in Ampthill.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just had a quarterly service charge demand – what should I do?

    Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should clear the invoice as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

    I work for a busy estate agent office in Ampthill where we have witnessed a number of flat sales derailed as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received inconsistent advice from local Ampthill conveyancing firms. Can you shed some light as to whether the vendor of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

    Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser need not have to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.

    An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

    Ampthill Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

      Are there any major works on the horizon that will add a premium to the service costs? Plenty Ampthill leasehold flats will have a service charge for maintenance of the block set by the freeholder. If you buy the flat you will have to pay this charge, normally in instalments during the year. This can be anything from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large communal areas. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge to be met yearly, this is usually not a significant figure, say around £25-£75 but you should to enquire as occasionally it can be many hundreds of pounds. It would be sensible to investigate if the the lease contains any adverse restrictions in the lease. For instance it is very common in Ampthill leases that pets are not allowed in certain buildings in Ampthill. If you like the apartmentin Ampthill yet your dog can’t live with you then you will be faced difficult decision.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Ampthill