Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Ashbourne. Before diving in I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Ashbourne - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars 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.

I want to rent out my leasehold flat in Ashbourne. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Your lease dictates the relationship between the landlord and you the flat owner; in particular, it will set out if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. The majority of leases in Ashbourne do not contain strict prohibition on subletting – such a provision would adversely affect the market value the flat. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a copy of the sublease.

I've found a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just been informed that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Ashbourne. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Ashbourne ?

Most houses in Ashbourne are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Ashbourne so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Ashbourne conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer should report to you on the legal implications.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Ashbourne with the purpose of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Ashbourne can be reduced if you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers conveyancers.
• A minority of Ashbourne leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors.

Completion in due on the sale of our £200000 garden flat in Ashbourne in nine days. The landlords agents has quoted £372 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Ashbourne?

Ashbourne conveyancing on leasehold flats normally necessitates the purchaser’s lawyer sending questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer such questions most will be content to do so. They may invoice a reasonable administration fee for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it is in excess of £800. The administration charge invoiced by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of rights and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the charge is not strictly payable. In reality one has no choice but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

I inherited a leasehold flat in Ashbourne, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Ashbourne with a long lease are worth £167,000. The ground rent is £60 per annum. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2080

With just 59 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £22,800 and £26,400 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Ashbourne