My husband and I may need to rent out our Aston Clinton basement flat for a while due to a new job. We instructed a Aston Clinton conveyancing firm in 2004 but they have closed and we did not think at the time get any guidance as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Aston Clinton do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience suggests that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

Expecting to complete next month on a basement flat in Aston Clinton. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they will have a report out to me on Monday. What should I be looking out for?

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

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord

Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?

Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?

Does the lease prevent you from renting out the flat, or working from home

You need to be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease

Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?

Responsibility for repairing the window frames For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Aston Clinton please ask your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Aston Clinton

I have just started marketing my basement flat in Aston Clinton.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just received a yearly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should pay the service charge 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.

Last month I purchased a leasehold house in Aston Clinton. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, 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 our sale of a £325000 maisonette in Aston Clinton in just under a week. The managing agents has quoted £372 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Aston Clinton?

For the majority of leasehold sales in Aston Clinton conveyancing will involve, queries regarding the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Answering conveyancing due diligence enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Aston Clinton
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Aston Clinton leasehold premises is £350. For Aston Clinton conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to provide answers.

Aston Clinton Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should ask before buying

Be sure to find out if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For example it is reasonably common in Aston Clinton leases that pets are not allowed in in a block in Aston Clinton. If you love the apartmentin Aston Clinton however your dog is not allowed to live with you then you have a very hard decision. The prefered form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this scenario the leaseholders have control and even though a managing agent is usually employed where it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. Is there a share of the freehold?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Aston Clinton