I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Battle. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Battle - 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 rent out our Battle 1st floor flat for a while due to a career opportunity. We instructed a Battle conveyancing practice in 2002 but they have closed and we did not think at the time get any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your previous Battle conveyancing lawyer is no longer around you can review your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the premises. The rule is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you need to seek consent from your landlord or some other party in advance of subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet in the absence of first obtaining permission. Such consent must not not be unreasonably withheld. If your lease prohibits you from subletting the property you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I am hoping to sign contracts shortly on a studio apartment in Battle. 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 Battle should include some of the following:

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
• The total extent of the demise. This will be the apartment itself but might incorporate a roof space or cellar if appropriate.
• Setting out your rights in relation to common areas in the block.By way of example, does the lease grant a right of way over an accessway or hallways?
• You must be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
• Whether your lease has a provision for a reserve fund?
• Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames

I’m about to sell my garden apartment in Battle.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a yearly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should discharge 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Battle what are the most frequent lease problems?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Battle. Most leases are individual and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain clauses are erroneous. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the premises
• A duty to insure the building
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

You could encounter difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Yorkshire Building Society, Barnsley Building Society, and Aldermore all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is problematic they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the buyer to pull out.

I inherited a leasehold flat in Battle, conveyancing was carried out in 2003. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Equivalent properties in Battle with a long lease are worth £220,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease expires on 21st October 2090

You have 64 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £13,300 and £15,400 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.