Leasehold Conveyancing in Beacontree Heath - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

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While any conveyancing solicitor can theoretically handle your leasehold conveyancing in Beacontree Heath, your mortgage provider may not be willing to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Examples of recent questions relating to leasehold conveyancing in Beacontree Heath

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Beacontree Heath. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Beacontree Heath - 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.

Helen (my wife) and I may need to let out our Beacontree Heath 1st floor flat for a while due to a new job. We used a Beacontree Heath conveyancing practice in 2004 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to get any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

A 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 specific ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. The majority of leases in Beacontree Heath do not contain strict prohibition on subletting – such a provision would undoubtedly devalue the property. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a duplicate of the tenancy agreement.

Due to sign contracts shortly on a studio apartment in Beacontree Heath. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they are sending me a report tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • You should be sent a copy of the lease
  • Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, freeholder
  • Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?
  • 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.
  • The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building
  • Responsibility for repairing the window frames
  • What you can do if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Beacontree Heath please ask your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Beacontree Heath

    • I've recently bought a leasehold house in Beacontree Heath. Am I liable to pay 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).

    Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Beacontree Heath from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Beacontree Heath can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers lawyers.
    • The majority landlords or managing agents in Beacontree Heath charge for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Beacontree Heath.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Beacontree Heath leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord approving such works. Where you fail to have the approvals to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your lawyer in advance.
  • A minority of Beacontree Heath leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the yearly 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 buyers or their solicitors.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you hold the original share document. Arranging a duplicate share certificate is often a time consuming process and delays many a Beacontree Heath home move. If a reissued share is required, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible.

    • Following months of dialogue we simply can't agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Beacontree Heath. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

    You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a Beacontree Heath conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Beacontree Heath flat is 49 Aldborough Road South in July 2012. The Tribunal decided that the premium payable for the grant of the new lease was £13,925 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 61.36 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Beacontree Heath