I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Biggleswade. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Biggleswade - 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.

My partner and I may need to rent out our Biggleswade basement flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We used a Biggleswade conveyancing firm in 2001 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to get any guidance as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

A lease dictates relations between the freeholder and you the flat owner; in particular, it will say if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain caveats. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. The majority of leases in Biggleswade do not prevent subletting altogether – such a provision would undoubtedly devalue the property. 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 seems to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Biggleswade. Conveyancing advisers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Biggleswade ?

The majority of houses in Biggleswade are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Biggleswade in which case you should be shopping around for a Biggleswade conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Biggleswade. Conveyancing and Barclays mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing practitioner in Biggleswade who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

The first thing you should do is contact the Land Registry to be sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Biggleswade conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. You should note that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Biggleswade conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Biggleswade conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you make enquires with several firms including non Biggleswade conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be of use:

• How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?

Leasehold Conveyancing in Biggleswade - Examples of Questions you should consider before buying

The best form of lease arrangement is if the freehold title is owned by the leaseholders. In this situation the lessees have control and even though a managing agent is frequently retained if the building is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. Be sure to enquire if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. By way of example plenty of leases prohibit pets being allowed in in a block in Biggleswade. If you like the propertyin Biggleswade yet your cat is not allowed to make the move with you then you will be presented with a hard compromise. If a Biggleswade lease has less than eighty years it will affect the marketability of the property. Check with your lender that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will probably need a lease extension at some point and it is worth discovering how much this will be. Remember, in most cases you will be required to have been the owner of the property for two years before you are eligible to carry out a lease extension.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Biggleswade