Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Boldon. Before I get started I require certainty as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Boldon - 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.

Planning to exchange soon on a studio apartment in Boldon. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they report fully within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Boldon should include some of the following:

• The physical extent of the property. This will be the apartment itself but might incorporate a roof space or basement if applicable.

Does the lease require carpeting throughout thus preventing wood flooring?

Whether the lease restricts you from letting out the flat, or working from home

Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?

Repair and maintenance of the flat

I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required

Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice? For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Boldon please ask your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Boldon

Back In 2007, I bought a leasehold house in Boldon. Conveyancing and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing solicitor in Boldon who previously acted has now retired.What should I do?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to be sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is in fact the new freeholder. There is no need to incur the fees of a Boldon conveyancing lawyer 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 landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Boldon with the intention of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Boldon can be bypassed where you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ solicitors.
• Many freeholders or managing agents in Boldon charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management information can be applied for as soon as you have 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 Boldon.

In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Boldon state that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord consenting to such changes. Where you fail to have the consents in place do not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in the first instance.

If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should ensure that you hold the original share certificate. Obtaining a re-issued share certificate can be a time consuming process and slows down many a Boldon home move. If a duplicate share is necessary, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if relevant) for this as soon as possible.

You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be wise to double-check by asking your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the remaining number of years is less than 75 years. It is therefore important at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the disposal of our £400000 flat in Boldon on Monday in a week. The managing agents has quoted £408 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Boldon?

Boldon conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally results in administration charges levied by landlords agents :

• Answering pre-exchange questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Boldon
• 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 Boldon leasehold property is £350. For Boldon 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.

I bought a garden flat in Boldon, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Equivalent properties in Boldon with over 90 years remaining are worth £175,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease terminates on 21st October 2087

With 62 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £20,000 and £23,000 plus professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.

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Lease Extensions in Boldon