I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Bolsover. Before diving in I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and most are in Bolsover - 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.

Jane (my partner) and I may need to rent out our Bolsover basement flat temporarily due to a new job. We used a Bolsover conveyancing practice in 2002 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time seek any guidance as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

Some leases for properties in Bolsover 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 dictates 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 consent.

There are only Fifty years left on my lease in Bolsover. I now want to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What are my options?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have made all reasonable attempts to track down the freeholder. In some cases an enquiry agent may be useful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document to be used as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor both on devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Bolsover.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have just been informed that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Bolsover. Conveyancing advisers have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Bolsover ?

The majority of houses in Bolsover are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Bolsover in which case you should be shopping around for a Bolsover conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer will report to you on the legal implications.

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

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Bolsover conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Bolsover conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be useful:

• How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?
• How many lease extensions has the firm completed in Bolsover in the last year?

Bolsover Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge liability? You should be aware if it is less than eighty years it will have adverse implications on the marketability of the property. It is worth checking with your mortgage company that they are happy with the length of the lease. A short lease means that you will probably require a lease extension at some point and it is worth discovering how much this would cost. Remember, in most cases you will need to own the property for two years in order to be eligible to extend the lease.