Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Bradford:

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Frequently asked questions relating to Bradford leasehold conveyancing

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Bradford. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Bradford - 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 complete next month on a basement flat in Bradford. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they report fully within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • Whether the lease restricts you from subletting the property, or having a home office for business
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change
  • 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
  • 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.
  • Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice?
  • Responsibility for repairing the window frames
  • What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Bradford please enquire of your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Bradford

    • Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my basement flat in Bradford.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a quarterly service charge invoice – what should I do?

    Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should clear the service charge 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 unless 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.

    Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Bradford with the purpose of saving time on the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Bradford can be avoided if you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers representatives.
    • The majority freeholders or managing agents in Bradford charge for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. 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 reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Bradford.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s consent? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Bradford state that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord approving such changes. If you fail to have the approvals in place you should not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer first.
  • Some Bradford leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the annual 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 lawyers.
  • If you have had conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be warry about purchasing a flat where a dispute is ongoing. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as historic rather than ongoing.

    • If all goes to plan we aim to complete the disposal of our £300000 flat in Bradford in six days. The managing agents has quoted £420 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Bradford?

    Bradford conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes usually necessitates the buyer’s lawyer submitting questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer such questions most will be content to assist. They may invoice a reasonable charge for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some situations it is in excess of £800. The management information fee required by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that you have no choice but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to sell the property.

    Bradford Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

      The majority of Bradford leasehold properties will be liable to pay a service bill for maintenance of the building invoiced by the management company. If you acquire the flat you will have to pay this amount, normally periodically during the year. This could vary from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built buildings. There will also be a ground rent to be met yearly, this is usually not a exorbitant amount, say around £25-£75 but you should to check as sometimes it can be many hundreds of pounds. You should be aware that where the lease has no more than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the marketability of the property. Check with your bank that they are willing to lend given the lease term. A short lease means that you will probably require a lease extension sooner rather than later and you need to have some idea of what this will be. For most Bradfordlease extensions you will be be obliged to have been the owner of the property for a couple of years before you are entitled to extend the lease. On the whole the outlay for major works tend not to be wrapped into the maintenance charges, although there some managing agents in Bradford ask leaseholders to contribute towards a reserve fund created for the specific purpose of establishing a fund for major works.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Bradford