Helen (my wife) and I may need to sub-let our Buckley basement flat for a while due to a career opportunity. We used a Buckley conveyancing firm in 2003 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?

Notwithstanding that your last Buckley conveyancing solicitor is no longer around you can review your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the apartment. The rule is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you must seek consent via your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. This means that you cannot sublet without first obtaining consent. The consent must not not be unreasonably withheld. If your lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

Planning to complete next month on a leasehold property in Buckley. 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?

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

• The unexpired lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and aware of the importance of the 80 year mark

I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed apartment in Buckley.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just received a quarterly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

The sensible thing to do is pay the invoice 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 managing agents 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to be perfect, 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 house with a leasehold title in Buckley. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Buckley are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Buckley so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Buckley conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the landlord’spermission to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor should report to you on the legal implications.

When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Buckley what are the most frequent lease problems?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Buckley. All leases is drafted differently and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are wrong. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the building
• A duty to insure the building
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

You could encounter a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Yorkshire Building Society, The Mortgage Works, and Godiva Mortgages Ltd all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to withdraw.

Buckley Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

How much is the ground rent and service charge? If a Buckley lease has less than eighty years it will have adverse implications on the salability of the flat. It is worth checking with your mortgage company 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 almost definitely need a lease extension sooner rather than later and you need to have some idea of how much this would cost. Remember, in most cases you will need to own the residence for a couple of years in order to be entitled to carry out a lease extension. How long is the Lease?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Buckley