You should [be sent a copy of the lease|receive a copy of the lease]

I am hoping to complete next month on a studio apartment in Cardigan. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they report fully on Monday. What should I be looking out for?

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

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, freeholder
• The total extent of the demise. This will be the flat itself but could also include a loft or cellar if appropriate.
• Setting out your rights in relation to common areas in the block.By way of example, does the lease include a right of way over a path or hallways?
• Are you allowed to have a pet in the flat?
• Does the lease prevent you from renting out the property, or working from home
• You must be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease
• Repair and maintenance of the flat

For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Cardigan please enquire of your lawyer in advance of your conveyancing in Cardigan

I've found a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Cardigan. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Cardigan ?

The majority of houses in Cardigan are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Cardigan so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Cardigan conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the landlord’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will advise you fully on all the issues.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Cardigan. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Cardigan from the point of view of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Cardigan can be reduced if you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Cardigan leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such alterations. Where you dont have the consents to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your lawyer in the first instance.
• If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a property where a dispute is unsettled. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as over rather than ongoing.
• If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should make sure that you are holding the original share document. Arranging a new share certificate can be a time consuming formality and delays many a Cardigan conveyancing deal. Where a reissued share certificate is necessary, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this as soon as possible.
• You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable double-check via your lawyers. A purchaser's lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to where the remaining number of years is less than 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

All being well we will complete our sale of a £ 475000 garden flat in Cardigan in six days. The landlords agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Cardigan?

For most leasehold sales in Cardigan conveyancing will involve, questions about the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Addressing pre-contract questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Cardigan
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Cardigan leasehold property is £350. For Cardigan 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 split level flat in Cardigan, conveyancing having been completed 2001. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Corresponding properties in Cardigan with an extended lease are worth £215,000. The ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2083

With 57 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £25,700 and £29,600 as well as costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.