Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Cheetham. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Cheetham - 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.

Last month I purchased a leasehold property in Cheetham. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee 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).

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Cheetham conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Cheetham conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you make enquires with several firms including non Cheetham conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be useful:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?

Can they put you in touch with client in Cheetham who can give a testimonial?

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the sale of our £375000 garden flat in Cheetham in just under a week. The freeholder has quoted £348 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Cheetham?

Cheetham conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes usually results in administration charges invoiced by freeholders :

• Completing pre-contract enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Cheetham
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• 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 Cheetham leasehold property is £350. For Cheetham 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.

Are there frequently found problems that you come across in leases for Cheetham properties?

Leasehold conveyancing in Cheetham is not unique. Most leases are unique and drafting errors can result in certain sections are not included. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the property
• A duty to insure the building
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

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. Santander, Barnsley Building Society, and Barclays Direct all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is problematic they may refuse to provide security, forcing the purchaser to pull out.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Cheetham - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

Most Cheetham leasehold apartments will have a service charge for maintenance of the building levied on behalf of the freeholder. Should you buy the flat you will have to meet this liability, normally periodically accross the year. This may vary from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built blocks. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay annual, this is usually not a significant amount, say approximately £50-£100 but you need to enquire as occasionally it could be surprisingly expensive. Does the lease include onerous restrictions? Be sure to enquire if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For example some leases prohibit pets being permitted in certain buildings in Cheetham. If you love the apartmentin Cheetham yet your dog can’t move with you then you have a very difficult decision.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Cheetham