Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Cheltenham:

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Cheltenham, you will need to chose a conveyancing solicitor with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Santander, Yorkshire Building Society or Nationwide make sure you choose a lawyer on their panel. Find a Cheltenham conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Recently asked questions relating to Cheltenham leasehold conveyancing

I would like to let out my leasehold apartment in Cheltenham. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Even though your previous Cheltenham conveyancing lawyer is not available you can check your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the property. The rule is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you are obliged to obtain permission from your landlord or other appropriate person before subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining permission. The consent should not be unreasonably turned down. If your lease prohibits you from subletting the property you should ask your landlord for their consent.

I have just started marketing my ground floor apartment in Cheltenham.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you 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 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.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Cheltenham. Conveyancing and Santander mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing practitioner in Cheltenham who previously acted has now retired.Do I pay?

First make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that this person is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Cheltenham conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Last month I purchased a leasehold property in Cheltenham. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

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 Cheltenham from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?

  • A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Cheltenham can be reduced where you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers solicitors.
  • Many freeholders or Management Companies in Cheltenham charge for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management information can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Cheltenham.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Cheltenham leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord approving such changes. Where you fail to have the paperwork in place do not contact the landlord without checking with your lawyer in the first instance.
  • A minority of Cheltenham leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the yearly 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors.
  • If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should make sure that you are holding the original share certificate. Obtaining a duplicate share certificate can be a time consuming formality and delays many a Cheltenham conveyancing deal. Where a reissued share certificate is needed, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity.

    • Leasehold Conveyancing in Cheltenham - A selection of Questions you should consider before buying

      Is anyone aware of any major works in the planning that will likely increase the maintenance charges? What is the length of the lease? How much is the maintenance charge and ground rent on the flat?

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