Leasehold Conveyancing in Chorlton - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Chorlton, you will need to chose a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Santander, RBS or Nationwide be sure to choose a lawyer on their panel. Feel free to use our search tool

Common questions relating to Chorlton leasehold conveyancing

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

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Chorlton - 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.

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

Your lease governs the relationship between the landlord and you the flat owner; specifically, it will set out if subletting is banned, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. The majority of leases in Chorlton do not contain strict prohibition on subletting – such a clause would undoubtedly devalue the flat. In most cases there is a basic requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a duplicate of the sublease.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my basement flat in Chorlton.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

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

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Chorlton. Conveyancing and Barclays Direct mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1998. The conveyancing practitioner in Chorlton who previously acted has now retired.What should I do?

First make enquiries of the Land Registry to be sure that this person is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Chorlton conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Chorlton from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

  • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Chorlton can be reduced where you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers lawyers.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Chorlton leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord approving such works. Should you fail to have the paperwork in place do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor before hand.
  • Some Chorlton leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers.
  • If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a property where there is a current dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to present the dispute as historic as opposed to unsettled.
  • If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should ensure that you hold the original share document. Obtaining a new share certificate can be a time consuming formality and delays many a Chorlton home move. Where a new share is needed, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if relevant) for this sooner rather than later.

    • I bought a 2 bed flat in Chorlton, conveyancing having been completed 3 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Chorlton with a long lease are worth £185,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease ends on 21st October 2081

    With only 56 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £28,500 and £33,000 as well as costs.

    The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Chorlton