I am intending to sublet my leasehold flat in Colnbrook. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Notwithstanding that your last Colnbrook conveyancing solicitor is no longer available you can review your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the property. The rule is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is allowed. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you must seek consent from your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. This means that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining permission. The consent must not not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If your lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Colnbrook. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they report fully tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

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

• Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?

Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Colnbrook conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Colnbrook conveyancing practice) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you speak with several firms including non Colnbrook conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be useful:

• What volume of lease extensions has the firm conducted in Colnbrook in the last year?

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the sale of our £175000 flat in Colnbrook on Tuesday in a week. The landlords agents has quoted £384 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Colnbrook?

Colnbrook conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes often necessitates the purchaser’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to answer these enquiries most will be content to assist. They may invoice a reasonable administration fee for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some situations it exceeds £800. The management information fee levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of rights and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the invoice is technically not due. In reality you have little choice but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to sell the property.

What makes a Colnbrook lease defective?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Colnbrook. All leases is drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain provisions are wrong. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the premises
• A duty to insure the building
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

You may encounter a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Yorkshire Building Society, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, and Alliance & Leicester 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 pull out.

Colnbrook Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

How much is the service charge and ground rent on the property? It would be wise to discover as much as you can regarding the company managing the block as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you are often at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to day to day matters such as the cleanliness of the common parts. Enquire of other people whether they are happy with their service. Finally, investigate as to the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the relevant party and specifically how they are spending that money. This question is important as a) areas can cause problems for the block as the common areas may begin to deteriorate if repairs remain unpaid b) if the tenants have a dispute with the managing agents you will need to know about it

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Colnbrook