There are only Sixty One years unexpired on my flat in Cotswolds. I now wish to get lease extension but my landlord is missing. What should I do?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you have done all that could be expected to locate the freeholder. On the whole an enquiry agent should be helpful to try and locate and prepare a report to be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Cotswolds.

Looking forward to exchange soon on a leasehold property in Cotswolds. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they are sending me a report on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
• I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
• The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
• Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice?
• The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames
• What options are open to you if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease?

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just been informed that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a house with a leasehold title in Cotswolds. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Cotswolds ?

Most houses in Cotswolds are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Cotswolds in which case you should be shopping around for a Cotswolds conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer will report to you on the legal implications.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Cotswolds with the intention of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Cotswolds can be avoided where you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and ask them to collate 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? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Cotswolds leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord consenting to such works. If you fail to have the approvals in place do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in the first instance.
• A minority of Cotswolds leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are 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 buyers or their solicitors.
• If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should ensure that you are holding the original share certificate. Organising a new share certificate is often a lengthy formality and delays many a Cotswolds home move. Where a new share is needed, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later.
• You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but you should verify this via your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to where the remaining number of years is under 75 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you identify whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Cotswolds what are the most frequent lease problems?

Leasehold conveyancing in Cotswolds is not unique. Most leases are unique and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain sections are erroneous. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• A provision to repair to or maintain elements 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

A defective lease will likely cause problems when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Yorkshire Building Society, The Royal Bank of Scotland, and Godiva Mortgages Ltd all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is defective they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to withdraw.

Cotswolds Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

Is there a share of the freehold?