I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Cottenham. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is registered - and most are in Cottenham - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details 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.

Frank (my husband) and I may need to let out our Cottenham 1st floor flat for a while due to a new job. We instructed a Cottenham conveyancing firm in 2003 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to get any guidance as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Cottenham do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord cannot unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience suggests that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting consent.

Due to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Cottenham. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they report fully within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Cottenham should include some of the following:

• Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?

You must be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease

Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?

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

Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice?

Responsibility for repairing the window frames

What you can do if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease? For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Cottenham please enquire of your lawyer in advance of your conveyancing in Cottenham

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Cottenham with the intention of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Cottenham can be avoided if you instruct lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers lawyers.
• The majority landlords or Management Companies in Cottenham levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Cottenham.

In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Cottenham leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord approving such works. If you fail to have the approvals to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your solicitor in advance.

A minority of Cottenham 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 obtain bank and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying 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 solicitors.

If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Obtaining a new share certificate can be a lengthy formality and delays many a Cottenham conveyancing transaction. If a new share certificate is needed, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

Completion in due on the disposal of our £150000 garden flat in Cottenham in just under a week. The management company has quoted £396 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Cottenham?

Cottenham conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally involves administration charges raised by landlords agents :

• Answering conveyancing due diligence questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Cottenham
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Cottenham leasehold premises is £350. For Cottenham 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 the information.

Cottenham Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge liability? Be sure to discover if the the lease includes any unreasonable restrictions in the lease. By way of example it is very common in Cottenham leases that pets are not allowed in in a block in Cottenham. If you like the flatin Cottenham yet your cat is not allowed to move with you then you have a very hard choice. What is the the remaining lease term?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Cottenham