My husband and I may need to rent out our Crewe basement flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We used a Crewe conveyancing practice in 2002 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to seek any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

Some leases for properties in Crewe do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably withhold 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.

I have recently realised that I have 62 years unexpired on my flat in Crewe. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What options are available to me?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be extended by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to track down the freeholder. On the whole a specialist would be useful to conduct investigations and prepare a report to be accepted by the court as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Crewe.

I have just appointed agents to market my garden apartment in Crewe.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just received a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should discharge 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 managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until 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 house in Crewe. Conveyancing and Chelsea Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing practitioner in Crewe who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to make sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Crewe conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Crewe conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Crewe conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Crewe conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be helpful:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?

Crewe Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries before buying

The prefered form of lease structure is if the freehold title is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this situation the tenants benefit from control and although a managing agent is often retained if it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent employed by the leaseholders. Who manages the building? Please note that where the lease has no more than eighty years it will affect the value of the property. Check with your lender that they are content with the length of the lease. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will almost definitely have to extend the lease at some point and it is worth finding out what this would cost. Remember, in most cases you would be be obliged to have been the owner of the property for two years in order to be eligible to extend the lease.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Crewe