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Leasehold conveyancing in Dawlish is more complex than freehold. Your home move will be smoother where you choose a lawyer with a wealth of experience of leasehold conveyancing in Dawlish and throughout next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Common questions relating to Dawlish leasehold conveyancing

I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Dawlish. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and most are in Dawlish - 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.

Due to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Dawlish. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they are sending me a report tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • The total extent of the property. This will be the flat itself but could also include a roof space or basement if applicable.
  • Defining your legal entitlements in relation to the communal areas in the building.E.G., does the lease grant a right of way over a path or staircase?
  • Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?
  • Are you allowed to have a pet in the flat?
  • 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
  • Repair and maintenance of the flat
  • 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. For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Dawlish please enquire of your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Dawlish

    • My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Dawlish. Conveyancing and Virgin Money mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing solicitor in Dawlish who acted for me is not around.Do I pay?

    First contact the Land Registry to be sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Dawlish conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

    Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Dawlish with the purpose of saving time on the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Dawlish can be avoided if you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers solicitors.
    • If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s approval? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Dawlish leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord approving such alterations. Where you fail to have the approvals to hand do not contact the landlord without contacting your lawyer in advance.
  • A minority of Dawlish leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. The 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 there is a history of conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a property where there is a current dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve 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 will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic rather than unresolved.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Obtaining a duplicate share certificate is often a lengthy process and frustrates many a Dawlish conveyancing deal. Where a duplicate share is necessary, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

    • We expect to complete the disposal of our £350000 garden flat in Dawlish next Wednesday . The managing agents has quoted £360 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Dawlish?

    Dawlish conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes more often than not necessitates the buyer’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to answer these enquiries the majority will be willing to do so. They may invoice a reasonable charge for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it exceeds £800. The management information fee invoiced by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that one has little option but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to complete the sale of your home.

    I inherited a leasehold flat in Dawlish, conveyancing formalities finalised 2012. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Equivalent flats in Dawlish with over 90 years remaining are worth £189,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2086

    With 62 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £19,000 and £22,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

    The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Dawlish