Guaranteed fixed fees for Leasehold Conveyancing in Dunstable

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While any conveyancing solicitor can theoretically deal with your leasehold conveyancing in Dunstable, your mortgage provider may not be willing to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Common questions relating to Dunstable leasehold conveyancing

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 72 years left on my lease in Dunstable. I need to get lease extension but my landlord is absent. What options are available to me?

On the basis that you qualify, 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 enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to find the lessor. For most situations an enquiry agent may be useful to carry out a search and to produce a report to be used as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Dunstable.

Due to sign contracts shortly on a garden flat in Dunstable. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they report fully next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • You should be sent a copy of the lease
  • Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
  • The physical extent of the premises. This will be the flat itself but could also incorporate a roof space or cellar if appropriate.
  • Defining your rights in relation to the communal areas in the building.For instance, does the lease permit a right of way over an accessway or hallways?
  • You must be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • 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 For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Dunstable please enquire of your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Dunstable

    • I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed apartment in Dunstable.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a quarterly service charge invoice – what should I do?

    It best that you pay 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 unless 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.

    I've found a house that appears to be perfect, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just found out that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Dunstable. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Dunstable ?

    Most houses in Dunstable are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Dunstable in which case you should be looking for a Dunstable conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the freeholder’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer should appraise you on the various issues.

    Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Dunstable from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

    • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Dunstable can be avoided where you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ solicitors.
    • The majority landlords or managing agents in Dunstable charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management information can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Dunstable.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Dunstable state that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. If you dont have the consents to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in advance.
  • If there is a history of any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a property where a dispute is unsettled. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to ongoing.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be wise to 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 below 75 years. It is therefore essential at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

    • I purchased a 2 bed flat in Dunstable, conveyancing was carried out 1996. 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 Dunstable with an extended lease are worth £190,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease runs out on 21st October 2083

    With 57 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £25,700 and £29,600 as well as professional fees.

    The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending 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 concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Dunstable