I want to sublet my leasehold apartment in East Grinstead. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Even though your previous East Grinstead conveyancing lawyer is no longer around you can check your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the apartment. The accepted inference is that if the lease is non-specific, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you need to obtain consent from your landlord or other appropriate person before subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet in the absence of prior permission. The consent must not not be unreasonably turned down. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

I’m about to sell my 2 bed flat in East Grinstead.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

It best that you pay the service charge 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 management companies 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I work for a long established estate agency in East Grinstead where we see a few flat sales put at risk as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given inconsistent advice from local East Grinstead conveyancing solicitors. Could you clarify whether the vendor of a flat can instigate the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a East Grinstead conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a East Grinstead conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with two or three firms including non East Grinstead conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be of use:

• Can they put you in touch with client in East Grinstead who can give a testimonial?

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the disposal of our £425000 garden flat in East Grinstead next week. The landlords agents has quoted £372 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in East Grinstead?

East Grinstead conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally requires the purchaser’s conveyancer sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to respond to such questions most will be content to do so. They may charge a reasonable administration fee for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it exceeds £800. The administration charge demanded by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of rights and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the charge is technically not due. Reality however dictates that you have no option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to complete the sale of your home.

East Grinstead Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries Prior to buying

Are there any major works in the near future that will increase the service charges? The majority of East Grinstead leasehold properties will be liable to pay a service bill for maintenance of the block set by the management company. Where you acquire the apartment you will have to meet this amount, normally quarterly accross the year. This could differ from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large common grounds. In all probability there will be a rentcharge to be met yearly, normally this is not a large figure, say around £50-£100 but you need to check as on occasion it could be surprisingly expensive. Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge liability?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in East Grinstead