Guaranteed fixed fees for Leasehold Conveyancing in East London

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Examples of recent questions relating to leasehold conveyancing in East London

I've found a house that appears to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in East London. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in East London ?

Most houses in East London are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in East London in which case you should be shopping around for a East London conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the freeholder’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer should appraise you on the various issues.

I am attracted to a two flats in East London which have in the region of 50 years left on the lease term. Do I need to be concerned?

There are plenty of short leases in East London. The lease is a right to use the property for a period of time. As the lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease decreases and it becomes more costly to extend the lease. This is why it is advisable to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We recommend you get professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a East London conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a East London conveyancing practice) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you make enquires with two or three firms including non East London conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be useful:

  • How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?
  • How many lease extensions have they conducted in East London in the last year?

    • Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in East London with the purpose of expediting the sale process?

    • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in East London can be bypassed where you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers conveyancers.
    • Many freeholders or managing agents in East London levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in East London.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? East London leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord approving such alterations. Where you fail to have the paperwork to hand do not contact the landlord without checking with your solicitor first.
  • A minority of East London 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 financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is 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 there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved before the property is marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a property where there is a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and pay 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 clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to unresolved.

    • Having spent months of negotiations we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in East London. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

    Where there is a missing freeholder or if there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to arrive at the amount due.

    An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a East London flat is 20 Avonwick Road in July 2013. The Tribunal was dealing with an application under Section 26 of the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 for a determination of the freehold value of the property. It was concluded that the price to be paid was Fifteen Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy (£15,970) divided as to £8,200 for Flat 20 and £7,770 for Flat 20A This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired term was 73.26 years.

    What makes a East London lease problematic?

    There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in East London. All leases are individual and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain provisions are wrong. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

    • A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the building
    • Insurance obligations
    • Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
    • Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

    You may have a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Accord Mortgages Ltd, The Royal Bank of Scotland, and Barclays Direct all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is problematic they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to withdraw.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in East London