Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in East Oxford:

Get a Quote

Whether you are buying or selling leasehold flat in East Oxford, our panel of leasehold conveyancing experts will help you move with as little stress as possible. Find a East Oxford conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

East Oxford leasehold conveyancing: Q and A’s

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in East Oxford. Before diving in I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and most are in East Oxford - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars 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.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Sixty One years left on my lease in East Oxford. I am keen to get lease extension but my landlord is missing. What should I do?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for an order 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 demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to locate the landlord. For most situations an enquiry agent would be helpful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document which can be used as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing East Oxford.

Due to exchange soon on a basement flat in East Oxford. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they will have a report out to me tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in East Oxford should include some of the following:

  • Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?
  • Whether the lease restricts you from letting out the property, or having a home office for business
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
  • 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.
  • 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
  • What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in East Oxford please enquire of your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in East Oxford

    • I’m about to sell my basement apartment in East Oxford.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just received a yearly service charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

    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 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

    Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in East Oxford with the purpose of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in East Oxford can be reduced if you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ solicitors.
    • Many landlords or managing agents in East Oxford levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought 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 common reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in East Oxford.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Most leases in East Oxford state that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. Should you fail to have the paperwork to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your solicitor first.
  • Some East Oxford leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the yearly 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should make sure that you hold the original share certificate. Organising a replacement share certificate is often a lengthy formality and delays many a East Oxford home move. Where a new share is required, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

    • I inherited a garden flat in East Oxford, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent properties in East Oxford with over 90 years remaining are worth £214,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease runs out on 21st October 2086

    With only 61 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £19,000 and £22,000 plus professional fees.

    The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in East Oxford