I want to rent out my leasehold apartment in Ely. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Even though your last Ely conveyancing solicitor is not available you can review your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the property. The rule is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you must obtain permission via your landlord or some other party prior to subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet without prior consent. Such consent is not allowed to be unreasonably withheld. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I have recently realised that I have Fifty years remaining on my lease in Ely. I am keen to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What should I do?

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 an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to track down the lessor. In some cases an enquiry agent would be helpful to try and locate and prepare an expert document which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Ely.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to be perfect, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have since discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Ely. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Ely ?

Most houses in Ely 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 Ely so you should seriously consider looking for a Ely conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the landlord’sconsent to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.

I've recently bought a leasehold house in Ely. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on our sale of a £175000 apartment in Ely next week. The landlords agents has quoted £300 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Ely?

Ely conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally necessitates administration charges raised by managing agents :

• Answering pre-contract enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Ely
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Ely leasehold premises is £350. For Ely conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to supply the information.

Ely Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before buying

Does this lease have more than 80 years remaining? This question is useful as a) areas could cause problems in the building as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate where services are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the managing agents you will want to know about it The prefered form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this scenario the leaseholders benefit from control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is often retained if the building is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Ely