You should [be sent a copy of the lease|receive a copy of the lease]

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Fallowfield. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they report fully within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• Does the lease require carpeting throughout thus preventing wood flooring?
• Whether the lease restricts you from letting out the flat, or working from home
• Whether your lease has a provision for a reserve fund?
• Repair and maintenance of the flat
• Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames

For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Fallowfield please enquire of your conveyancer in ahead of your conveyancing in Fallowfield

I've found a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Fallowfield. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Fallowfield ?

Most houses in Fallowfield are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Fallowfield in which case you should be looking for a Fallowfield conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions such as obtaining the landlord’sconsent to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your solicitor will appraise you on the various issues.

Last month I purchased a leasehold property in Fallowfield. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to 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. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure 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).

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the sale of our £ 250000 garden flat in Fallowfield next Tuesday . The managing agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Fallowfield?

Fallowfield conveyancing on leasehold flats normally necessitates administration charges invoiced by landlords agents :

• Completing pre-contract enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Fallowfield
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• 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 Fallowfield leasehold premises is £350. For Fallowfield 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 answers.

What makes a Fallowfield lease defective?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Fallowfield. Most leases is drafted differently and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain provisions are wrong. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the premises
• Insurance obligations
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

A defective lease will likely cause problems when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Lloyds TSB Bank, Virgin Money, and Bank of Ireland all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the buyer to pull out.

I acquired a split level flat in Fallowfield, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2009. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable flats in Fallowfield with an extended lease are worth £230,000. The ground rent is £60 yearly. The lease terminates on 21st October 2100

You have 74 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £8,600 and £9,800 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.