Leasehold Conveyancing in Flitwick - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

Get a Quote

When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Flitwick, you will need to appoint a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Clydesdale , RBS or NatWest make sure you choose a lawyer on their approved list. Feel free to use our search tool

Frequently asked questions relating to Flitwick leasehold conveyancing

I only have Fifty years remaining on my flat in Flitwick. I am keen to get lease extension but my freeholder is can not be found. What options are available to me?

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 enable the lease to be lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to locate the lessor. For most situations a specialist should be useful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court overseeing Flitwick.

I have just appointed agents to market my garden flat in Flitwick.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a yearly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is pay 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 until 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 today plan to offer on a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Flitwick. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Flitwick are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Flitwick so you should seriously consider looking for a Flitwick conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the landlord’spermission to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will advise you fully on all the issues.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Flitwick. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

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. It is an essential part 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).

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Flitwick from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

  • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Flitwick can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ lawyers.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Flitwick state that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Where you dont have the approvals in place you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor in advance.
  • A minority of Flitwick leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are 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 purchasers or their lawyers.
  • If you have had conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be warry 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 over rather than unsettled.
  • You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be wise to double-check via your lawyers. A purchaser's lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is under 75 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

    • Flitwick Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

      What prohibitions are contained in the Flitwick Lease? The prefered form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this arrangement the lessees have control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is frequently retained where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. How much is the service charge and ground rent on the flat?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Flitwick