Frank (my husband) and I may need to rent out our Frizington 1st floor flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Frizington conveyancing firm in 2004 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to get any guidance as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Frizington do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord cannot unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting consent.

I've found a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently been informed that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Frizington. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Frizington are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Frizington so you should seriously consider looking for a Frizington conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to transacting on 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 with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer should advise you fully on all the issues.

I own a leasehold flat in Frizington. Conveyancing and Nationwide Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing practitioner in Frizington who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Frizington conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of flats in Frizington which have approximately forty five years remaining on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

There are plenty of short leases in Frizington. The lease is a right to use the premises for a period of time. As a lease shortens the saleability of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more expensive to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is advisable to extend the lease term. It is often difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this area

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Frizington conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Frizington conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you speak with several firms including non Frizington conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be of use:

• What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in Frizington in the last 12 months?
• What are the legal fees for lease extension work?

Frizington Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

Many Frizington leasehold properties will incur a service charge for the upkeep of the block invoiced by the freeholder. Where you purchase the property you will have to meet this contribution, usually in instalments accross the year. This could vary from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built buildings. In all probability there will be a ground rent to be met annual, this is usually not a significant amount, say about £50-£100 but you should to check as sometimes it can be prohibitively expensive. Is the freehold reversion owned jointly by the tenants?