My wife and I may need to rent out our Frogmore basement flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We instructed a Frogmore conveyancing practice in 2004 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your previous Frogmore conveyancing solicitor is no longer around you can check your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the apartment. The accepted inference is that if the lease is non-specific, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you are obliged to obtain consent via your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining permission. The consent is not allowed to be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

Expecting to sign contracts shortly on a ground floor flat in Frogmore. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they will have a report out to me tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Frogmore should include some of the following:

• The length of the lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and informed of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years

The total extent of the premises. This will be the flat itself but might incorporate a loft or basement if appropriate.

Defining your rights in relation to the communal areas in the building.For example, does the lease permit a right of way over an accessway or staircase?

Does the lease require carpeting throughout thus preventing wood flooring?

Whether the lease restricts you from renting out the property, or having a home office for business

What options are open to you if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease?

What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Frogmore please enquire of your conveyancer in ahead of your conveyancing in Frogmore

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my 2 bed flat in Frogmore.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just received a half-yearly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Frogmore conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Frogmore conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you make enquires with several firms including non Frogmore conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be helpful:

• Can they put you in touch with client in Frogmore who can give a testimonial?

What are the costs for lease extension work?

All being well we will complete the sale of our £350000 flat in Frogmore next week. The landlords agents has quoted £360 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Frogmore?

Frogmore conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally necessitates fees being levied by freeholders :

• Completing conveyancing due diligence questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Frogmore
• 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 Frogmore leasehold premises is £350. For Frogmore 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 required to supply the information.

I am the registered owner of a garden flat in Frogmore, conveyancing having been completed 5 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable flats in Frogmore with over 90 years remaining are worth £220,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2099

With just 74 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £8,600 and £9,800 plus legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.

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Lease Extensions in Frogmore