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

Even though your previous Gamlingay conveyancing solicitor is no longer available you can review your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the apartment. The rule is that if the lease is silent, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you need to seek consent via your landlord or some other party prior to subletting. This means that you cannot sublet in the absence of prior consent. The consent must not not 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 only have 68 years unexpired on my flat in Gamlingay. I need to extend my lease but my freeholder is can not be found. What are my options?

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 enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to track down the lessor. For most situations a specialist should be helpful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document to be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Gamlingay.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my garden flat in Gamlingay.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just had a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

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 unless 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.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Gamlingay. Conveyancing and Nottingham Building Society mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1998. The conveyancing practitioner in Gamlingay who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to incur the fees of a Gamlingay conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate 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 apartments in Gamlingay both have about 50 years left on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

There are plenty of short leases in Gamlingay. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As a lease shortens the value of the lease decreases and it becomes more expensive to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is generally wise to increase the term of the lease. Sometimes it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We advise that you seek professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this area

Leasehold Conveyancing in Gamlingay - Examples of Queries before buying

Make sure you enquire if the the lease contains any adverse restrictions in the lease. By way of example some leases prohibit pets being permitted in in a block in Gamlingay. If you like the flatin Gamlingay however your dog is not allowed to live with you then you will be presented with a hard decision. For most Gamlingay leaseholds the cost for major works are not included within maintenance charges, although some managing agents in Gamlingay ask leasehold owners to contribute towards a sinking fund and this is used to offset against major repairs or maintenance. Where a Gamlingay lease has less than 80 years it will affect the marketability of the apartment. Check with your bank that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will probably need a lease extension at some point and you need to have some idea of what this would cost. For most Gamlingaylease extensions you would need to own the premises for two years in order to be eligible to extend the lease.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Gamlingay