Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Gatley. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and most are in Gatley - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title.For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

I would like to rent out my leasehold flat in Gatley. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Do I need to ask my freeholder for permission?

Even though your previous Gatley conveyancing solicitor is not around you can review your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the premises. The rule is that if the lease is silent, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you need to obtain permission from your landlord or some other party prior to subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet in the absence of first obtaining permission. Such consent should not be unreasonably turned down. If the lease prohibits you from letting out the property you should ask your landlord for their consent.

I am attracted to a couple of apartments in Gatley both have about 50 years left on the leases. Will this present a problem?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease shortens the saleability of the lease reduces and it becomes more expensive to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is generally wise to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We recommend you seek professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this area

Last month I purchased a leasehold property in Gatley. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee 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. A critical element 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).

All being well we will complete our sale of a £ 200000 garden flat in Gatley next Wednesday . The managing agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Gatley?

Gatley conveyancing on leasehold flats nine out of ten times necessitates fees being raised by freeholders :

• Addressing pre-exchange enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Gatley
• 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 Gatley leasehold property is £350. For Gatley 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.

Gatley Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

Generally speaking the cost for major works tend not to be included within maintenance charges, although there some managing agents in Gatley obliged leaseholders to pay into a sinking fund and this is used to offset against major works. What restrictions are contained in the Gatley Lease?